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(#1) It's Best To Get A Professional Opinion If You Can
From Quora user Kenny Muir:
A lemon car generally refers to one (or more) of three things.
This refers to the motor or other mechanical components in the car being faulty, or just purely worn out. This could be worn engine seals, leaks in the cooling system or a variety of other issues. Thoroughly inspect all mechanical components before buying or get a professional to inspect [them] for you.
A defect in the chassis or body exists that poses a safety risk and/or prevents it from passing a safety inspection. This could include rust, unrepaired body damage or worn out structural components. Again, make sure you get a mechanical inspection before [making a] purchase if you are unsure what to look for!
If you want a solid, reliable car, don’t buy an old Lada. It doesn’t matter if the Lada has only done 50,000 miles, it will NOT be good value for money! Stick to Japanese cars if you can; otherwise, seek advice on other makes/models that are well known for reliability before buying.
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(#2) Don’t Buy From A Seller That Refuses An Inspection
From Quora user Craig Good:
Before buying a used car you should insist on (and pay for) a pre-purchase inspection by an independent mechanic. If the seller refuses, it [is] probably a lemon.
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(#3) Have A Look At The Panels
From Quora user Pareek Savitri:
First thing... don't buy it at night - take a look at it in the daylight. You need to see it in good sunlight. [That way] you [will] be able to compare panels to each other to make sure that they all look uniform.
If it's been painted [is the] first warning sign to stay away - it's either been in an accident or it's rusty. If one panel is rusty, most likely other panels are also rusty.
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(#4) Inspect The Bolts
From Redditor /u/edge_basics:
Look at the bolts that connect the panels to the vehicle. They come painted the same color as the car from the factory. If the paint is chipping, or it looks like there's been a wrench on them, that could indicate that bodywork was done on the car and the panel has either been readjusted or replaced.
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(#5) Carry Out Basic Tests
From Quora user Sudhakar Gaitonde:
You can do some basic checks.
Pull out the engine oil stick. Feel the oil. If it's grainy, then the piston rings are bad. If the oil is black it means exhaust gas is leaking into it. Oil can get "spoiled." So Smell it. If it smells awful then the car has not been used [in] a long time.
Check the coolant. It should be a clear green. If it's curdled, it means the engine is getting overheated regularly.
Lift all mats. Raise the inner carpets. It is normally a press button type fit. Check for rust.
Remove the door lining rubbers. The ones on the door, not the car body. Especially the rear ones. You'll find hidden rust over here. Even the current owner won't be aware of it.
If it's a rear drive car, unplug the differential. Check if it's filled with oil.
A lemon would be packed with grease. This grease make the transmission noiseless. You'll be surprised how many used cars are sold this way.
If it's a front wheel drive, check that the drive shaft rubber bellows are in good condition.
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(#6) Check The Brand Of Tires
From Redditor /u/SerPuissance:
Cheap weird brand tires. It means that they've spent the bare minimum on the rest of the car and there's probably shoddy workmanship and missing service items from sh*t auto shops. Even if it has service history.
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(#7) Watch Out For Curbstoning
From Redditor /u/creativenewusername:
Curbstoning. It is an illegal practice where a (usually small, usually shady) dealership will pretend to be a private seller. Private sellers face less scrutiny and have different legal requirements than a dealership, so a shitty shop may try to pass off the sale of a salvaged or otherwise undesirable vehicle as a private sale to avoid scrutiny.
If you're going to look at private sale and they tell you to meet them at a small dealership, red flag.
If they claim they are selling it on behalf of anyone not physically present, red flag.
If they ask you to make the check out to anyone but the name on the title, red flag.
If you Google the contact information listed by the (supposedly private) seller and it turns up multiple ads for other vehicles, major red flag.
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(#8) Look Up The History Of The Vehicle
From Quora user Jeremy Nutt:
Get the Carfax. Just get it. It sucks paying the fee, and I hate doing it too, but that's just how life is sometimes. If you have a friend that works [at] a car dealership, maybe they can get you one for free. It's a nice excuse to talk to a friend that you haven't seen in a while. Okay... although it is great when Carfax announces to you in red font that the car has been smashed, you aren't JUST looking for accidents on the Carfax. That is just one small piece of this automotive puzzle.
The ideal situation (for most humans) is a maintained vehicle with a steady history of registrations, inspections, and consistently increasing mileage. Having many owners, being a "Fleet" vehicle (rental), salvage title, or having long time frames without mileage increases and registrations are all tell-tale signs that the vehicle may be questionable. If the Carfax looks weird, ask the owner of the vehicle the hard-hitting questions. If you don't trust the answers you receive, don't buy the car. Simple as that.
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(#9) Make Sure The Car Hasn’t Been Warmed Up
From Redditor /u/ace_deuceee:
If the engine is warmed up when you go to test drive the car. There are a lot of issues that only affect cold start or cold driving, especially on older cars. The seller would warm the car up right before you get there to remedy this. It's important to observe the car warming up on your test drive.
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(#10) Insist On Seeing The Car In Person
From Quora user Tony Roberts:
The salesperson always faces a difficult dilemma when you ask about the condition of the car. “Condition” is a highly subjective term. If you are buying a used car, it isn’t going to be perfect. The salesperson thinks, “Should I overstate the problems and drive the customer away or should I understate the problems and run the risk of making the customer angry when he/she arrives?” Some salespeople will take pictures or videos of the car but the lighting often makes them unreliable. If you can, always go see the car for yourself. That’s the only way to know what you’re getting for sure.
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(#11) Are There Any Add-Ons?
From Redditor /u/molten_dragon:
Cheap aftermarket add-ons (i.e. a big crappy-looking spoiler on a 14-year-old Toyota Corolla). They're generally put on by people who think they're street racers and treat their cars as such.
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(#12) Only Buy From Reputable Dealers
From Quora user Martin Sparks
A car dealer that is authorized generally has a good reputation and must answer to manufacturers. Never buy from a dealer that is not reputable, you may live to regret it.
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(#13) Listen To The Engine
From Redditor /u/edge_basics:
Crank up the car, open the hood, and just take a few moments to listed to the engine. Some sounds are normal, but listen for loud tapping or clunking sounds.
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About This Tool
Why do more and more people choose to buy used cars? Cheap price is the biggest selling point for used cars. With the same money for buying a new car, you can buy a higher-grade used car. Therefore, from the perspective of reducing the cost of buying a car, it is a wiser choice for the general public to buy used cars. Some beginner drivers have just obtained a driver’s license but their skills are not strong, so they might as well buy a second-hand car to practice. As an ordinary consumer, how to buy second-hand cars and how to prevent "accident cars"?
This random tool collates 13 items from some advice from mechanics, which can help you to choose a better car.
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