You can use the PreOwnedCarAdvice Checklist during the purchase of a used car. Follow the checklist to use all the knowledge of our handbook in practice.
To be able to judge the body work of a car, you need a keen eye. Dents and scratches are easy to spot, but in general these irregularities do not hide major damage. Remember that you are buying a used car, which will never be in mint condition. In this article we look for indicators that point out serious damage from accidents in the past.
The quality of a gearbox depends highly on the previous owner(s). This means that you can find out what the general condition of a car is by just checking the gearbox. A poorly functioning gearbox can very well mean that the car in general has been treated badly. An important part which you should check in combination with the gearbox is the clutch.