When you are buying a used car you need to very careful, especially with private sellers.
Some private sellers will leave some service history such as accident repairs to make their car appealing. Therefore, it is important to know where and what to look when buying a second if you want to take home the right one. It makes sense to learn various tricks to spot a car that has been an accident because it’s not economical to call a mechanic every time you want to inspect a car. It is also worth noting a clean history is not an assurance of a good car. So here are a few things you need to look at to avoid buying a lemon.
Paint is among the vital things you need to pay attention to when inspecting a used car. Do not fall for shiny paint in an old car. A shiny paint in a used car can be a sign of recent paintwork or polished before the car was put on sale. To see if the car has been repainted look at the door jambs where you are certain to get original paint, does the paint match with the rest of the car body? If there are some variations in color it can be an indicator of a repaint. Also, look for signs of over-spray on widows, headlights, doors, and taillights sometimes a person spraying is not meticulous and leaves some spots on these areas. Once you notice paintwork in a used car ask questions about it because not all cars are repainted because of an accident, therefore, you should be discreet about it.
The other important things you need to check are replaced parts. Due to wear and tear it is common to replace some car parts. However, some parts are rarely replaced unless a car has been in an accident. Things such as bumpers, door, or grille these parts are normally replaced after an accident. You need to study them carefully and see whether they match the rest of the car. It is also likely if a car has been in an accident the owner will replace the damaged part, so see if there are any difference with parts such as side mirrors and headlights. If any try gets some answers and if not satisfied with the responses it is time you go look for another car.
Make sure you check the presence of panel gaps when you are buying a used car. When a car gets involved in an accident it is quite difficult to restore everything to its factory state. Even after repair, you will get some small gaps on the door. If you find an unusually large gap between the panel and the body it is a possible sign of repairs after an accident. But you need to have in mind that wear and tear can also lead to such gaps so it does not always imply a car had an accident. Those are some tips for identifying a used car that has been in an accident.