1 – You don’t want to spend big on a new car

One of the biggest risks you have when buying a car is the possibility of getting stuck with a lemon. That’s why, if you have the money, it’s tempting to buy new.

While there are certainly advantages to this (like the fact that it has zero kilometers on the clock and it comes with both new car and a manufacturer’s warranty), it’s important to remember that the second you drive off the lot, it’s now second hand and depreciating at the fastest rate it’s ever going to.

Whereas if you buy a late model used vehicle, with low kilometers and a good service record, which is still covered by the manufacturer’s warranty (as well as the statutory minimum warranty), it’s the best of both worlds.

2 – Make sure that you’re getting what you paid for…

One of the biggest risks you run when buying a second hand car is being stuck with a lemon.

Even if a car is outside of its new car or manufacturer’s warranty period, every second hand motor vehicle purchased from a dealership, which has less than 160,000kms on the clock and is less than 10 years old, is covered by a mandatory statutory warranty.

While there are civil law avenues available with private sales, they can be harder to pursue, especially if the person you’ve just handed your money to is a dodgy bloke with a fake e-bay account. Good luck even finding him again… which, brings us squarely to our next point…

3 – Make sure when you buy the vehicle, that you actually own it!

If the person selling you the vehicle doesn’t have the right to sell it, then legally, you don’t own it, despite the fact that you’ve just handed some bloke $16,000 in cash that you’ve borrowed with interest.

One reason a bargain sale that just seems too good to be true might not be is because the vehicle is stolen. Similarly, the if seller took out a massive loan to buy the car and now can’t pay that money back, they can try to sucker you into buying it. If they owe money on the car, the finance company is entitled to repossess it. In both of these scenarios, you have no legal recourse. “You’ve done your dough”, as they say.

If you buy from a dealer they can’t legally do any of these things. What you buy, must be what you’re being sold.

4 – If you don’t know what you need, you need somebody that will give you the right advice...

One of the hardest parts about buying a car is knowing what type of car you actually need. This where a skilled and knowledgeable salesman comes in handy. They can help you find a vehicle that suits your lifestyle and that is within your price range.

They can also arrange trade-ins on your current vehicle (which can be a real pain in the neck to sell on private sale) and help arrange finance if you need it.

Specifically, it MUST match descriptions made by the salesperson; be fit for purpose - this includes what the seller told you it would be fit for and for any purpose that you made known to the seller before purchase -and; it must meet any extra promises made about performance, condition and quality of the vehicle.

Besides, if you’re dealing with a reputable dealer, it’s not in their best interest to rip you off because.

5 – The dealership’s reputation is worth far more to them than the couple of thousand bucks they can fleece you for...

If you buy a second hand vehicle from a reputable dealer, they don’t want to just sell you one car. They want to sell you your next car too. And the one after that. And the one after that. They also want to sell your spouse a car.

Besides, if you’re happy and trust the dealership, they can make money servicing the vehicle too, which can be mutually beneficial.