The Importance of a Pre-Purchase Car Inspection
Buying a used car instead of new can seem like a cost-effective choice. The hitch comes when the seller isn’t entirely upfront about the condition of the car they’re selling. Whether or not information is left out intentionally, you’re better off safe than sorry when it comes to understanding what you’re putting thousands of dollars towards and what other costs may follow soon after.
The Cost to You
Many people shy away from getting a third-party inspection prior to purchasing a car just because of the cost. On average, a pre-purchase inspection will cost you about $100-200, which isn’t much compared to what you may end up paying for hidden damage the seller failed to tell you about.
What’s Included in a Pre-Purchase Inspection?
A standard pre-purchase inspection will include all major parts and systems within the car. Typically, this will be at least 100 points. Your mechanic should come back with an outline of what they inspected and what problems they found.
The inspection should look at performance features, such as your brakes, steering, suspension, transmission, and engine. This will ensure your car will run optimally. They should also inspect other parts under the hood, including the battery, fluid levels, and cooling system. Finally, checking under the car will reveal any issues with mounts, seals, the driveshaft and the exhaust system. This will all give a complete picture of previous damage and maintenance of the car so you can go into the transaction informed.
What a Pre-Purchase Inspection Will Catch?
A good pre-purchase inspection should check all major systems within your car. Overall, this inspection should verify that all systems of the car you’re considering purchasing are working efficiently. They’ll catch any impending issues and assess wear on key parts, including brake pads , tires, and fluids.
Frame Damage
If the car was in a serious accident, there could be residual frame damage that wasn’t repaired – or just not repaired correctly. Structural damage can have a huge impact on how your car runs and how fast certain parts wear out. At the very least, this can cause tires to wear unevenly – more seriously, there could be resulting from problems with other systems within your car as well, such as emissions or suspension.
Shoddy Repairs
This can range from insignificant to serious, depending on what was done. Improper installation of modifications or accessories may be simple enough, but if previous mechanics did bad repair work on the engine or transmission, that can end up being very expensive down the road. A pre-purchase inspection will bring to light any of these problems before they become a huge expense for you.
Flood Damage
Flood damage can be hard to spot to the average buyer and it’s possible you could be dealing with a falsified title and vehicle history. A good mechanic will be able to identify signs of flood damage during an inspection that are not necessarily apparent to the average person. By checking parts such as the engine, transmission , exhaust, and radiator, mechanics are able to spot signs of flood damage so that it doesn’t become a drain on your wallet after you have purchased the car.
Overdue Maintenance
A good mechanic doing your inspection will be able to tell how well the previous owner took care of the car you want to buy. This can be anything from keeping up with regular oil changes to ignoring a fluid leak. If the previous owner neglected to address even a small problem, it could turn into a big issue for you after you’ve already bought the car. Catching these issues ahead of purchasing the car means you can choose to back out of the deal or negotiate the price based on any maintenance issues your mechanic finds.
Also Take into Consideration…
If you’re purchasing a used car without a warranty, you’re taking on any expenses that come up after you buy the car. That means if something is wrong with the car before you buy it but it isn’t caught, you’ll still have to foot the bill. This may be relatively minor, but it could also end up being a serious car repair. Excitement over a new car can quickly turn to dread when it becomes clear that regular maintenance was lacking or corners were cut prior to your purchase.
Take Advantage of AAMCO Utah’s Multi-Point Inspection
Rest assured that our expert mechanics will catch any potential problems when you’re considering buying a used car. As a trusted provider of Utah car repair services, we know all the signs to look for so that you can avoid costly repairs. Our Multi-Point Inspection reviews all major systems within your car so you can be sure all parts are working optimally and factory recommended maintenance is up to date. Don’t hesitate to schedule your appointment with us today!
The post The Importance of a Pre-Purchase Car Inspection first appeared on AAMCO Utah Transmission Repair and General Car Repair.
Share
