Buying second hand…what to look out for

When buying a second hand car there is always an element of risk involved especially if it does not have a warranty with it. There are some things that you can look out for when buying a second hand car to try and avoid buying one with major problems or issues that may cost a lot to repair, or worse case mean that the car cannot be economically repaired and therefore will need to be scrapped.

Buying a car without a valid MOT or with a very short MOT should ring alarm bells to many people. An MOT can cost as little as £30, so if the person selling the car believes that it would pass they would usually opt to put one on. If the car has no MOT it can mean that the current owner is aware that there may be a substantial amount of work needed to get it through.

If the owner has only had the vehicle a short time then you could do with trying to find out why they are selling it. Swapping vehicles can be a hassle and expensive when it comes to admin fees on insurance etc., so many people only do it when really necessary. If the owner has only had it a few weeks, why are they selling it so quickly?