🚗 Buying a used car checklist

Almost all of this happens before you hand over any money — a viewing done properly is the difference between a bargain and a car that's already costing you.

21 items

1. Budget set including insurance, tax and running costsThe purchase price is the smallest number in the true cost of a car.
2. Documents checked
3. History and outstanding finance check against the registration numberA car with finance still owed on it isn't fully the seller's to sell, regardless of what they say.
4. Registration document in the seller's name and address
5. MOT history checked online before the viewingFree to check, and it shows every advisory the car has ever had, not just whether it currently has a valid certificate.
6. Service history and stampsGaps are worth asking about directly rather than assuming they don't matter.
7. Viewed in daylightFiller and touch-up paint are far easier to spot in daylight than under a garage light or at dusk.
8. Bodywork checked panel by panel for mismatched paint or gapsA slightly different shade or an uneven gap between panels usually means a repair, not a factory finish.
9. Underneath checked for rust, especially the sills and wheel archesSurface rust is normal on an older car. Rust you can push a key through is not.
10. Mileage checked against the service history and MOT recordA mileage that doesn't match the paperwork is the classic sign of clocking.
11. Tyres checked, tread and even wearUneven wear across the tyre points to a suspension or alignment problem that's about to be yours.
12. Fluids checked for level and colourMilky oil, for one, is a sign of a head gasket problem that costs far more than the car is worth fixing.
13. Every electrical thing switched on onceWindows, wipers, aircon, every warning light — anything not tried on the viewing gets found out on the drive home.
14. Test drive from cold, over a mix of roads including a motorway stretch if possibleA knock or hesitation on a cold start is exactly what a seller who's warmed the car up beforehand is hiding.
15. Steering and brakes checked for pulling to one side
16. Number of previous owners consideredNot a dealbreaker on its own, but worth asking why if it's changed hands often in a short time.
17. Keys and locking checked, both sets presentA second key replaced later is an easy few hundred pounds nobody budgets for.
18. Ideally seen at the seller's home address, not a car parkA private seller meeting you somewhere neutral is one of the more common warning signs.
19. Independent inspection booked for anything beyond a small, cheap carThe cost is small next to what it can catch before the money's gone.
20. Price negotiated against faults actually found, not guessed atA specific fault found on the day carries more weight than a general 'it's a bit pricey'.
21. Paperwork completed properlyBoth parties keep a signed note of the sale, the date, the mileage and the price — for exactly the situation where it's disputed later.