Advice for buying a used car

[Matthew_T]

I am hopefully going to look at a car at the weekend and if everything is okay, I will be buying it.

I will be taking my dad with me because he knows more about cars than me and hopefully he knows what to look out for (he has bought plenty of used cars).
The car itself has a full MOT but is just missing tax (not really a problem if I decide to get it). It is a 2000 Ford Ka.

I have dont a bit of research on the car and found that the model is prone to rust. I have also found that it is best to look at the suspension and steering column as they can be expensive to repair.
The idle on old Fords is also prone to stalling after giving it a little throttle and when changing gear. This is apparently a common problem and can be fixed by getting a new idle control unit which is pretty cheap to pick up.

I know the typical places to look for rust are (edges of doors, corners or panels, bottom of bodywork), and I will take a tyre wear tool with me too. I aslo know to check the oil filler cap inside to see if there is any water in the engine. The seller has said that the car runs smoothly but until I see it and actually give it a drive, I wont know for sure.

Of course there will be problems that I might not pick up on straight away and after a few weeks of driving, I might notice an issue or two, but as it has a full MOT I would hope it lasts me at least a year.

Does anyone have any general advice about what to look for/ask the seller? I have found a website with a whole list of known faults with the model so I know what to specifically look for in that sense. But anything more general?

 

[Hacienda71]

HPI check it before handing over any cash and meet the seller at his home. Also see if there is any service history, some is better than none. If the mileometer is manual check that the numbers align and that the mileage matches up with any old MOT's. If it doesn't seem right don't be afraid to walk away. Good luck

 

[CopperCyclist]

Don't rely on an MOT as a guarantee its in running order! Test drive and trust your instincts - if it feels wrong it probably is. HPI checks as above too.

Other than that, when you are buying a car that old (presumably for your first car) just make sure you get it for the right price - check parkers guide.

The only advice I would have given is if buying a ten year old plus car, I'd suggest going German or Japanese add they tend to be much more reliable, but there's no reason other brands can't work for you.

 

[Globalti]

Look carefully at the paintwork - does it look appropriately aged or fresh? If fresh, check under the bonnet for signs that the car has been resprayed or scooted over, if it has, investigate further: it may be a crashed-repaired car, which is no bad thing if it's been done correctly. Worse, it may be two cars welded together: look under the carpet behind the front seats for a joint with spot welds. Don't buy that one.

 

[gbb]

My daughters had severe rust at the bottom of the the windscreen pillar.

 

[buggi]

. Autotrader gives great tips on what to look for. If it has the original number plates it probably hasn't been on a head on crash or rear ended, so if they don't match or look newer than the car, or are a local garages plates, ask why.

 

[biggs682]

we looked at a few Ka's for our childrens first car most of them had rust on base of drivers side A pillar where it goues under the edge of fr wing , loads had rust around petrol flap aperture and then all the normal places !

does it have to be a Ka ? if not try and find a Japanese product (although not jap made) ie Yaris ,or a VW Polo BUT imho avoid the Clio range

 

[asterix]

The first thing to do is kick the tyres. Scornfully.

But seriously, check every electrical gizmo, wipers, windows, lights, indicators, heater fan.. Electrical faults can be a real pain.

WRT the heater, if no heat emerges the matrix (a kind of radiator) might be faulty and the seller could have by-passed it to get by. This could be an expensive fault to rectify - on some cars you have to take the steering column out!

I would never again buy an old Ford altho Mondeos have a goodish rep (but some parts very expensive if they fail). My 17 year old Toyota van has up to now (touches wood) been the most reliable and cheapest vehicle I've owned. Had it eight years.

And if there is no service history ask why. At least it is a good downward bargaining point. You also want the manual as these can be very useful and sometimes hard to replace on older vehicles.

 

[TissoT]

Look in side the engine bay for Oil leaks .... Head gasket failures Traces of oil in the water reservoir !!
Regular services etc
The car needs a MOT (some guarantee) selling a car with out shows there is a problem, also if the car has a few months left on the MOT .. ask was there any advisory on the last MOT !
If you get one that has not been thrashed (being a small engine) and looked after they are a good little car .

Good luck

 

[Brandane]

No-one has mentioned the V5 document yet, after your last foray into the world of buying a motor vehicle . Make sure it has one, and that the engine and chassis numbers match those on the car.

Personally, I wouldn't touch an old Ford. An old VW Polo, or Toyota Corolla, would be a much better proposition.

 

[Brandane]

I know you said you've already done the research, but this is a good site for car reviews:- http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/

 

[swee'pea99]

Good advice above. Sounds like you're already doing the right sorts of things - doing your homework, taking your dad. I'd echo what others have said about makes - if it was me, I'd probably be looking for a Polo, or a mediocre little Japanese car of some kind. But Fords are probably the best of the mass market domestic cars (I'd prefer one to a Vauxhall any day); they're generally nice to drive; and if anything does go wrong, any mechanic can work on them, and second hand parts are easily available and cheap as chips. As Brandane says, if you haven't already, check out Honest John: very sound.

 

[Spinney]

No-one has mentioned the V5 document yet, after your last foray into the world of buying a motor vehicle . Make sure it has one, and that the engine and chassis numbers match those on the car.

Personally, I wouldn't touch an old Ford. An old VW Polo, or Toyota Corolla, would be a much better proposition.

And if you do buy it, take the V5 with the car - no 'I'll post it on to you' stuff!

 

[gavroche]

Ask the owner how long he has owned the car. If he says a few months, beware, as it is likely to be a bad one .
Otherwise, plenty of good advice already given. Good luck and see you on the road, probably on your way to college in bad weather.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Sorry but it's a Ka don't even waste your time going to look at it, you don't say how old but they are notorious rust buckets, one of the worst modern cars, if you don't have the facilities or knowledge to repair this it's going to be expensive over the next couple of years. As others have said, look for either German or Japanese, my preference is Japanese but that's just me.

Alan...