It’s best to avoid getting used car in India mostly because many people are not too good with proper maintenance. Meaning, they might give it a water wash off-and-on, but engine oil change will be neglected. The underbelly of the car would have scrapped innumerable road-bumps and many hair-line fractures may not be visible until after it’s too late.
Peace of mind is just not guaranteed with a used car in India. There are exceptions, of course. There are always few individuals who take great care of their care. They take pride in their ownership and it shows in their impeccable maintenance of it. If you happen to know such individuals, feel free to purchase their used cars.
It’s best to avoid independent garages and mechanics. They are experts at vehicle tampering, odometer rollbacks and just about every trick known and unknown to rest of us.
It’s also for your own good to avoid independent dealers. They play tricks crazier and more sophisticated than your local mechanic is capable of.
There are times, though, when a used car makes better sense than a new one. For instance, my parents might need a car for local movement that’ll never see a highway in it’s life. Instead of buying a cheap and risky Tata Nano, it might be better to buy a used Swift/Liva/ Punto/Polo/Brio/ that might offer better structural support against accidents and collisions than a Tata would. Further, the provisions of Air-Bags, ABS, and EBD in the used cars would be a necessary feature to have.
How would one go about getting a used car? First, check local listings and people you know who might know someone that might be selling off their car – either for upgrading to because they are relocating.
Then the detective and forensic work begins. Always do the inspection in broad daylight when you can see everything clearly –
- Check your local RTO website for details on the car registration. Sometimes it gives information on the number of owners, the chassis number etc.
In B’lore, for instance, one can check at – http://164.100.80.164/vehiclesearch/. Enter the licence registration number to view some details on the vehicle. I tried entering the number of an idiot driver I met on my way. His rash and haphazard driving created so much nuisance, I had to type in this information to see who this moron is. Entered KA51Z in the first box and 8626 in the 2nd box. Highlighted Registration No radio box and searched to discover some information.
If the vehicle has had more than one owner, I’d not consider buying it. Why? Most people take slightly better care of newer vehicles than they do for used vehicles.
2. Check forums, websites, and any other place for specific information on the car you want to buy. Some of them may have known defects and recalls. Avoid models with well established hassles.
3. http://www.team-bhp.com/ appears to be a good resource on cars. People also post their dealership experiences and typical maintenance charges they often face. This is good place to get information on which cars have better support over the long run for long-term hassle-free ownership.
From a rudimentary glance, it appears VW, Skoda, and Hyundai are not really meant for long-term trouble-free ownership. There are certainly exceptions to everything, I am just highlighting a norm.
4. Always inspect the car yourself and if possible take a knowledgeable friend along. Go over the car like a hawk. Check for dents, scratches, working electrical and mechanical – turn indicators; honk; fog-lamp; lights; dome lights; wipers; reverse light; break light. Check the AC and the vents. Heater too.
Get information on the original owner(s). If they smoke, you are subjecting yourself and everyone that sits in the car to 3rd hand smoke. If they have pets, you’d have pet hair (and poop!) sticking around!
Get the VIN number of the car and check with the service center to provide all service details. There should be consistency in the odometer reading.
5. Check under the hood – battery terminals should look rust free and clean enough. There shouldn’t be any any mechanical defects or broken and bent pipes/rods etc. Check the engine oil level and the color of it.
There should be no leaks anywhere – fuel lines, hoses.
6. Inspect under the body of the car. Look for cracks and fractures. Look for inconsistency in the body parts and couplings. They’d indicate if the vehicle has been through any accidents or has been submerged under water (Remember Chennai Floods).
Check the tyre treads to see if they have not gone bald yet. If you have to replace the tires, that’s about Rs.20,000/- right there. If there’s uneven wear-and-tear, it’s signs of alignment issues and also possibly suspension issues.
7. Test drive the car at various speeds and gears. Look for obvious foreign noise – rattling, shaking, creaking, screeching, whimpers, etc. Apply the breaks at various speeds – any screeching sound will indicate the break pads need replacement. Leave the steering wheel on a straight road at decent speeds to see if the vehicle is drifting off to any side. If it does, it needs a wheel alignment too.
8. No matter how good the car looks and behaves, prepare some emergency funds – about Rs,50,000 – 60,000 – you’ll most likely need it for something or other that’ll creep up on you.
9. Also, be aware that even if a brand new car – just driven off the dealer lot – is inspected very carefully, it’ll suggest some issues or other. So be reasonable in your expectations as well.
10. Get a trained and trusty mechanic to inspect the car for you. He can give you some handy inputs on the ball-joints, spark plugs, transmission issues, alternators and belts, tie rods, rusty and damaged brake lines, shock absorbers, etc.
11. Avoid buying cars with too high or too low mileage on it. A car that has been driven on the average less than 4000 kms a year, has spent a lot of time sitting around. This is a bit harmful for the engine and the ball-bearings that’ll just develop “dimples.”
12. Always negotiate. Highlight all the dents/scratches/pending-works/tire-treads/alternator replacement/battery-replacement/AC-Vent-Cleaning/etc that’ll need immediate attention on your part.
If a seller insists on being non-negotiable, you are better off not even dealing with him. In all probability he’s one of those stuck up emotional kind that ‘feels’ his vehicle is THE BEST and deserves THE BEST price no matter how shabbily he may have abused it!
13. In general, Japanese cars are known for their reliability and lower ownership costs – think Toyota, Honda, Suzuki. Somehow Nissan and Mitsubishi are not counted in that hallowed bracket.
European cars – VW, now Skoda too, Fiat, – are known for their performance. That is, own the car for 3-4 years drive them hard and sell them off. They will not be very reliable. They will not be cheap to maintain. Their parts will be harder to find. Car enthusiasts will be more drawn to these breed for their sheer power, torque, pickup speeds, acceleration, and thrill.
Hyundai is little on the expensive side for maintenance and ownership. They are fairly reliable but not in the same league as Toyota/Honda. Hyundai also pack their cars with lot of tech, gizmos, and features.
Less said about Indian cars, the better. Ambassadors used to be an embarrassment. Glad survival of the fittest got them knocked out. Tata hasn’t shown signs of improvement for very long. That appears to be slowly changing. Mahindra is alright for their SUVs and certainly more relevant than Tata products.