Sometimes buying a used car can be stressful, especially from a dealer – there are a lot of sneaky people out there! So, remember a few things:
As a general rule, buy the newest car with the lowest number of kilometres you can afford. Try to avoid looking at cars outside when there is a lot of sand in the air, because it can hide imperfections in the paint that could indicate previous panel damage.
Take a friend with you, preferably one who knows something about cars. If you don’t have any expertise and are still concerned about the condition of the car you’re looking at, consider an independent inspection; various motoring clubs offer mobile inspections that could potentially save you thousands in repairs.
If a car has been properly serviced, it should be in reasonable mechanical condition. New cars come with a handbook, with pages that are filled in at each service. Vehicle inspection reports can help give peace of mind when buying a car privately. However there are some things that you can look out for yourself.
Make sure the vehicle has a recent roadworthy certificate, not something from the Ice Age.
Make sure you set up your insurance before you drive the car away. Also, notify the appropriate authorities that you are the new owner of the vehicle.
Make sure the car doesn’t have any liens against it – someone who wants to sell a car quickly may choose not to discuss this matter. Your best bet is to check with the transport authorities as you don’t want to end up with someone else’s debt.
Check whether the car you are looking at has been recalled as part of a safety campaign and, if it has, ensure the repairs have been made. There have been a lot of recalls in the UAE in the past few years so be sure to keep an eye on this. Dealerships have been pretty good about handling the issues.
Overall, remember that buying a new car should be happy experience, not a stressful one. The best way to realize this is to prepare yourself before you buy. Know what you want in advance, don’t buy a car on an impulse and always ask more questions than needed – more information is always better than not enough information.
