Buy a used car? A pre-purchase inspection can help you
A pre-purchase inspection is an extremely important part of the process of searching for a used car. It can not only protect you from falling for a lemon, but also allow you to extract a real gem from the many offers of used cars.
What is a pre-purchase inspection?
A pre-purchase inspection of a car is simply a thorough check of the car from a technical and formal point of view.
During the inspection, the exploitation degree of the vehicle is assessed, which helps the potential buyer decide whether to buy the car. Often, such inspections are carried out by car appraisers, who prepare a detailed report along with photographic documentation.
Self-assessment of the technical condition can be difficult, but you can also use the services of a vehicle inspection station if necessary. Such a procedure allows you to use the knowledge of a diagnostician who checks dozens of used cars every day. Their expertise in assessing a used car may be even greater than the knowledge of a car appraiser.
What exactly is a pre-purchase inspection of a used car?
A thorough pre-purchase inspection of a car includes:
- inspection of the car
- checking documents, including service history and mileage
- a test drive
- assessment of the technical condition of the car including, among others, braking system, steering system, tire condition, coolant level, suspension control, technical condition of the steering system and gearbox, engine idling
Performing a pre-purchase inspection of a car might be a difficult task for a buyer who usually does not have the knowledge and experience necessary for a professional assessment of the car. Therefore, it is worth using various ready-made solutions, including certified used cars. Car appraisers, e.g. from DEKRA, can check the car before you buy it, and their many years of experience is a guarantee that you will know the actual technical condition of the vehicle.
Pre-purchase inspection at the dealer
New car dealerships also more and more often offer used cars with certificates confirming their technical condition. Certificates issued by mechanics or car appraisers allow for a quick and comprehensive assessment of the technical condition of the vehicle.
The condition of the car can be compared with another car with a certificate, which significantly increases the comfort of choosing interesting offers and reduces the time needed to search for a car.
Below, we present a few selected programs offering certified used cars.
Renault and Dacia
Renew is a brand of used cars of the Renault group. As part of it, customers can buy used, reconditioned and certified vehicles. The offer includes electric, hybrid and combustion vehicles. The certificate of inspection of a used car includes 159 points, including the condition of the body, interiors, completeness of equipment, condition of tires, checking the vehicle history of the car, checking the vehicle at the service station. Repairs carried out in the service after a meticulous inspection are also documented.
Lexus and Toyota
As part of the Toyota Quality Program, the offered cars are subject to meticulous inspection. It includes – body condition checks, tread thickness measurement and tire condition, external appearance, lighting, trunk, vehicle interior checks, chassis, steering and testing, as well as checking the engine compartment. In the case of Lexus Select, the vehicles are thoroughly checked with an inspection protocol covering more than 140 points in the car along with the measurement of the body paint thickness.
Other programs
In principle, all major brands on the market have similar programs, e.g. BMW, Audi or Mercedes. Their scheme is similar – cars undergo a rigorous quality check and if they are of the right quality, they receive a certificate. Having a certificate is a prerequisite for the car to be offered by a given brand. In addition to the impeccable technical condition, these cars must also meet other requirements, e.g. none of the vehicles offered under Mercedes-Benz Certified may be more than 6 years old from the date of first registration, and their mileage must not exceed 150.000 km.
Why is getting a pre-purchase inspection of a car important
Used cars inspected to appropriate standards are properly checked. A thorough technical inspection of the car and a test drive confirm the efficiency of all key components of the vehicle.
Mileage verification is also an important part of checking a used car. All vehicles are checked for the realness of mileage based on available vehicle history, digital service book and other sources of information.
This is a guarantee that when you decide to buy such a vehicle, you deal with the actual mileage.
Costs related to inspecting the car
When checking the car yourself, it is good to equip yourself with a paint gauge – a model with sufficient parameters for occasional use can be bought for as little as several dozen euros. The cost of checking the car at a workshop ranges from several dozen to even several hundred euros (PLN).
In the case of certified cars, the cost of inspection has already been incurred by the car seller. This is a considerable saving, especially if you compare many vehicles. Without a certificate, the car will not be put up for sale.
What elements are checked during the pre-purchase inspection?
When examining the condition of a used car, among others, the braking system, steering system, tire condition, coolant level, suspension control, technical condition of the steering system and gearbox, engine idling are assessed.
A comprehensive inspection of the car covers the entire technical condition.
What if you find damage during a vehicle inspection?
Buying a second hand car requires vigilance. If you encounter a fault during the inspection, this is the basis for bargaining over the price. Certain damages may, of course, disqualify the car, e.g. advanced corrosion, which makes the purchase not economically reasonable.
Each time, it is necessary to analyze to what extent the detected defect affects the subsequent service and maintenance costs. It may turn out that a seemingly minor defect, e.g. inoperative air conditioning, is associated with costly repairs, but it may also be necessary to carry out only a minor repair, e.g. sealing the ducts.
Pre-purchase inspection keeps you safe
When buying a used car, you need to be very cautious. Safety and confidence that you are buying a tested car is a matter of thoroughly checking the vehicle. The costs incurred before the purchase will be reimbursed in the form of lower maintenance costs in the future.
It is best to have the car inspected by a professional before buying it. Experts in car inspection use professional equipment to diagnose and measure the thickness of the paint. Dishonest car sellers do not have much chance against them.
At autoDNA.com, the market-leading VIN decoding tool, you can free VIN lookup on a given vehicle. All you need for this is the VIN number. In the reports, on used cars, you can find information that will allow you to check whether the seller is telling the truth or not. In the report, you can find data on various topics. One of them is the vehicle history or stolen vehicle bases. You can do a VIN check for free 24/7 throughout the year.
