The Indian automobile industry experienced a fall in overall sales in last few quarters. However, the used car market registered an impressive 15% growth, which is expected to increase by twofold in the next four years. Auto manufacturers like Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai have already established their pre-owned car brands, while the German trio – Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW – are trying to make a hold in this segment.
Buying a used car is a sensible choice yet a complicated one. The pre-owned car’s condition can be easily judged by checking its odometer, though there are various other factors that need to be considered while buying a second-hand car. Over 90% Indian buyers prefer to buy high mileage cars whether it’s pre-owned or a new one. The mileage of used car is greatly influenced by the brand reliability. A car driven 50, 000 miles with proven brand reliability makes a better choice than the one with 40, 000 miles, but has poor brand reliability records.
High mileage used car buying tips
Car’s external and interior condition
Check for external abrasion signs like body rust, starches, dents or punctured tires. Cars with high miles often have such wear and tear. Tyres should be replaced, if they are older than 6 years and have several punctures, tread blocks, uneven wear and previous repairs. Examine the interior for broken accessories, seat wear or cracked plastic. An old car, usually, comes with headliners that hang down or loose. Worn out headliners might cause vision problems, and are quite difficult to fix or repair.
Car history information
When you buy used cars in India, double-check history information of the vehicle using online resources. Information like car’s registration details, services records, VIN number, mileage, insurance claims, ownership changes and details of accidents involving cars need to be researched thoroughly. Pay attention to the mileage of a car if incidents were reported. For instance, if the car you are looking for was reported for an accident in April 2010 and mileage was listed as 18kmpl. Three years later, it was involved in another accident and the mileage was listed as17kmpl. Then, there is possibility that odometer was altered for displaying false mileage. Several retail used car dealers, too, sometimes fake the history of vehicles. So it’s better to either go for a trusted online used car portal or dealer offering high mileage cars in India.
Engine problem
Compression tests will help you identify the optimum performance of an engine and detect mechanical faults. Low compression signifies that the engine needs repair.
Is it burning more oil?
Check the oil by using a dipstick. Take reading and also examine blackness of the tailpipe. Make sure that the car isn’t burning too much oil. As most sellers don’t check the oil level, and if the engine is pilled-up with carbon layers it will certainly affect its mileage as well.
Look for smoke
The blue and excessive exhaust smoke indicates that car is burning lots of oil. If smoke is black it might indicate a problem with fuel system. It means that it is producing unburned fuel. White smoke means burning antifreeze that might be a sign of a head gasket failure.
Since buying used car isn’t that easy as it looks, follow the above mentioned tips.
