Whether you are purchasing your first car or purchasing your third, whether you are purchasing a brand spanking new one or a preowned vehicle, the process can be pretty daunting. The anxiety of being cheated brings a lot of doubt as you can miss a technical issue or two, which may come back to haunt your new car experience.

In any transaction, and where there is negotiation involved, somebody has to be on the losing end. When buying a pre-owned vehicle, it is critical to go through the car’s history report to avoid receiving a lousy hand. Here are a few essential checks when negotiating a deal for a pre-owned vehicle.

Car Mileage

Checking the car mileage has become the most critical and immediate inspection on a pre-owned, especially knowing that car dealers and drivers can tamper the odometer. Going beyond just looking at the odometer is essential, check your MOT history.

Using previous inspection and maintenance records to cross-check the visible numbers on the odometer, open your eyes to visual discrepancies around the odometer vicinity like missing screws, or taking to a renowned car inspection shop for more accurate data. Also, avoid proceeding with a deal if a car has no consistency and entire service history; without this data, there is no proof for the car’s maintenance history.

Condition (Exterior, Interior and Engine)

One of the first things you notice in a vehicle is the car’s visual condition, which is an excellent indication of what you may find inside. Part of the car inspection is checking the car’s cleanliness, dents, and buckles, then proceeding to look and see what’s under the hood. Spotting dents and scratches on the surface are accessible; however, it can be a lot more detrimental and costly to spot rust.

All controls and functions of a car are located in the interior, and as part of the interior inspection, check to see if all buttons and controls are fully operable. An internal check includes radio checks, windows, mirrors, lighting systems, windshield wipers, and air conditioning. When checking the engine, the three primary assessments must consist of transmission fluid, coolant level, and engine oil, amongst many technical items.

Note Warning Lights

When you see Christmas lights on the dashboard, don’t just assume, instead ask the car’s owner why! Warning lights are one of the clear pointers to any issues the vehicle may have, and under little to no reason should they be on if there is no underlying issue you need to know.

So be sure to switch the car to take careful note of any warning lights when viewing the vehicle. An airbag warning light is a sign that the car may have been in a terrible accident, and when repaired, the airbags have not been replaced.

Accident History

Some drivers may be reluctant to share the car’s accident history, or maybe they just failed to keep records; either way, getting the car’s accident history is a common struggle. To get a sense or clue of what has happened before, the car’s insurance company may have records, provided they were declared or served through the insurance.

If no records are available, a few tell-tale clues you can look out far are welding marks, inconsistent panel gaps, missing screw or mismatching compartment, and inconsistent paint jobs can be red flags.