If you are going to be purchasing a second hand car, then you need to make sure that you have all of the information. You should never purchase one of these vehicles if you do not know certain, crucial pieces of info that could make the difference between you purchasing a banger, and a good vehicle. In this article, we’re going to be taking a look at some of the factors that you should be considering before you buy a second hand car, so keep reading if you would like to find out more about what these are.

Previous Usage

Ideally, you need to know about the previous usage of the car. For example, if it has been used by someone who drives for their career, then the car is likely to have more miles on it, and generally be in worse condition. The longer and more frequently a car is used, the worse off it is going to be. As such, you should have some kind of idea as to how many people have owned it previously, and what they have been using it for.

You should also ask for a service history so that you can see what work has been done to it. It’s important to have a clear picture of how it performs in services generally so that you know what to expect in the future. 

Test Drive

It is highly recommended that you do not purchase a second hand vehicle without first testing how it drives. Number one, this is to test that it actually starts, and number two, you do not want a car that you do not feel comfortable driving. Taking it for a test drive is something that every driver should want to do before they commit to a car, as you know that they do not all drive the same.

Work Required

Next, you need to think about the work required to get the car up to the right standard. It’s possible that a second hand car needs a lot of work which ultimately could be quite expensive. To manage this, you should think about exploring the car carefully. You might find that it needs some replacement parts. This isn’t a massive concern as long as you can find the right supplier. Car wreckers are usually a good place to start for the best, high quality parts at a great price. 

Age

Finally, you might want to think about the age of the vehicle. The problem with age is that as a car gets older it’s more likely to develop more serious and expensive issues. Older cars are also more expensive to insure because they are likely to end up at the side of the road. Furthermore, you need to think about how age correlates with the mileage of a vehicle. A low mileage may seem great for an older car. But it could be too good to be true and may suggest there’s an issue too expensive to fix which has kept the car off the road for a lot of its life. It could still be in a poor condition due to the age.