How to check out a car
If you decide to buy a brand new car then you will be covered by its guarantee and warranty if you discover any issues soon after you buy it. Before you buy, be aware of how long the warranty will last and what it covers.
This is not always the case with second hand cars, so you should make sure you check out the car as much as possible before you agree to buy it. If you find something you are not happy with when you are checking then you can decide not to buy the car, or make a lower offer to take account of this.
There are 3 main kinds of checks you should do before buying a second hand car:
Check the condition of the car
Test drive the car
Check the history of the car
Check the condition of the car
Checking the condition of a car can be daunting, especially if you don’t know much about cars, but there are a few basic things everyone can look out for, even if you have no experience. Use our car purchase checklist to help you check exactly what you should be looking for, and what to walk away from. Our checklist is colour coded and has all the very important questions to need to ask highlighted for you. It will also help you keep track and compare different cars easily. Download the checklist (PDF 124Kb)
You should carefully check the entire car, inside and out. Look out for the following:
Visible signs of damage - dents, scrapes and panels or doors not matching up evenly
Broken or cracked lights and marks on bumpers. If light clusters are not the same make, they may have been damaged and replaced after a crash
Other signs of damage, wear and tear such as rust under the sills or wheel arches.
Tyres that are different makes or unevenly worn. This could mean they may have been replaced following damage.
Are there signs of leaks on the ground where the car has been standing for a time. There could be a simple explanation for this but you should always ask.
Check the spare wheel and full wheel replacement kit. If the car has alloy wheels, make sure you get a “key" to release and secure them.
Check how many airbags the car has and ask if they are in working order. Ask if the car has other safety features such as a three-point centre seat belt in the back, secure fixing points for a child seat (IsoFix), Anti-Lock Braking system (ABS) etc.
Check and take a note of the reading displayed on the odometer. It will be displayed in miles or kilometres. If you think this has been tampered with or ‘clocked’, you should contact the Gardaí. Ask the seller to confirm in writing the correct mileage reading before you buy the car.
Check the wear and tear inside the car to see if it is consistent with the displayed odometer reading.
Never examine a car at night or in poor light conditions. Always do it during daylight hours and try to view the car when it's dry as rain can hide scrapes or scratches.
If you find a car you like, you should hire a mechanic to do a complete check on it before you buy it. Always make sure you don’t hand over any money until you are happy with the condition of the car and you know what you are buying.
Test drive the car
Always try to take the car for a test drive before you buy it. This may not be possible if you buy the car at an auction. During the test drive, turn off the radio and air-conditioning and make sure:
There are no strange noises or rattling
There is no strong smell of oil, petrol or diesel
It accelerates comfortably and the brakes don’t squeak or squeal
The gears shift comfortably and smoothly
You drive over a reasonable distance on different road surfaces to fully test it
Check the car’s history
There a few key things to look out for when you check a car’s history:
The odometer reading (Mileage)
Insurance claims
Crashes
Service logs
Outstanding finance
You can check the history of a car yourself on websites such as www.cartell.ie, www.motorcheck.ie or www.mywheels.ie for a small fee. This will show previous recorded odometer readings, insurance claims, if the car has been used as a taxi, and details of crashes, if any. Alternatively, you can ask the seller to check it for you. All SIMI dealers have access to a car history check service.
When you check out a car yourself:
Ask for the car’s service log from the seller – this can tell you how carefully the car was looked after
Check that the car is not under any existing hire purchase agreement. If it is, the person trying to sell the car does not actually own it and does not have the right to sell it to you. Hire Purchase Information Ltd keeps records of cars subject to hire purchase agreements, so check if they have details of the car you are looking at.
Ask if any mechanical work or bodywork has been carried out on the car.
Ask the seller for some identification to confirm that it is the same person on the Vehicle Registration certificate.
Make sure that all other documentation, including NCT, VRT, motor tax disc and car handbook relate to that car.
Make sure you get answers to all the questions in our car purchase checklist (pdf)
If you think the car is faulty after buying, find out about your rights.
General safety
Remember, always meet a private seller at their home address in daylight and check the documentation matches this address. Get more information in our Dealer or Private section.
Don’t hand over any money unless you are completely happy to buy the car – don’t feel pressured into buying it.
Always pay by bank draft or cheque, if possible. Don’t hand over cash.
If you decide to buy a brand new car then you will be covered by its guarantee and warranty if you discover any issues soon after you buy it. Before you buy, be aware of how long the warranty will last and what it covers.
This is not always the case with second hand cars, so you should make sure you check out the car as much as possible before you agree to buy it. If you find something you are not happy with when you are checking then you can decide not to buy the car, or make a lower offer to take account of this.
There are 3 main kinds of checks you should do before buying a second hand car:
Check the condition of the car
Test drive the car
Check the history of the car
Check the condition of the car
Checking the condition of a car can be daunting, especially if you don’t know much about cars, but there are a few basic things everyone can look out for, even if you have no experience. Use our car purchase checklist to help you check exactly what you should be looking for, and what to walk away from. Our checklist is colour coded and has all the very important questions to need to ask highlighted for you. It will also help you keep track and compare different cars easily. Download the checklist (PDF 124Kb)
You should carefully check the entire car, inside and out. Look out for the following:
Visible signs of damage - dents, scrapes and panels or doors not matching up evenly
Broken or cracked lights and marks on bumpers. If light clusters are not the same make, they may have been damaged and replaced after a crash
Other signs of damage, wear and tear such as rust under the sills or wheel arches.
Tyres that are different makes or unevenly worn. This could mean they may have been replaced following damage.
Are there signs of leaks on the ground where the car has been standing for a time. There could be a simple explanation for this but you should always ask.
Check the spare wheel and full wheel replacement kit. If the car has alloy wheels, make sure you get a “key" to release and secure them.
Check how many airbags the car has and ask if they are in working order. Ask if the car has other safety features such as a three-point centre seat belt in the back, secure fixing points for a child seat (IsoFix), Anti-Lock Braking system (ABS) etc.
Check and take a note of the reading displayed on the odometer. It will be displayed in miles or kilometres. If you think this has been tampered with or ‘clocked’, you should contact the Gardaí. Ask the seller to confirm in writing the correct mileage reading before you buy the car.
Check the wear and tear inside the car to see if it is consistent with the displayed odometer reading.
Never examine a car at night or in poor light conditions. Always do it during daylight hours and try to view the car when it's dry as rain can hide scrapes or scratches.
If you find a car you like, you should hire a mechanic to do a complete check on it before you buy it. Always make sure you don’t hand over any money until you are happy with the condition of the car and you know what you are buying.
Test drive the car
Always try to take the car for a test drive before you buy it. This may not be possible if you buy the car at an auction. During the test drive, turn off the radio and air-conditioning and make sure:
There are no strange noises or rattling
There is no strong smell of oil, petrol or diesel
It accelerates comfortably and the brakes don’t squeak or squeal
The gears shift comfortably and smoothly
You drive over a reasonable distance on different road surfaces to fully test it
Check the car’s history
There a few key things to look out for when you check a car’s history:
The odometer reading (Mileage)
Insurance claims
Crashes
Service logs
Outstanding finance
You can check the history of a car yourself on websites such as www.cartell.ie, www.motorcheck.ie or www.mywheels.ie for a small fee. This will show previous recorded odometer readings, insurance claims, if the car has been used as a taxi, and details of crashes, if any. Alternatively, you can ask the seller to check it for you. All SIMI dealers have access to a car history check service.
When you check out a car yourself:
Ask for the car’s service log from the seller – this can tell you how carefully the car was looked after
Check that the car is not under any existing hire purchase agreement. If it is, the person trying to sell the car does not actually own it and does not have the right to sell it to you. Hire Purchase Information Ltd keeps records of cars subject to hire purchase agreements, so check if they have details of the car you are looking at.
Ask if any mechanical work or bodywork has been carried out on the car.
Ask the seller for some identification to confirm that it is the same person on the Vehicle Registration certificate.
Make sure that all other documentation, including NCT, VRT, motor tax disc and car handbook relate to that car.
Make sure you get answers to all the questions in our car purchase checklist (pdf)
If you think the car is faulty after buying, find out about your rights.
General safety
Remember, always meet a private seller at their home address in daylight and check the documentation matches this address. Get more information in our Dealer or Private section.
Don’t hand over any money unless you are completely happy to buy the car – don’t feel pressured into buying it.
Always pay by bank draft or cheque, if possible. Don’t hand over cash.
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