How not to make a mistake when buying a used car

Before getting a car, many car owners start by reading car news, browsing listings, visiting a car forum and taking a look around at the car market. Our guidance and recommendations will come in handy so you don't make a mistake with your purchase.

There's a saying that at the market two fools find each other, one is the seller and the other is the buyer. Buying a new car isn't within everyone's budget, so many people buy used cars instead. But in that case, the odds of buying "a pig in a poke" are fairly high. How do you avoid that mistake? The tips below will help you make a choice you won't regret.

Buying a car in Moscow or in any other city, start by checking the vehicle's registration certificate, and pay close attention to the registration date and the year of manufacture. You can cross-check the year against the vehicle identification number (VIN); on foreign cars the year is also stamped on the glass and on the seatbelt mounts. You can also check the body number both under the bonnet and inside the cabin, under the seat next to the driver. And be sure to look at the engine and its number too. How many owners the car has had and how often it was serviced can be found out from the service book, provided it has survived. If the car's body is covered even in a thin layer of dust or dirt, it's worth thinking twice, because rust, dents and scratches could be hiding underneath.

To be fully sure there are no flaws in the paintwork or the body's geometry, you'll need to inspect the right and left sides, crouching down alternately near the right, then the left headlight, while also glancing at the roof and hood. If something bothers you, use a magnet — if it doesn't stick, there's a layer of filler under the paint. A magnet is just as useful when examining the rear body pillars; if the rear wings have been replaced, you'll be able to detect the layer of filler under the paint that way too. An uneven gap width along the length of a panel seam shows that the car has been in an accident and repaired afterward. Don't neglect checking the brake hoses, brakes and cylinders, or inspecting the suspension — more precisely, the shock absorbers and the running gear.