Buying a used car
15 September, 2021
Difficult economic times often lead car buyers to delay the purchase of a new car or purchasing certified pre-owned vehicles instead. If you’re searching online to find used cars for sale, these are some of the things you’ll need to consider according to Kia’s Certified Pre-owned General Manager Grant Cumming.
Reasons why you shouldn’t choose a pre-owned vehicle
One of the biggest issues with purchasing a pre-owned vehicle is the risk of the seller not disclosing defects or mechanical issues the vehicle may have. Even if there are no known mechanical issues, used car buyers can get surprised with costly repair bills as a result of mechanical problems that are not covered by the manufacturer's warranty. An additional pitfall to purchasing a pre-owned vehicle is that one is often limited to the spec options that are already on the vehicle, unlike a new car where one is able to add specifications according to one’s needs.
Avoiding the pitfalls of purchasing a used car.
One way to avoid the pitfalls previously mentioned is to insist on purchasing Certified Pre-owned Vehicles. Certified Pre-owned websites often have their vehicles undergo stringent tests by specialists like Dekra, in addition to this, their vehicles are often backed by assurances like the balance of manufacturer warranty and 30-day return policies. Furthermore, Certified Pre-owned Platforms will often have a particular set of requirements that a vehicle must fulfil in order to be listed on the platform.
Tips for choosing your used car.
- Insist on a test drive - drive with the radio off and listen for knocking, clicking or odd sounds.
- Inspect the interior for signs of ageing that are not in line with the model year of the car.
- Inspect the exterior of the car, look at inconsistent gaps between panels and reach underneath panels and feel for overspray. This may indicate if the vehicle has been recently repaired.
- Look at colour consistency between different panels of the car, inconsistencies may indicate repair work has been done on the vehicle.
- Insist on inspecting the vehicle’s paperwork or service record and ensure the vehicle has been serviced at each interval by a reputable service centre that has been authorised to service that brand of vehicle. You may also try to call the OEM with the VIN number of the vehicle you want to buy and ask if they have a full-service history on file.
Alternatively, you can make use of certified pre-owned platforms like Kia Konfidence where all vehicles meet stringent parameters and are backed by the Kia Konfidence promise, which includes a 125 point check, full franchise service history, balance of manufacturer warranty, independent quality assurance certification, 12 month’s roadside assistance and 30 day/1000km exchange policy (Ts&Cs apply).
Happy car hunting!
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