Tipps

What should I look out for when buying a car? Find used car tips and tricks here. Before you buy a used car, you should carefully consider the following potential problem areas:

Rust
Particularly check the transitions from the side panels to the wings and the area around the battery. With newer models, despite a few exceptions, rust is rarely found.

Pipes and collars
Check the pipes and rubber collars. Porous water pipes can lead to expensive repair bills, as can defective collars or pipes, which may have been chewed by martens. Calcium deposits on the cooler are a sign of a leak.

Oil loss
If the engine area is as clean as a whistle, your suspicions should be aroused. This should only be seen on brand new, undriven cars. Cleaning the engine can hide leaky areas. Oil drops under the engine and gears are also to be taken as alarm signals for an expensive visit to the repairs workshop. Check the cooling water: Can you discern any traces of oil? Does the dip-stick glisten with traces of water? This is a sign that the cylinder head seal is likely to be defective.

Headlamps, lights and their casings
Do all the lights work? Are there cracks on the exterior casings of the lights? The lights should not be fogged from the inside. Condensation in the lights indicates sealing problems. Check that the front lights are firmly mounted and not loose in their holders as a consequence of a previous collision. Always check the front windscreen for damage from small stone impacts and deep craters.

Toothed drive belts
For all models of car featuring toothed drive belts in their engine design, the following applies: Check for documented evidence for any toothed drive belt replacement to have been carried out. Service handbook, receipts for repair work. If the maintenance intervals are not observed, a torn toothed drive belt can lead to major damage to the engine. Depending on the model of car, replacing the toothed drive belt can be a costly affair. The reason for this is in the high labour costs involved. It is therefore optimal for the water pump to be replaced at the same time as the toothed drive belt. For models that have timing chains, listen carefully for whether rattling noises can be heard from the chain tensioners while the car is idling.

Bumpers
Check for scratches and cracks. If you should discern damage, check to see if it is masking more severe bodywork damage beneath.

Chassis
Check the shock absorbers for leaks. When taking a test drive, be sure to check whether rattling sounds can be heard when travelling over rough ground, or if their associated vibrations can be felt through the steering wheel. If this is the case, it is likely that wishbone rubber joints, steering track rod or the shock absorbers are defective.

Brakes
When taking the test drive, check that no vibrations can be detected when applying the brake pedal. If possible, carry out a visual inspection of the thickness of the brake pads.

Tyre tread and wheels
If the depth of the tyre tread is not at least 3 mm, a new set of tyres is recommended. In addition, check that the tyres are evenly worn and that no layered tiers have formed in the tread. This can be a sign of problems with the axle setting. If you acquire additional wheels, check that they are approved for the model. This might involve checking the car's registration document, or there could be a supplementary sheet. The wheel rims are also to be registered with the Road Traffic Office (Switzerland). Special wheel bolts, as required for aluminium rims, must be included within the scope of delivery. If vibrations are detectable in the steering wheel at a speed of approx. 110 km/h, the wheels must be rebalanced.

Electronics
If a warning light is seen during the test drive (e.g. for the ABS), in the best case scenario only a sensor is defective. In the worst case, the control unit needs to be replaced. If such a failure occurs, have no further involvement with this car. When starting up the car, however, these warning lights should briefly come on.

Interior
Does it smell musty? This indicates that the previous owner was a smoker or had a dog, or that the bodywork has a sealing problem. Check for dampness in the carpet areas under the foot mats. Check if the lighter has been used. Interior car odour can be removed with today's methods. Depending on the degree of soiling, this will cost some +/- 300 Swiss francs. Ask for an appropriate reduction in the purchase price and bring the car to a professional car care centre. Hess Automobile GmbH can supply addresses of appropriately equipped companies.

Signs of accidents
Generally, it can be said that professionally repaired damage is not a cause for concern. The gaps between bodywork parts should nonetheless run evenly. If this is not the case, accident damage may be the cause. Further checking point: Do the doors close properly? During the test drive, listen for wind noise. Under a light source, check whether uneven areas of bodywork give rise to reflections. If this is the case, the car may have been damaged by hail stones. Check also for differences in colour between the transitions from the wings to the doors. Acquire documented proof that the car has not been involved in an accident.

Gearshift and transmission
The gears should engage without making scratching noises. The gearshift shows its first signs of wear when moving down from third gear to second gear. With automatic transmission, check that the gears change smoothly. If you detect any of these defects, have no further involvement with this car.

Service history booklet and exhaust emissions maintenance document, tachometer
The service history of the vehicle should not contain any omissions. This also applies for the exhaust emissions maintenance. On the basis of these two documents, the status of the mileage clock can also be verified. If something is missing, or if there is only a duplicate, caution is required. If there are doubts, check with the Road Traffic Office (German: Strassenverkehrsamt) what the mileage reading was on the occasion of previous emissions inspection tests. The experts make a note of this with each test. If you have doubts about the trustworthiness of this seller, seek no further involvement with this vehicle.

MOT (German: MFK – Motorfahrzeugkontrolle)
Check the car's documentation for the date of the last MOT. In the past, cars being registered under new owners were under an obligation to undergo a new MOT if the previous one pre-dated the sale by over a year. The quality of modern cars has constantly improved. This has prompted the Road Traffic Office officials to lengthen the intervals permitted between inspections. In Zurich, new cars must undergo their first MOT after 4 years. Thereafter, two MOTs – one after each three-year interval – are required to take the car up to the age of 10. In the time intervals between these MOT inspection dates, the cars can be re-registered under a new owner without the requirement for an extra MOT. NEW measure, since mid-2012: Cars aged 10 years and above can be re-registered under a new owner within two years of their last MOT without requiring an immediate repeat MOT. ATTENTION: Individual cantons do not always operate on a Swiss-wide basis. Enquire at your nearest Road Traffic Office. Here is the link for all Road Traffic Offices in Switzerland: www.stva.ch.

General
When you are about to buy a car, use your gut feeling. If you have any second thoughts (even minor ones) concerning the vehicle or the person selling it, do not proceed with the purchase and buy elsewhere.