Things to lookout For When Buying a Used Car (Nigerian Used **)

Many folks especially in Nigeria end-up making wrong decision when buying a Nigeria Used car and 80% of the time it doesn’t end well for the buyer. Now buying a Nigerian used Cars (NUC) can end you up in spending all the cash you have and still not come up to your expectation this is because some car issues makes a car car better off left alone. i have looked at this issues over and over again and i have come up with some basic things to lookout for and precautions to take before rushing for the car. 

 

One of the greatest challenge in buying a used car in Nigeria is you can not tell about the service history of that car so you only rely on trusting the seller words on that so you want to make sure you in every possible way make sure the vehicle is fully functional before making payment. 
  

1. Do a Research: One thing you want to do first is to carry out a simple basic research on that car you are about to buy this will include the market value price for a new one so you can compare and contrast the monetary difference , also you want to find out about the cost of parts for the car and how readily available are they in your local area, you would also want to find out about the fuel economy capacity and how durable it is.
2. Vehicle Inspection: If after your research you have come to conclusion to go for the car then your next move is to inspect every aspect of the vehicle . I will list out key areas you would need to check, but the best option is to have you Mechanic check these things as he would be in a better position to tell you their condition so as to save you future repair cost. Now the few area you need to check includes the following .

Look at the Engine: you would want to Check the hoses and belts, they should not have cracks. The radiator hoses should not be soft. On the engine block, look for any dark brown oil stains, this will indicate that there is a leak in a gasket, and could possibly lead to an expensive repair in the future. Check the brake fluid, and reservoir to make sure its is not leaking. Remove the oil filler cap. A foam residue on the inside indicates a leaking head gasket.  Check the timing belt. This is the most important belt in the engine, and is also the most costly to replace. If the car is equipped with a steel timing chain, you don't have to worry about this.

Look at the body and Interior: here you want to the body to be sure it has not been excessively worked with car body fillers also you want to confirm all accessories are properly functional ranging from Head lamp, trafficator, parking lights, radio, AC,fan e.t.c , also look at dashboard indicator lights for cars with on-board computers to know all available errors.

Test Driving: Every buyer must test drive the vehicle before making any final decisions, test driving actually helps to identify any issues the vehicle may have while driving, so you want to test the car both in local road and on the free way . Testing on local city road helps you test the brakes, hand brakes, when stepping on the brakes there should be no form of vibration, also it helps to determine the vehicle alignments and also you should try changing all gears to make sure the gear box works fine , also considering the high way for testing helps to test engine performance and other issues like noise from parts of the vehicle

3. Paperwork and payment

- Make sure all the paperwork is in order, and that you have original versions (never photocopies) everything … registration papers, Allocation of Vehicle plate Number, proof of ownership e.t.c
- If you’re making a payment or even just a deposit, get a receipt and make sure the seller’s full details are on it and information on the receipt can be used to trace back the seller

Note: Our Advice is that, most of the basic checks we have provided would be better done when you go through the process with your mechanic .

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