How do I buy a used car without being caught out?
The order to do things in, the free online checks that catch most problems, and the questions that separate a good private sale from a bad one.
intermediate4 hr4 min read
Buying & Selling
Choosing, checking, selling, and how car finance works.
21 guides in Motoring
What is PCP car finance and how does it actually work?
The structure of a personal contract purchase, what a balloon payment or guaranteed future value is really doing, and the three choices at the end of the agreement.
beginner20 min6 min readHow do I check a used car's history before I buy it?
What the free checks reveal, what only a paid history check will show, and what Category A, B, S and N actually mean when a car comes back as a write-off.
beginner25 min5 min readWhat are my rights if a used car develops a fault?
The short-term right to reject in the first 30 days, the six-month presumption that follows it, why buying from a dealer is very different from buying privately, and the credit card and finance routes.
beginner25 min6 min readWhat should I ask before signing a car finance agreement?
A checklist of questions that make an agreement legible, what your right to withdraw actually is, what commission disclosure means, and the things people find out too late.
beginner20 min5 min readWhat does APR mean on car finance, and what is the total amount payable?
What APR includes that a flat rate does not, why representative APR is not the rate you will get, and the two figures that let you compare any two agreements honestly.
beginner15 min5 min readWhat is hire purchase, and how is it different from PCP?
How hire purchase spreads the whole price rather than the depreciation, why the monthly payment is higher and the structure simpler, and what that means at the end.
beginner15 min5 min readWhat should I check when buying a used electric car?
The one question that matters most and how to get an honest answer to it, whether the battery is owned or leased, what the warranty actually covers, and the checks that are specific to an electric car.
beginner25 min6 min readWhat should I check when viewing a used car?
A walk-round that finds accident repairs, neglect and a hidden cold start, and the drive that reveals what the walk-round cannot.
intermediate1 hr4 min readWhat counts as fair wear and tear on a leased or PCP car?
The standard the industry actually uses, the categories it assesses, why a pre-hand-back appraisal is worth doing, and how to challenge a charge you disagree with.
beginner18 min5 min readWhat happens at the end of a PCP agreement?
The three routes out and the fourth that people forget, how to work out whether there is equity, and the timeline to work to so you are not deciding under pressure.
beginner15 min5 min readWhat is negative equity on a car, and can I sell a car that is on finance?
Why a car is usually worth less than the balance early on, how to measure it in one calculation, the four ways out, and what rolling it into a new agreement really does.
beginner15 min5 min readWho owns a car on finance, and what does that mean in practice?
Why the finance company is the legal owner, what the registered keeper is instead, and the four practical consequences: selling, insurance, write-offs and repossession.
beginner15 min5 min readHow do mileage limits and excess mileage charges work on car finance?
Why a mileage limit exists at all, how the excess charge is calculated, when it applies and when it does not, and what to do if the figure was set too low.
beginner12 min5 min readWhat is car leasing, and how is it different from buying on finance?
How personal contract hire works, why there is never an option to buy, what the initial rental actually is, and the rights you do not have because it is not a credit agreement.
beginner15 min6 min readWhat is the difference between a car loan and car finance?
Why an unsecured personal loan puts you in a different legal position from dealer finance, what each one is secured against, and the protections that differ between them.
beginner15 min5 min readWhat is voluntary termination on car finance?
The statutory right under the Consumer Credit Act, the half rule and how the half is actually calculated, which agreements it covers, and what it does to your credit file.
beginner15 min6 min readHow do I work out what my car is actually worth?
The three different values every car has at once, why online instant valuations are systematically low, and how to build a defensible figure from real advertisements.
beginner20 min5 min readShould I sell my car privately, to a dealer, or to an online buyer?
What each route actually costs you in money and in hassle, how to compare them honestly, and the specific situations where the obvious answer is the wrong one.
beginner18 min5 min readWhat is the difference between a mild hybrid, a full hybrid and a plug-in?
Four quite different technologies are all sold as hybrids. What each one actually does, which journeys each suits, and the one that costs people money when it does not fit their driving.
beginner15 min5 min readHow do I sell a used car privately?
Preparing the car so it presents well, pricing it honestly, writing an advert that filters time-wasters, and completing the sale safely.
intermediate3 hr4 min read
Going deeper: DecisionHQ
Product and option comparisons with explicit criteria, rather than a single recommendation.