Things to watch out for

Before you buy a second hand car, you should carry out some checks on it:

• Check the condition of the car
• Test drive the car
• Check the history of the car

Bring a mechanic with you if you don’t feel you know enough about cars yourself. Remember, always meet a private seller at their home address in daylight and check the documentation matches this address to ensure they are not a dealer trying to disguise a sale.

When buying a second hand car, always check that it is not already owned by a finance company.

Check the condition of the car

You should examine the entire car thoroughly. Look out for:

• Visible signs of damage - dents, scrapes and panels not matching up evenly
• Broken or cracked lights and marks on bumpers. If light clusters are not the same make, they may have been damaged and replaced after a crash
• Hidden signs of damage, wear and tear such as rust under the sills or wheel arches.
• Tyres that are different makes or unevenly worn. This could mean they may have been replaced following damage.
• Any signs of leaks on the ground when the car has been standing for a time. There could be a simple explanation for this but you should always ask.
• Check the spare wheel and full wheel replacement kit. If the car has alloy wheels, make sure you get a “key" to release and secure them.
• Check how many airbags the car has and ask if they are in working order. Ask about other safety features such as a three-point centre seat belt in the back, secure fixing points for a child seat, Anti-Lock Braking system (ABS) etc.
• Check and take a note of the displayed mileage on the odometer.  It will be displayed in miles or kilometres. If you think this has been tampered with or clocked, you should contact the Gardaí. Ask the seller to confirm in writing the correct mileage before you buy the car.
• Check the wear and tear inside the car to see if it is consistent with the displayed mileage.

Test drive the car

Always try to take the car for a test drive before you buy it. When driving the car, turn off the radio and air-conditioning and make sure:

• There are no strange noises or rattling
• There is no strong smell of oil or petrol
• It accelerates comfortably and the brakes don’t squeak or squeal
• You drive over a reasonable distance on different road surfaces to fully test it

Check the car’s history

You can check the history of a car yourself on websites such as www.cartell.ie, www.motorcheck.ie or www.mywheels.ie for a small fee. This will show previous mileage, insurance claims and details of crashes, if any. Alternatively, you can ask the seller to check it for you. All SIMI dealers have access to a car history check service.

When looking at a car, you should:

• Ask for the car’s full service log from the seller – this can tell you how carefully the car was looked after.
• Check that the car is not under any existing hire purchase agreement. If it is, the person trying to sell the car does not actually own it and does not have the right to sell it to you.  Hire Purchase Information Ltd keeps records of cars subject to HP agreements.
• Ask if any mechanical work or bodywork has been carried out on the car.
• Ask the seller for some identification to confirm that it is the same person on the Vehicle Registration certificate.
• Make sure that all other documentation, including NCT, VRT, motor tax disc and car handbook relate to the car.
• Make sure you get answers to all the questions in our car purchase checklist (pdf) or ask the seller to complete it.

Don’t hand over any money unless you are completely satisfied with the car. Always pay by bank draft or cheque, if possible. If you think the car is faulty after purchasing, find out about your rights. 

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