When it comes to buying a used or second-hand car, it should come with a “Buyers Beware” pamphlet to make sure your car is not a lemon.
There are often some clear tell-tale signals and some not-so-clear signs that your potential new car isn’t what it’s cracked up to be.
According to this study, about two-thirds of lemon cars will start to have problems within about a month of you buying it.
Buying a used car can save you a ton of money in the short term, but in the long run, you might be paying more in maintenance fees for repairing the car.
Here are some signs to tell that the car that you want is actually a lemon:
It Makes Hissing And Occasional Knocking Sound
During the test drive, can you hear hissing or knocking over your Taylor Swift track? The knocking could be a problem with the engine and hissing can be the sound of fluid leaking. Either way, neither of these sounds are good. Any strange noises coming from the car should cause you to prick up your ears, grab hold of your wallet and do a runner.
A Poorly Written Ad Is Suspicious. A Lemon!
When you bought the car, do you remember anything off about the ad? The ad’s purpose is to get you to want to buy the car, but sometimes they’re not always truthful.
The car ad should sound professional and highlight all the great things about the car. But if it’s used, they should also disclose any problems that it has. Or any accidents it’s been in. It would also be great if the seller can state the reason for selling the car in the ad. That way, it is possible to know if the car has suffered any major damage recently. Even if you don’t trust the seller to fully tell you the truth, you can hire a professional car inspector like German Precision to check the car for you.
The Person Selling The Car Is OVER Selling It
There’s selling… and then there’s SELLING. What are they trying to hide, boy? If they can’t give you answers to basic questions like: Can I see paperwork? Do you have a copy of the vehicle history? How about that vehicle maintenance? Nope. Then we’ve got a problem.
Previously Owned By A Smoker
If you think about it, smoking is a real bad habit. After all, it is linked to several serious diseases such as heart disease, stroke, asthma and even lung cancer, according to the American Lung Association.
Hence, if you spot a used car for sale and you learn that the previous owner is a smoker, it might be a good idea to walk away.
For starters, it is hard to completely remove cigarette odour from a car once a smoker has used it for quite some time. In fact, once you roll up the windows and drive around, you might find the odour getting much stronger and unbearable.
If The Car Has Bad Or Strong Odours, Beware
Cigarette odour is not the only red flag when it comes to bad odours. When you go to inspect a car, it’s important to use all your senses. Other smells like something burning or leaking could also indicate bigger problems with the car.
Sometimes the smell is something obvious and easy to identify. But either way, it’s never good, and you should open up the hood to figure out just what is going on.
If The Tyres Look A Little “Tyred”, It’s A Lemon
Tyres can tell a thousand stories. If it’s been kept in good nick, the tread on the tires should be worn evenly. If it’s uneven, it could indicate that the tyres were never rotated or changed. Which is a problem. Uneven tyre tread isn’t a good sign, even if the car is quite new.
Before you check for wear and tear, however, the first thing you have to check is if the tires are uniform. That is, all sides of the car are using a tire with the same size and brand. Having identical tires mean that everything has the same size, construction, tread, and pattern. Therefore, it helps you maintain optimum stability and control of the vehicle.
Has Misaligned Body Parts
When it comes to used cars that are for sale, there’re a lot of units that seem to have misaligned body panels. What’s bothersome about this is that a lot of car seller would often try to pass these off as “minor surface irregularities,” according to a report from Money Crashers.
However, misaligned body panels are a clear sign that the car had been in a major accident at some point.
When inspecting a used car, be sure to go over its body panels, car doors, hood gaps, and trunks. Ideally, you want everything here to be evenly and perfectly aligned. Check also for any irregularities in the width between the seams that line car’s hood, fenders, and doors. If spot any, that is a major red flag.
It’s What Matters On The Inside
Expect general wear and tear. But when there is damaged seat belts, missing knobs on the dashboard, ripped seats and missing headrests, you may be looking at a lemon. If it’s a train wreck with the eyes, imagine what’s under the hood.
Have a professional inspector like German Precision to do a thorough pre-purchase car inspection to ensure that your dream car is operating properly and not a scam.
If you are looking for a professional pre-purchase car inspector in Melbourne, do not hesitate to contact German Precision or Prepurchase Check today!
sources: triplem.com.au, azbigmedia.com, hotcars.com
