Expert gives advice on inspecting a used car before purchase

Today, there are a huge number of transactions on sale and purchase of cars from hand. But with the growth of the used car market, the number of unscrupulous sellers who want to hide the features of their car is also increasing. Nikita Rodionov, technical director of the international franchise network of car services FIT SERVICE, told Izvestia about what to pay attention to when independently inspecting a car before purchase.

"The initial inspection should not become the basis for making a decision on an expensive purchase. The first stage will only make it clear whether the car is suitable for further scrutiny and whether the buyer should pay for a comprehensive diagnosis at a good service station," he explained.

Steering wheel

The steering wheel is the first thing to be looked at when examining the interior of the car, said the expert. On the one hand, the wear and tear of the steering wheel is an indicator of the mileage of the car, as it is constantly in operation. But keep in mind that the quality of materials can vary greatly, so some cars can have a worn steering wheel with relatively low mileage. Therefore, you should not rely on this element alone. It is better to make a decision after a comprehensive inspection.

Pedals and seat sides

According to Rodionov, buyers rarely look into this compartment when inspecting the car, and for nothing. With significant mileage, replacement of pedal pads is almost inevitable. The discovery of excessively new rubber pedal pads should raise suspicion. It is highly likely that the original pads have worn to the point of being unusable and have been replaced with new ones, which could indicate serious mileage and hidden problems with the car.

Roughly the same thing happens with the sides of the seats, he clarified. This is especially true in the driver's seat. The seats are squeezed and erased, so before selling the car they are replaced with new ones. Such manipulation is not conspicuous, but with close inspection they can be noticed.

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Welding in the openings

Rodionova recalled that at the factory the welding process is automated on the conveyor belt, so it turns out very neat, the seam is almost invisible, and its appearance on all elements is the same. If the car was repaired after an accident, the welding was done by a person. New hand welding may not be as perfect as factory welding. Pay attention to the seams. If they are different on one side of the car from the other, the car was most likely repaired after the accident.

Look for welding traces on the sills, struts and door openings (under the seal), in the underhood (TV and spars), he emphasized.

Production dates of headlights and seat belts

The expert added that when checking the car, it is necessary to pay attention to the production dates of such elements as headlights, seat belts and electronic system units.

"The production date of the headlights indicated on them should match the production date of the car. In the case of a serious accident, it is often the optics that are replaced - contract headlights are installed to hide the fact of the accident. The same applies to other elements, such as blocks of electronic systems," he concluded.

Earlier, on November 8, the head of the marketplace "PEC: MALL" Sergei Burov in a conversation with "Izvestia" gave advice on checking the car before the onset of winter. According to him, including replacing tires, checking the condition of oil, battery and cooling and heating systems.