Used Car Buyer's Checklist

The exact checks a mechanic runs before buying a used or imported car, in plain language, step by step, so you can do them yourself.

This 8-page RCJ checklist walks you through:

- Questions to ask the seller before you even go see the car

- Papers and identity: matching the VIN in 3 places, import papers, loans still owed

- Cold start and under the bonnet: oil, coolant, smoke colours, belts, hoses, leaks

- Body, tyres and underneath: filler, respray, rust, tyre date codes, flood damage

- The test drive: gearbox, brakes, clunks, CV joints, temperature gauge

- The OBD2 scan step most buyers skip, including how to spot codes that were cleared right before you arrived

- Walk-away red flags and how to negotiate the price down

- A one-page quick check to print and take with you

Instant PDF download after purchase. Use it on your phone or print it.

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