Used Car Buying Checklist
This is an expanded version of the Edmunds Used Car Worksheet and the Test Driving Used Cars article on the Edmunds Buying Tips page. This guide focuses more on problem areas you may want to check when you are close to buying a used car. The Used Car Worksheet is great for calling sellers to make sure it’s worth your time to even get together to test drive a car. Check Part Three: Negotiating and Closing the Deal when you get ready to buy.
On with the checklist (additional suggestions and corrections appreciated – please note them in the comments. (Thanks Rik for the suggestions made in the weekly live chat!).
Paint & Body – Exterior
____ Any visible rust?
____ Paint overspray inside doors or engine compartment? (may indicate a wreck - a magnet ordinarily wouldn’t stick to a repair material like Bondo used on a wrecked body panel but some brands of body putty have metal in them now and the magnet trick won't help).
____ Dents? (don’t examine a car in dim light).
____ Missing trim?
____ Door alignment? (no sagging).
____ Condition of rubber gaskets on doors and windows?
____ Water stains around windows? Also check for water/dampness in the headlights and tail lights.
____ Tailpipe sagging? Donut hangers all in place?
____ Tires all match? Spare? Tread left? (You can decipher the DOT code if you suspect the tires are stale). Tire pressure should be within a few psi of the number indicated on the tire label on the door pillar or glove box and the tire size should match the tire label recommendation. Tires are often overinflated on new cars to prevent flat spotting during shipping, and dealers often forget to air down the tires when they do the new car prep.
____ Condition of wheels or wheel covers.
____ Alignment of body panel gaps, trunk and hood (gaps should be consistent widths, even and straight).
____ Complete set of working keys and fobs (including valet, gas cap and wheel keys).
Engine
____ Engine leaks? A too clean engine may indicate recent cleaning that can remove evidence of leaks, plus an over-zealous steam cleaning can cause water damage and corrosion in the electrical components from condensation.
____ Condition of belts, hoses and clamps - belts shouldn’t be glazed or cracked and the hoses should be firm when squeezed.
____ Timing belt or chain. Timing belts generally require more frequent service and if the used car you are looking at is up there in miles, you could be looking at a big repair bill if a replacement is due. (Thanks Ruking!)
____ Coolant level.
____ Dipstick (you can’t really tell anything by looking at oil; you may wish to obtain an oil analysis for around $20 if you have reason to be concerned about excessive engine wear).
____ Oil filler cap (some white crud may just be normal condensation but note it for your mechanic when you get the car checked out).
____ Transmission fluid. Unlike engine oil which normally gets dirty looking fast, often the color or smell of transmission fluid can indicate problems with an automatic transmission. Transmission fluid should generally be a transparent red color and have no burnt odor.
____ Emissions test should be current. Even if it has a recent smog test sticker, it's not a bad idea to have it retested. That only costs $13 in my county.
____ Engine idle. Crank the car without depressing the accelerator pedal; any fast idle should ease fairly quickly – a typical idle rpm on the tach is 750 to 800.
____ White or blue smoke from the exhaust should not be noticeable (steam may appear on cold days).
____ Four wheel drive vehicles should shift easily – test 4WD on a soft surface for binding or pulling.
____ If you like to change your own oil or do other simple maintenance tasks, check out the accessibility of the oil filter, spark plugs and the like.
____ If you don’t like paying extra for premium gas, double check the gas cap to see if a label there says premium is required. Check to see that the car has the original cap, preferably tethered. A replacement cap may indicate prior check engine light problems.
____ On your test drive, turn the AC on to full blast on the coldest setting. This will let you judge how the car performs in full throttle situations with the AC running.
____ After your test drive. restart the engine immediately after stopping it at the end of the drive. It's nice to be sure the car starts willingly when it's hot, especially if the owner had already started it when you arrive for the test drive. (Thanks Nippononly for the last two tips!). Stalling could indicate various problems so note that for your mechanic. (Please see Zaken1's comments at the bottom - thanks Zaken1!).
Mechanical and electrical checks
____ Brakes. Are they grabby or noisy? Pedal travel should not be excessive. Car should not pull to one side when braking.
____ Emergency or hand brake effective? Range of clicks left when engaged?
____ Manual transmission operation and clutch travel.
____ Shocks and struts. Depress each corners of the car – the car should recover without bouncing more than once or twice and all corners should bounce the same amount. Listen for any creaking when bouncing the car that may indicate a suspension issue. The car should sit level.
____ Condition of CV boots (no cracks or tears).
____ Air conditioning should blow cold – check dual controls or rear AC as well.
____ Defrost operation front and rear.
____ Heater (all fan speeds work?).
____ Power windows and locks (noisy actuators or binding windows can be an expensive fix).
____ Hood release, gas and trunk releases.
____ Corrosion on battery terminals?
____ Gauges and idiot lights. Pay attention to the lights when you turn the ignition to “on” before cranking and make sure they all work and note the air bag, check engine and maintenance required lights.
____ Check operation of wipers, windshield wiper and horn.
____ Head lights (brights too, and the flash switch if there is one), tail lights and turn signals (can you hear the blinker?). Don’t forget the emergency flasher.
____ Speedometer, odometer, trip odometer and tach (note the mileage for your CarFax check).
____ Radio/cassette/CD/satellite/mp3/Bluetooth. If the car has an AUX jack, plug your iPod or mp3 player in to check it.
____ Navigation system (try to find out how old the maps are, if updates are available and how much updates cost).
____ Mirrors. Check operation of electric side view mirrors; some may automatically lower when the car is in reverse; others are heated when the defrost is on, but this may be difficult to check if the weather isn’t frosty.
____ Acceleration should be smooth – jerkiness could indicate a dirty throttle body or dirty injectors, among other things.
____ Alignment. A car will gradually pull to the right on a crowned road, but otherwise should track straight without the need to hold the steering wheel or make constant corrections. The steering wheel should be centered.
____ Tires. Noises from the tires could indicate poor alignment, a bad tire, mismatched tires or just a noisy brand of tire. Driving by a low concrete barrier will accentuate any unusual tire noise. Mismatched tires can cause rear end and/or transfer case and possibly transmission problems, especially on AWD/4WD vehicles.
____ Cruise control should hold the speed consistent on a stretch of level highway.
Interior fit and finish
____ Fit of the seats. Lumbar support? Power seats work? Heated seats work? Does the seat line up naturally with the gas pedal?
____ Do the neck restraints adjust so that they protect the center of your head?
____ Cosmetic features. Cracks in wood trim/plood? Condition of cloth or leather seats? Headliner taut and unblemished? Dashboard cracks? Note fit of dash panels, especially any air bag covers. Carpet and floor mats excessively worn? Brand new brake or gas pedals may indicate an attempt to mask hard use.
____ Seat belts clean and retract easily?
____ Spare tire? (full or space saver?). Tire pressure system functional? Working jack and tools?
____ Tilt steering wheel adequate?
____ Sunroof (you may want to gently apply water from a hose to the sunroof tracks to insure that the drains aren’t clogged).
____ Smells. A perfumed car may be masking mold or mildew smells in the air vents or masking odors from a wet carpet due to flood damage or a leaking heater core.
____ Owner’s manuals. Any warranty left? Any maintenance or repair receipts? Simple jobs like transmission fluid changes are expensive these days so it helps to know if you'll incur that kind of expense before buying a car. Any outstanding recalls or applicable TSBs? – check with Edmunds. Note if there is clear title or is there a lienholder.
____Cargo capacity – will your golf clubs or other sports equipment fit?
Other
____Clean title (no liens)?
____Former owner(s)? Car rental, dealer demo, salesperson's daily driver? Type of miles put on the car? (highway miles are generally considered easier on a car).
____Car traded in or sold at auction? (why didn't the dealer keep the car for their own lot?)
____Local car? Was it shipped to your area to "wash" the title? Washing the title can hide flood damaged or wrecked/salvaged cars.
____CPO car? If you are buying a Certified Used Car, ask to see the inpection sheets. And make sure the warranty is from the manufacturer, not a third party.
____How is title transferred in your state? Who keeps the old tags? Can you save a bundle on taxes by trading through a dealer instead of a private party sale?
____Will your insurance cover you immediately when you buy a car or do you need to get a binder before driving it?
____Scheduled maintenance done? A friendly service writer at the dealer should be able to pull up the maintenance records and tell you what work was performed at a dealer. Plus any recalls should should up on their computer. You can check the Edmunds Maintenance Guide for details on what maintenance should have been done over the years.
