Buying Second Hand Cars – What To Do If You Spot A Major Defect?
In one of the previous blog posts, we talked about how parents should buy their teenage children second-hand cars to lower the insurance premium. Please click here to read that article. After the post went live, we received numerous questions. We addressed one of them in the previous post. This article will address another common question: what to do if you find out after buying the car has a significant defect?
Consumer Law & Used Cars
If you buy a used vehicle from another person or dealer, you get no protection. The reason is that this relationship is not considered as a seller and a consumer. Hence, we recommend that you buy a used car after inspecting it thoroughly. Although PitStopArabia does not offer a car inspection service, you can still contact any of our workshops for it. Why? As they are experienced individuals, they can guide you better after conducting a thorough inspection. Kindly note that PitStopArabia is not liable for the advice.
Things to Check While Buying a Used Car
Here are the things you should check when buying a used car:
Vehicle History
It will help you assess whether the car was involved in an accident and other details about the vehicle. If the automobile has too many owners, it is better to skip it.
Tires
Check if the tires are driveable. If not, you’ll have to replace them. So, deduct their price from the seller’s asking price. Uneven tread wear, cuts, or cracks indicate that the tires need a replacement right away. If the owner says that the tires are new, ask for a receipt. Also, confirm the date when the tires were last rotated.
Mileage
If the car has been driven too much, many of the parts will require replacements. Other than this, a high mileage means that the car is nearing its end life. By end life, we mean the car will need a lot of maintenance, even for regular use. It is better to skip an automobile with high mileage altogether.
Paint
The first thing that you would notice in the car is its paintwork. In case it is faded or has chip marks, you’ll need to get it repaired. So, you’ll need to ask the seller to reduce the price considering that the paintwork is damaged. For those of you that don’t know, PitStopArabia offers car paint protection and restoration services throughout the UAE.
Under the Hood
Inspect the engine, battery, and other components. Look for signs of repair, rust, dents, and other things that are not supposed to be there. It will tell you a lot about the car’s condition.
Mechanical Inspection
Once you are done with the other things, opt for a mechanical inspection. You can take the car to a mechanic who can inspect it on your behalf.
Test Drive
Finally, take the car out for a test drive. It will help you determine whether the car performs as advertised. It can also help you know if there are any other problems with the vehicle. For example, if the vehicle is moving to one side, it means that you need realignment. If there are vibrations when applying the brakes, you need to replace the brake pads. While you are at it, check if the air conditioning is working.
Now, we have some good news to tell you.
UAE Consumer Laws
The UAE has amended the consumer laws. Under Federal Law No. 15 of 2020 on Consumer Protection, if you plan to buy a second-hand vehicle from an individual or a dealer, your rights are well-protected. Now, you might be thinking that why did we mention earlier that you won’t be protected? The reason is that the new laws will come into effect on May 15 2021, and not before. Therefore, we suggest that you wait till this date before buying a used vehicle.
Wrap Up
This is all that we have to say in this blog post. If you have any questions, please let us know. Thank You. Lastly, as soon as you buy the car, opt for car insurance right away.