Ensuring your used car is safe to drive: Steps to take before making the purchase

Buying a second-hand car is a sensible proposition these days: the cost of living is crawling ever higher, and new cars come with extra expenses that can be easy to overlook – higher taxes and insurances just two examples. But how do you make sure that your used car is the great deal that you want it to be? Let’s take a look.

DVSA check

Gather as much evidence as you can about the car’s past, and its current legal status. Run the vehicle’s information through one of the many online checking sites to be found. The most reputable is the official DVSA site which can let you know if your potential new-to-you vehicle has been written off for any reason. Write offs usually occur because it would cost more to repair the vehicle and restore it to a good, roadworthy condition than it would to simply buy a new car, following an accident. This means that any car which is meant to have been written but is still on the road could potentially be suffering from internal damage, not immediately discernible after purchase. If there are any flags on that number plate at all, it is best to avoid the purchase.

Buy from reputable dealer

But you can avoid 99 percent of the issues that can arise with buying a second-hand car – such as the one detailed above – by only ever buying your cars from a reputable dealer. The second-hand car market is a thriving one and there are many honest traders looking to make only a modest profit in order to have their customers return to them time and again as their cars age out and require replacement. If you are thinking of investing in a pre-loved car, visit KAP Motors Used Car Brighton Centre and grab yourself a decent set of wheels! Such dealers will often supply a good level of after sales care, including various warranties and service contracts for those who desire them.

Treat it like a new car

You wouldn’t buy a new car without a test drive so why not ask your second-hand car vendor for the same privilege? A test drive is an excellent way to make sure that the car you are being sold runs well and that you feel comfortable and confident behind the wheel.