Have you ever come across the term ‘accident-free’ when you are browsing or a used car? What does this term entail and what does it not cover? When you are buying a used car, the last thing you want is to purchase one which was involved in a major accident. After all, why would anyone sell a perfectly fine car if not for a ‘dark’ history? One time or another, you might have already heard of the term ‘kereta potong’ which is a nightmare for anyone who bought a used car of this type.
So before you agree on the price and anything else, it would be best to do some homework and you will need to first inspect the car. However, you might not be an expert in this as you are not a mechanic. You might not have access to anyone who knows so how do you know if the car is actually ‘accident free’?
The best way is to employ someone who is an expert to help you inspect the vehicle you want to buy. This could be a mechanic or those involved in this area. You will be amazed with how they inspect the car as the only need to ‘feel’ the surface to know if it has been tampered with in any way.
Define accident-free – Before buying or even entering into negotiations, ask the dealer what does accident-free means for that unit. Does minor knocks constitute ‘accident-free’? If it does not, you could perhaps forget about the small dents and knocks. Some classify accident-free as damage to the engine or major replacement like the entire door or windscreen.
Smell – If you are buying from a private owner, sit in the car to ‘smell’ around. If you can literally smell a stench that resembles water, it could mean that there are leakages around the car. Take note that this smell cannot be covered by even the strongest car refresher.
Colour – Look around the car for any inconsistent color on the body of the car. Slant your head a little and stare onto the door and if you notice some slight difference, it means that something has been previously done on the paint.
Uneven gaps – this can be seen from the joints of different panels around the car. If there is an uneven gap, it means that location was previously knocked by an object or repaired.
