How do I buy a used car without being caught out?

Most bad used car purchases are decided before anyone looks at the car — by rushing, by travelling too far to walk away, or by skipping checks that take five minutes on a phone.

Safety

What you'll need

• A budget including running costs
• A phone for online checks
• Someone to come with you (optional)

Step by step

1. Set a total budget, not a purchase price.Insurance, fuel, tax, servicing and tyres vary enormously between cars. A cheaper car with expensive tyres and a costly insurance group is not cheaper.
2. Shortlist by known reliability rather than by looks.Owner forums and reliability surveys tell you what actually goes wrong with a model and at what mileage. Some engines have a known weak point that is worth avoiding entirely.
3. Check the MOT history online before travelling.Free, by registration, and enormously informative. Look at mileage progression for consistency, and read the advisories — a car with the same advisory for three years has been neglected.
4. Run a paid vehicle history check.It shows outstanding finance, insurance write-off records, stolen markers, plate and colour changes and mileage discrepancies. A car with outstanding finance can be repossessed from you.
5. Ask questions on the phone first.How long have you owned it, why are you selling, is it recorded in your name at this address, does it have a full service history, has it had any accident damage. Vague answers save you a journey.
6. View in daylight and never in the rain.Water hides paint defects and mismatched panels beautifully. A seller who only offers evenings or wet-weather viewings is worth being cautious about.
7. View at the address on the V5C.The registration document should be in the seller's name at the address you are standing at. If it is not, walk away — this is the single most reliable fraud check there is.
8. Inspect and drive it thoroughly.A cold start, a proper drive including a fast road, and time spent on the walk-round. A car warmed up before you arrive is hiding its cold start.
9. Consider a professional inspection.The motoring organisations and independent inspectors will assess a car for a modest fee. On an expensive purchase, or if you are not confident, it is money well spent.
10. Negotiate from evidence, not from hope.Tyres near the limit, a service due, an advisory on the MOT — each has a real cost. Quoting those is far more effective than asking what the best price is.
11. Pay traceably and get a receipt.A bank transfer with a written receipt naming both parties, the vehicle, the registration, the mileage and the price. Cash in a car park leaves you with nothing.
12. Sort tax and insurance before driving away.Vehicle tax does not transfer with the car, so it must be taxed in your name before it moves, and insured from the moment you drive.

Tips

• Be prepared to walk away from anything. The car you travelled two hours to see is not the last car in the country.
• A private seller with a full folder of receipts is usually worth paying a little more for than a trader with none.
• Buying from a dealer gives you consumer rights that a private sale does not — that difference has a real value.

Common mistakes

• Viewing in the dark or in the rain — Both hide paint repairs, mismatched panels, dents and rust remarkably well. Any seller who will only show a car in poor conditions has a reason.
• Paying a deposit to hold a car unseen — Deposits are frequently non-refundable and they create pressure to go through with a purchase you have already started doubting. See the car first.

If it doesn't work

Questions people ask