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Don't Get Burnt When Buying a Used Car

Buying a used car can be pretty risky, and this is why NRMA have launched nrmacarwise.com.au. The site is full of useful information for buying a used car. The best part about it is that you can purchase a comprehensive report to check out if the used car you are looking at purchasing could cause you grief down the track. The report will let you know the following: 

  1. If there is any money owing on the car. If someone has borrowed money to pay for their car (and the money has been secured against the car), the car is owned by the finance company until the debt has been repaid. This means that you won’t own it and could be liable for the debt of the previous owner. Very scary!!
     

  2. If the vehicle has been “written off”. If a car has been written off by an insurance company, generally because the damage will cost too much to repair, this information is registered. The report will let you know this. You do not want to buy a car that has been written off as it could have damage that could be a serious safety risk that may not be immediately visible
     

  3. If there has been a Safety Recall. Most manufacturers at some stage will do a safety recall on one or more of its models. Recalls can be as minor as changing a safety sticker on the car to something that could lead to serious injury if not rectified. The report will let you know if there has been a safety recall on the car that you are looking at.
     

  4. If the car has been incorrectly described. Some ads may say that it is an SVX model when it may only be a SV model, which has fewer features
     

  5.  If the car has been overvalued. As the used car market pricing is set by supply and demand, people can put a cost on their vehicle that is too high, for example. The report will indicate the average price for the model you are looking.

Special Offer: HerCar.com.au members get 15% off their NRMA Carwise report.

NRMA Members pay $25.45 and Non-members pay $29.70

All you need to do is input the following information on the car you are looking at and enter the voucher code Carwise.

  1. Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)

  2. Engine number

  3. Registration number

  4. Current odometer reading - how many kilometres it has travelled.

Check that the VIN and engine number on the registration paper matches the one on the car’s compliance plate. This will be a metal plate bolted to the car, usually in the engine bay. If the plate looks scratched or damaged in anyway, or you can’t find one, the car could be stolen.

Remember, when buying a used car privately the onus is on the buyer to make sure that everything stacks up. Once you sign the car into your name, it’s yours. This is why we recommend a report like this as a must when buying a used car. Once you have found the car you want and the report gives it the thumbs up, we suggest that you then get the car checked out by a mechanic. Your local mechanic can do this, or there are plenty of NRMA approved mechanics around too!

 

Article Date: April 2008

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