Buying used cars: how to spot a bad one

British drivers like to make their money go a long way, which is why most of us buy used cars. Around 7.2 million are sold every year, compared with 2.6 million new models. And because a new car can’t have been crashed, clocked or cloned, this means the majority of car buyers are vulnerable to unscrupulous sellers trying to pass off a bad used car as a good one.

There are all sorts of tricks of the trade that can be employed to pull the wool over the eyes of a used car buyer. The Green Flag blog has covered some of the important checks that drivers should carry out before parting with their cash for a car. But here we’re looking at less obvious tips that can help drivers spot a bad car – also known as a dud, or lemon.

To make sure your next car doesn’t leave you with a bitter taste in your mouth, read on. 

Check how reliable the car will be

Before you even pick up the phone to enquire about a used car, do yourself a favour and set aside all assumptions and prejudices. Most people assume German cars are as dependable as the sun rising and French cars as flaky as a croissant. But independent measurement dispels such myths.

Here, The Reliability Index is your best friend. The website lets you search for ratings of makes, or individual models of used car to see how reliable they are, based upon more than a decade of warranty claims made to Warranty Direct.

You’ll find that Renault, Peugeot and Citroen are all comfortably ahead of Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche and Volkswagen.

Criminal gangs place fake ads for cars at prices that seem too good to be true

Make sure the advert is genuine

There is a new, worrying trend doing the rounds on used car classified websites. Unscrupulous wheeler dealers are seeking out cars that are underpriced. They then set about duplicating the advert for the same car, but with a much higher price – and without the genuine vendor’s knowledge.

The game is that if someone is prepared to buy the ‘phantom’ car at the higher price, the dodgy dealer will then buy the actual car and turn a quick profit, without ever having exposed themselves to buying a car as stock, preparing it for sale, or performing even the most basic of safety and history checks.

Make sure the car is genuine

Criminal gangs go one step further, placing ads for fake cars at prices that seem too good to be true. They’ll come up with a convincing story as to why the car is so cheap, such as 'I’m moving abroad and need a quick sale.' They'll then do all they can to persuade prospective buyers to place a deposit or, worse, transfer the full funds ahead of the car being delivered to the buyer.

Auto Trader is the UK’s largest car classifieds site, and offers good advice on staying safe when buying a used car. Ebay has a wealth of tips on spotting sales scams.

Insist on seeing the car - and always in daylight

There are two golden rules about buying a used car, especially from a private vendor: don’t place a deposit on a car until you’ve seen it, and always view the car in daylight.

That way, there won’t be the hassle of trying to get your deposit returned if you find that the bodywork or chassis is rusting, the panels appear to be painted different colours or the infotainment screen is on the blink.

Condition and service history worth more than low mileage and cheap price

A dud car often turns out to be one that hasn’t been looked after.

Although one Ford Focus may cost £4000 and have covered 50,000 miles, its service history could be very patchy at best. And the condition may suggest it was only treated to one wash and vacuum in its lifetime.

Meanwhile, another Ford Focus that’s done 65,000 miles may actually have a complete, no-expense spared service history which is likely to mean the car should be less troublesome over time. And its immaculate cosmetic condition is a clear indication that the car has been lovingly cared for.

Pick the right used car for your needs

A dud or lemon doesn’t necessarily mean a car has to be unreliable; it could just as well prove to be unsuitable for a driver’s needs. So don’t pick an estate car if you need three child seats across the back seats. Instead you’ll most likely need a people carrier (or MPV, multi-purpose vehicle) which features three independent back seats with Isofix attachments.

Equally, treating yourself to a sporty two-seat roadster, only to find that it drinks fuel, costs a king's ransom to tax, and is noisy and tiring on your daily commute to work could turn out to be an expensive mistake. You’ll probably end up selling the roadster for less money than you paid for it, and will have to buy a more comfortable, quiet diesel-powered saloon.

Have the car inspected

You’ve viewed the cars on your shortlist and have a favourite option that you’d like to buy. Trouble is, you don’t know one end of a crankshaft from the other when it comes to inspecting a car. Fear not. A local garage can check a used car for you. For a modest sum – typically £100, which most sellers will knock off the price if you subsequently buy the car – a recommended local garage or even the bigger, franchised dealerships will put a car under their mechanical microscope.