The used car market presents a number of risks, it’s hard to know for curtain the condition of the vehicle and how it was treated by the previous owner. There are a few easy steps you can take to weed out the good and the bad.

Does it sound like it’s too good to be true?

“It’s done no work, kilometres are low, it’s really cheap” these can often be red flags, not to be too cynical, there are a few vehicles out there that are being sold for a good deal but if you find yourself at any point thinking if it’s such a great car then why are they selling it? You should dig a little deeper and ask more questions.

Check the service history

Check out the service book, see if the vehicle has been maintained regularly and make sure the service book has been completed correctly. Ask if they have ever had the transmission serviced. Transmission maintenance is often overlooked, and sadly a lot of our customers assume that their mechanic has been servicing the transmission as part of logbook intervals to find out this isn’t the case.

Get your own inspection done

Get your own inspection done by a trusted mechanic. It may cost you a little more and it can be a bit of a hassle to organise but at the end of the day having the peace of mind you are buying a reliable, safe vehicle is always worth it. If the person selling the vehicle isn’t happy to have this done “red flag.” For a vehicle to be sold in QLD with rego you are required to have a road worthy certificate, or safety inspection done. Not all road worthies are done to the same level, so it pays to have your own inspection done by a trusted mechanic.

Ask a friend to help

If you are someone that isn’t mechanically minded ask a friend or family member that is to come with you to inspect the vehicle. They may pick up on things that you don’t, and be able to ask any questions you may not feel comfortable asking.

The sad truth

We are always happy to discuss common issues we see with vehicles and what ones to steer clear of. In the last 12 months we have had a lot of customers bring in newly registered vehicles that they have only just purchased and are now experiencing drivability issues, and subsequently have found the transmission to have major internal issues that are costly to repair. So please do your research and take care when purchasing a used vehicle.