Check the car's ownership history
Find out how many owners the car had and how it was used.
Buying a used car is always a considerable investment and therefore needs to be carefully thought-out. Before you call the vehicle your own, you should not only rely on a visual inspection, but also check the seller's information on the technical condition. A good way to measure this is by the number of previous owners, the length of time the vehicle has been in service and what it was used for (taxi, rental, private, etc.).
Important things to look at when buying a used car
Based on the number of owners, the use it was given, and the length of time the car has been on the road, you can draw conclusions about the condition of the used car.
If it has passed through many hands in short intervals, this could be an indication of a hidden defect. Maybe there was a reason why the owners wanted to get rid of the car quickly. Proceed with caution here.
A CARFAX Vehicle History Report can help, as it provides information regarding how many hands the car has passed through. Equally important is the respective holding period, which is included in the vehicle history report. Furthermore, you can find out how the vehicle was used (commercially or privately).
It is very important to find as much information as possible about the seller, especially when buying a car from a private owner in another European country.
This is because the EU Consumer Protection Act does not apply to transactions between private individuals.
Only when a company has sold to a consumer, is the European Consumer Center warned. This means guarantees and similar consumer protection tools do not apply here.
The relationship between the number of previous owners and the mileage is also an important factor to consider. Even if the car was bought firsthand, it may not be in the best condition.
It may have belonged to a field worker or service vehicle, which constantly drives through the country. In these cases (or scenarios) wear and tear cannot be avoided, even in the most expensive cars.
However, the opposite could also be true. If the vehicle was only used as a secondary car, there is a possibility that the car’s mileage is very low. Additionally, if the rarely used car was still in the garage, Additionally, if the car was rarely used and sat parked in the garage, that may be great news! But these are lucky cases, and they tend to be the exception rather than the rule.