Buying A Car tips - Used car precautions

Whether you're buying from a dealer or privately, make sure any used car you're thinking of buying is in fact what the seller says it is.

• Sometimes dealers pretend to be private sellers. When phoning about a car you’ve seen advertised as a private sale, ask: ‘I’m phoning about the car you have for sale.’ If they ask: ‘Which car?’ be on your guard.

• If buying privately, arrange to view the car at the seller's house – this way you can be more certain the car is not stolen.

• Pay for a vehicle history check to see how many owners the car has, if there is any outstanding finance on it, if it has been written off, etc. It is vital that you carry this out before deciding if it is the right car for you.

• Compare the data from your research and the V5C (the vehicle's logbook) to the car itself – make sure it all matches. If it doesn’t, you could be looking at a stolen car.

• Ask the seller questions about their time with the car, why they are selling it, and check that they are the owner, or that they have the owner's permission to sell.

• Examine the service history, and note the locations of the garages who have carried out work. Does this match the rest of the car's history? Also, check invoices to see if any other work has been carried out.