Car Articles

One of your main concerns when buying used cars in India would be its condition at the time of purchase. Just because a used car looks great does not mean that everything is fine with it and that it has been maintained really well. Often, sellers are hesitant to spend much on fixing defects in the car before its sale by spending heavily, as they would then have to add these expenses to the actual cost of the used car making it a highly priced used car - not something that attracts buyers. Thus, sellers often choose to either patch up the visible defects in the car or opt for low cost maintenance techniques.

As a prospective car buyer, you reserve a certain set of hopes and expectations from the car that you are looking to buy. You frame a set of specifications which are to be met before decide on buying it. The seller is always eager to meet a potential buyer and try to close a deal on the seller’s terms. While it’s not the case with all sellers, it is easy to give in to promises made by them about the car and end up with a bad buy.

Unless you are really lucky and have hit the jackpot with your purchase of the used car, it’s highly possible that your car will come up with some defects and breakdowns one or the other day and rectifying those might burn a deep hole in your pocket. Though this situation is unavoidable, you can always delay the falling out of the defects by taking care with pre-owned car buying and by making some sensible decisions while negotiating with the seller.

It has happened many a time that the pre-owned car buyer has overlooked the defects in the vehicle before the purchase and has ended up spending a fortune repairing them. Most of the times, these defects are hidden from the buyer’s eyes because the seller has already taken care of most visible defects. While it is recommended that you have an expert take a look at the used car you’re purchasing, it is possible for you to conduct a decent examination of it yourself. Listed below are some easy ways to detect many of the hidden defects in used cars. Also check out our expert used car buying tips in India to help you with your purchase.

Detecting Car Body Defects

1. You can begin examining the car’s body by scrutinizing its body frame. Every car body has a balanced and uniform shapes and contours. Anything out of balance deserves closer inspection and enquiry with the seller.
2. Don’t forget to check if the paint on the outside of the car matches the inside of the door. A mismatch is a clear indication that the car might have been repainted and does not bear the original paint that it came with.
3. Check for gritty surfaces and paint overspray over the chrome portions of the car if any. This too is a possible sign of an additional paint job. Extra paint jobs also mean that body dents and scratches have been covered up so be sure to take a closer look.
4. Ensure that the different panels of the car body such as the bonnet, doors, trunk, etc. are lined up evenly and there are no wide gaps in between them. Abnormal gaps and irregular protrusions in the doors and bumpers indicate that the car might have been involved in an accident in the past.

Detecting Defects in Doors, Bonnet, Fuel Cap, and Trunk Lid

1. It is very important to make sure that the doors, Bonnet, Fuel Cap, and Trunk lid open and close properly without any creaking sound.
2. Functioning of the Door locks should be observed carefully.
3. Look for tear and stains on the inside of the doors which are usually covered in fabric, leather, or vinyl material. Also check the bottom edges of the doors for inconsistencies.

Checking for Window Defects

1. Ensure that there aren’t any hairline cracks or tiny holes in the window glass.
2. Check if the windows roll up and down smoothly and close properly to deliver an air tight cabin.
3. In case power windows are installed, you will need to check the functioning of those. Power window controls are often abused by passengers and there are good chances that they might not function as per expectation.