What will tell the Visual Inspection of the Car

Check the car before you buy it thoroughly, so you do not suffer from repairs and searches for other options. In this article we will talk about the visual characteristics that will help determine the degree of wear of a used car.

So, how to check a used car and what to pay special attention to when visually inspected.

CONTENT
The first acquaintance with cars with mileage
Body. With a visual inspection of the body begins familiarity with the used car. Pay attention to the uniform color of the  entire body, as well as the correct curves and lines of cars. If these 2 parameters are not correct, the car was painted and straightened. Any crack or spall on the body is a precursor of corrosion.

Windshield . Check if the factory glass is worth or changed. The main reasons to replace the windshield are two: an accident, including a head-on collision, and if the glass cracked from the stone on the track. Check with the seller this moment and ask for documents confirming that the glass was not broken in an accident. For example, a photo of a car with a crack on the glass.

If there are small chips on the glass, it is better to agree on a repair with the seller, since it will be difficult to even undergo maintenance with such damage.

Headlights and reflectors . If the lights inside are wet or foggy, then a loss of tightness has occurred. This promises problems with the repair and with the passage of MOT.

Rear view mirrors. The presence of large chips can lead to the fact that the mirrors fall out or finally break. Ask the owner of the car to replace them or reset the price.

Joints and joints of parts. Must be perfectly smooth, if you notice a loose contiguity, then this is a reason to be wary.

Inside View


In the cabin. How to take care of the car immediately visible through the cabin: by the presence of stains on the upholstery, as well as abrasions, threads, holes. If the seats are in covers, ask them to remove them and inspect the condition of the seats.

How to check the glass seals? They should fit snugly to the glass, they should not be cracked, notched. If the seals have traces of paint, then the doors were repainted.  

Pedals . By the way the pedal covers are worn out, one can judge the duration of the car's operation.

Under the hood. The first thing you should pay attention to under the hood is the smudges, stains and condition of the bolts and fixings. If you see that they are constantly exploited, then it is clear that the owner has malfunctions, and he is looking for their cause. The presence of stains indicates the leakage of the valves of technical fluids. This malfunction can lead to serious repairs.

Auto engine inspection

Look at the condition of the oil . To do this, drop a drop of oil from the dipstick onto a clean, light-colored napkin or cloth. If the oil is clean, without impurities and has a synthetic smell of oil, this means that the owner followed the car and changed consumables as needed. If the oil is dark or has an unpleasant smell, then it has not been changed for a long time, then this may lead to premature engine wear and has already resulted.

Bottom in the cabin . Increased moisture in the cabin and under the floor mats may indicate the presence of bottom corrosion.

Brake fluid . Check the brake fluid reservoir. If it is full to the required mark, then there is no leakage. Otherwise, you risk being left without brakes at the most inopportune moment.  

Dry strut talkers talk about their proper operation. Wet shock absorber requires diagnostics, followed by repair or replacement.   

Engine operation

Exhaust. Ask the owner to start the car. Look at the color of the exhaust. If the smoke is light gray and does not have a strong odor, then the engine is in good condition.  

If the smoke is black, then there is a malfunction, for the repair of which will have to pay a decent amount.

Steering wheel . Ask the owner to put the wheels straight, and then check the steering position. If it deviates by more than 2 fingers from the center, a large amount of steering gear wear is possible.

Lighting equipment . We ask the owner to turn on all the lights, turn back and press the brake, turn on the indicators of the right and left turns. If something does not burn, then we ask the owner to clarify. If he says that it is a light bulb, please replace. In fact, the problem may be much more serious. It is worth checking out and the light inside the cabin.

Wheel inspection

Evaluate the wheels visually: a worn tread indicates long-term tire use. Compare the stated mileage and age of the car with the condition of the wheels. In addition, traffic regulations regulate tire wear: the minimum permissible residual tread depth in passenger cars is up to 3.5 tons. - 1.6 mm. Also check tires for damage.

It should be noted that in Russia it is impossible to drive with different tires on different axles and it is impossible to operate tires that do not correspond to the season. If the car owner attaches you to pick up a second set of tires, then check them too. If the tires do not meet the standards, it is better to ask for a discount and buy new ones, and leave the old ones to the owner of the car, who will himself think how to dispose of them.

Look in the service book, it reflects the information on how the car was looked after, the compliance of the service terms with mileage and age.

We suggest you print this list and take it with you for inspection, you will be able to tick each item with ticks, pros and cons. A list of visual inspection will help you make a decision about buying a used car.


Not be superfluous to check the history of the car. This can be done with the help of the Avtokod service using a state number or a VIN. From it, you will learn the actual mileage, whether the car got into an accident and what damage it had, customs history, traffic police restrictions and much more. Verification is carried out on 16 sources: traffic police, RSA, EAISTO, the registry of banks and taxis and much more.

Print the report and take it with you. It will allow you to learn more about the car and help you drop the price.

However, some technical details may go unnoticed if they are not fixed in the traffic police. Therefore, on -site inspection using special tools is a great way to fully examine all the flaws of the machine. Upon completion of the inspection, the specialist will issue your own conclusion about the car. And then the decision is yours.

About This Author

Evan Murray Joined: November 27th, 2018