AU T O
14 Tips and Guidelines For
Buying Used Cars In
Pakistan
B
uying a used car is a rather tricky process where
one has to look out for several aspects and be extremely careful about fraudulence. For your convenience, therefore, we have prepared an entire list of
tips and guidelines to facilitate you during the inspection
process before finalizing the deal.Here are the 14 tips
and guidelines for buying used cars in Pakistan.
1. DO YOUR RESEARCH
Do thorough research regarding the used cars in reference to basic knowledge. Check out for car portals, auto
magazines, online reviews and opinion from your friends
and relatives who experienced buying a used car in order to make a smart choice.
2. CHOOSE A CAR AND REFER TO THE RIGHT
CHANNELS
Next step is to make a choice (brand or model) according to the suitability of your budget amongst a wide
range of used cars that are available via individual sellers or authorized dealers.
3. SEARCH FOR A FUEL ECONOMIC CAR
Fuel economy is considered as one of the most prominent features of a car in Pakistan since people here are
obsessed with fuel efficiency owed to relatively low incomes and the ever rising fuel prices. So, it is recommended to choose a car that is affordable in terms of
fuel consumption.
4. BUY A USED CAR WITH WARRANTY
If your budget allows, buy a used car from an authorized
dealership because it often offers a warranty on certified
used cars.
5. AVOID BUYING CARS WITH NO SPARE
PARTS
Avoid those too old car models that have gone out of
production because their spare parts are not available in
the market. Secondly, these cars have maintenance issues; it might be cheaper in sale price but such cars can
prove to be white elephants for the buyer due to high
maintenance cost.
6. PRIME BUYS
If a car has traveled between 15,000km to 50,000 km, it
is a good buy. Any car above 50,000 km is too old and
can be a risky purchase.
7. TIME OF BUYING
Time of buying also matters in the case of used cars
because there are time frames when used cars are sold
at comparatively lower prices. Authorized dealers have
been given the targets to increase sales at a quarterclosing time, the last days of March, June, September,
and December. To meet the targets, dealers sell used
cars at cheaper rates so it is beneficial to visit them at
mentioned time period.
8. EXTERIOR INSPECTION
Always check for any accident damage, corrosion,
welds, and scratches or rust on the car body (doors,
bonnet, roof etc).
Check for a smooth paint finish and make sure there are
no re paints. Check each and every panel and see if the
texture is smooth. If there are some waves, ripples, or
bubbles, it usually indicates a repaint or respray in case
of damage.
To check and identify repair work on the car body, use
a magnet; it won’t stick to the body part that is repaired
with plastic, fiber or any other material.
Make sure that doors are closing with ease. Also, check
the tyres and rims, ensuring that they have a minimum
2mm of thread
Car Inspection must always be done during the daytime.
9. INTERIOR INSPECTION
Thoroughly inspect the dashboard, seat covers, sound
system and other features in the car. In case of automatic windows and mirrors, check how well they operate
Check if all headlights, high beams, break lights and
sunroof windows are working properly
Examine the engine extensively to judge its condition
and age.
Check the odometer, its reading must be in line with the
advertisements provided and be consistent with the registration documents. If not, it indicates that the odometer
has been tampered with.
10. TEST DRIVE
Start the engine and note the color of the smoke it emits,
if it is blue then the engine is burning oil and if it’s black,
that indicates excessive fuel consumption.
Check if the engine starts easily; if it doesn’t, the battery
need to be changed.
Drive the car at a high speed and on differen