Even though it is not the most expensive purchase in the United Kingdom, getting a brand new car will still affect your budget. This is why it is not foreign for residents of England to actually look for good deals for used cars.
Once you are on the market and looking to buy used cars you ought to know a thing or two regarding the eventual problems which might occur with the performance of your vehicle. Most dealerships will have extensive car history and you will be able to see what was repaired and what wasn’t.
The problem comes when you are buying from a private citizen because there might be some hidden issues that no one sees. Most reasons for a used car to break down are related to poor maintenance. If there is a visible problem during your test drive, then there’s obviously something wrong with the automobile. However, some things are invisible, and we will mention a few.
Once you begin your used cars search, you want to check the mileage of every car. People all over the UK will tell you that mileage really affects the performance of the engine. But the condition of the oil will also tell you a lot. Petrol engines typically yield brownish oil upon inspection. Look at the oil and try to find any aluminium-looking particles. Also, check the viscosity of the oil – it must not be diluted.
Listen Carefully with Your Ears
If any of those things aren’t right, then it looks like the owner has skipped a few oil changes. This is a sure sign that engine damage might be imminent. Next, listen to the sound the car makes when you brake. If there are screeching sounds, then you might need new brake pads. Most used cars do not come with replaced brake pads so it is always useful to knowing the price of brake pads. If the problem is deeper than that, maybe replacing the discs is also in order. This is something common in many used cars for sale in London because of the heavy traffic and constant braking.
The an angle belt is the week spot of every engine. The thing is, it needs to be changed periodically and without a full vehicle history, you got no way of knowing when the last change was although it might make a squeaking sound. A mechanic should look at all the belts in the car and determine whether they need to be replaced. This is crucial because if a belt breaks, then you will find yourself in a huge financial hole trying to repair this car.
Lastly, another common reason for a used car breakdown is whether it has been in an accident. Some owners will try to mask it by having the outsides of the car repaired and re-painted. But damages to the body of the car might have been done and this will echo in the future making the car unstable or plain dangerous to drive.
Getting your car from a licensed dealer such as Hertz will save you a lot of trouble, though. Used vehicles might also come in the form of rental cars. You can go for the Hertz Rent2Buy where they allow you to test drive a rental car and if you decide to buy it, the test drive is free.
Meta: When you are looking to buy used cars, you are to look at a few possibly problematic areas. Read our piece & see some reasons why used cars might break down.