The pre-owned sector in the UAE is healthy these days, alegacy of financial headwinds of 2009, so you may well be looking there. Buying used can be trickier than purchasing new, especially if you’re not a car expert. Follow these simple steps, though, and you’ll emerge with your dream car and not a nightmare on wheels.
Because the pre-owned sector in the UAE is healthy these days, you might as well start there when buying a new car. There are a lot more things to remember when buying used, especially if you don’t know much about cars. Follow these steps and leave the dealership happy and confident with your purchase.
First, research the type of car you want to purchase and make yourself aware of the basic facts so that you know what your car should have, along with any ‘special modifications’ like a modified engine or big wheels will be immediately obvious. Then it’s down to business. When buying from an individual, you can ask as many or as few questions as you like, but at the bare minimum ask the following:
• How long have you owned the car?
• How many owners has the car had?
• Does the seller actually own the car?
• Why are you selling it?
• How many kilometres has it done?
• Do you have a full service history for the car (log book)?
• Has it ever been in a crash? Is it garage-kept?
The goal of this inquiry is to establish a basic history of the car, and to get an idea of what kind of life it has had. This will give you an insight into potential problems the car may experience in the future. For example, a high mileage car with many past owners suggests it has had a rough life, where a low mileage car with one owner – even if the car’s 10 years old – suggests that person liked their vehicle and took care of it.
