When buying a used car, you could be taking on someone else’s expensive problems (and costs), if you don’t know what to look out for with a faulty steering or suspension.
4 Important Things to Inspect Before Buying a Used Car
- Walk around the car and have a close look at each tire. Are the tires evenly worn down? If not, this could simply be because of the wheel alignment being out, or it could be a lot more serious than that. If there is a problem with the suspension, this could affect the wheel alignment, so it is best to rather get this checked out by a professional for peace of mind.
- Take the car for a test drive and check for steering wheel jerks, stiffness or noises. If anything feels or sounds wrong, the steering must be checked out by a professional steering technician.
- Have a look under the hood, as well as under the car. Any leaks need to be investigated. It could be the power steering that is leaking. Checking the power steering filler bottle levels is a quick and easy way to identify problems. It is also an idea to check the quality of the fluid. If it is thick and black then there is contamination in the system that will cause problems in the future. The fluid should be either red or green in colour.
- Check the dash for any lights that are on (steering, suspension, brakes). These are early indicators of electrical problems that are steering or suspension related that may need attention or affect the drive of the vehicle. Computer diagnosis with a diagnostic machine is needed to resolve these problems. This will cost around R450 ex VAT at our workshop. This is a very small price to pay for that extra peace of mind, before outlaying a large sum of money on a car.
You have the right when buying a used car to take it to an independent steering and suspension workshop to be checked over. And our mechanics in Durban can help with that.
Call us today to book your car for a FREE check-up.
