What to look for when you see a vehicle
Here is a simple check list of things to take into account when you check a used vehicle that you are considering purchasing.
Firstly, look at the engine carefully, and see if you think it has been changed in any way. If there is any doubt on this or other points listed below then you are best to walk away from the sale. Remember that if you do spot something dodgy, you don't of course need to say to the person selling the vehicle that you think there is something dodgy with it! You can simply say you will think about the purchase.
Check that all the locks on the car open with the same key, and also check that there are no dents or bumps anywhere on the car. Is the petrol cap clearly the one the car came with, and are there two keys?
Look at the registration number of the vehicle, there is more information on this in another article in this section.
Some vehicles will have a Q registration number, which indicates one of several possibilities: the car has been imported without proof of age, has been rebuilt, or has unknown age or identity: for further information on why this is look at the V5C which should explain why it has a Q reg.
There are various elements that you should also check with regard to the identity of the car, and these include that all window etchings match each other, and that the seller knows all about the vehicle and its controls, because they should be very familiar having driven it day in day out for possibly several years!
There is a full checklist made available by the DVLA that you should print and read through and bring with you when it comes to inspecting the vehicle:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/@en/@motor/documents/digitalasset/dg_186824.pdf
If you are not confident, then take someone else along with you and potentially a independent and qualified examiner to see the vehicle with you.
Related Articles...
Show me tell me test
If you've not heard of the "show me tell me" test, then this is something
that happens at the start of the driving practical test as opposed to on the
theory test. They ask one of each of the two...
Road conditions: dealing with fog
Fogs and mists are much more common at some times of the year than others. Particularly in the mornings and in the Autumn time of the year, fog can be commonplace, but whenever it occurs it is...
Driving Theory Centres
Finding the nearest driving theory centre to you is easy as the government makes this information available to you online.
There is a website that enables you to find the nearest driving...
Driving Theory Test
Until relatively recently in driving history, there was no theory test. From the time the first person passed a driving test in the UK in 1935 through to 1996, there was no separate theory test. ...
Penalty Points
There are different offence codes for different types of offences, and penalty points come in lumps from one single point right up to eleven, depending on the type and severity of an offence that...
Road Tax Disc Explained
You might hear to this referred as to something called excise licence, but in common parlance (speech!) this is called road tax.
And you will have a circular piece of paper that comes to show...
Regular car checks to perform
In addition to the daily checks that you should perform on core elements of your car such as the tyres (see article entitled 'what to check on your car daily') there are various other elements that...
How to book your driving theory test
There is now an online booking system in place that will allow you to book a driving theory test online.
There are also other ways to book a driving theory test: over the phone and you can...
Switching to driving an automatic
When you switch to an automatic car it could be for a wide range of reasons. Of course number one on that list could be that you are simply given an automatic car or you are driving in a country...
What different cats eyes mean
There are market studs, which are usually referred to as multi-coloured studs or even more usually as cats eyes, along certain areas of motorways and optionally on other parts of motorways...
Back to home page of driving theory test questions
