Buying a used car is a great way to get a bargain on a way to get around; as well as buy a car that you really want to own for less money than a brand-new version. The one concern that many people have with buying a used car is that it is not going to live up to expectations, that it will end up breaking down and not working as it should.
The thing with this is that not everyone is a mechanic, so how can you be sure that the car that you are buying is exactly what it is being sold as?
Arranging a vehicle inspection
The good news for those people who are worried about buying a used car is that there is something called a vehicle inspection that you can arrange to be carried out before you actually agree to a sale. These can either be carried out by a local garage, or, if you prefer, by a nationwide company such as the AA or the RAC.
A used car inspection is likely to cost you somewhere in the region of £100-£200 which means that you are likely to be left wondering whether or not it is worthwhile paying out for. Especially when you are trying to save yourself some money.
So, is it worth it?
The idea of a vehicle inspection is that it is there to give you the peace of mind that the car that you are buying is up to standard; and the truth is that you can’t put a price on peace of mind. Knowing that you have bought a car that is going to not only get you around; but not break down as soon as you leave the car dealership is great and if it is only going to cost you a small amount of money then all the better.
Talking of money, if you buy a used car that already has a number of faults that you may not be aware of, then these over time are going to show themselves. This means that you are going to need to pay out to have them fixed and this can be expensive. If you know the faults that are there from the point of sale, then you have the ability to choose whether or not you want to buy the car or not If you do decide to buy the car, then you can make sure that you have the fault fixed before it gets even worse.
Isn’t an MOT enough?
A MOT is designed to ensure that a car is fit to be on the road; something that is checked every 12 months. It makes sense that a MOT should be enough for you to trust that the used car that you are buying is to a good standard. However, sometimes the fault can develop over a few months, which means that they have been completely missed during the MOT.
It really is down to you to decide whether or not a used car inspection is going to be the right thing for you. It depends on whether you have the money to spare for the inspection and also whether or not you are keen to know if the car that you are buying is to a good standard.
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