When life hands you lemons, make some lemonade. Tell that to a guy who has plunked his hard-earned dough on a used car that turned out to be a clunker. While the recent lot of used cars entering the market has shown vast improvement in terms of reliability and performance, there are still a few lemons that could make your used car buying experience turn sour. The best way to ensure that you are buying a trouble-free vehicle is to perform a thorough inspection of the vehicle. Here is a used car inspection checklist that you can use to evaluate any used car that you are considering buying.

A used car inspection is best performed in the daytime, when you can see better, rather than at night. Take your time performing the inspection. Don’t hesitate to ask the owner any questions about the vehicle’s history or to point out any unusual detail that catches your attention. Make sure you leave no stone unturned by requesting a vehicle history report from CarFax or Experian Automotive and having the vehicle inspected by a qualified mechanic. 

Exterior

Check the body for dents, ripples, misaligned panels, mismatched body parts and panels.

Look for signs of accident damage or corrosion.

Check for rusty sports, mismatched colors, and painting overspray.

Use a small magnet to test for the presence of body filler. If the magnet does not cling, it’s possible that body filler was used to repair rust or accident damage. Note that the magnet may not stick to vehicles with plastic or fiberglass panels.

Open and close the door, hood, and trunk to make sure they close firmly and seal properly.

Interior

Check the dashboard and headliner for cracks and missing handles, knobs, and buttons.

The headliner should not sag.

Check the odometer for signs of tampering.

Look for signs of wear and tear in the upholstery.

Check for signs of flood damage, such as carpet discoloration, mildew smell, presence of silt in the trunk, or intermittent electrical problems.

Make sure seatbelts are not frayed or damaged.

Turn on air conditioning, power doors and windows, audio system, and other equipment and accessories to make sure they are in good working order.

Check the operation of lights both inside and outside the car.

Under the hood

Check for grease and signs of corrosion in the engine, radiator, and battery.

Look for fluid leaks from the engine and transmission, brake line connections, and on the ground directly below the vehicle.

Check for missing bolts, clamps, brackets, or cables.

Examine oil level and color. Engine oil should be brown or black, depending on when it was last changed. If you see fine particles in oil, suspect internal damage or heavy wear.

Check the level and color of transmission fluid. Transmission fluid should be bright red to light reddish brown. Dark brown, black, or mustard colored transmission fluid may signal serious problems.

Tires

Check if all tires are of the same size and the same brand.

Look for cracks and bruises in tires.

Check for rim damage.

Make sure tires have the same amount of tread.

Ensure that wear is even across the width of the tread. Uneven wear may indicate aggressive driving or driving on over-inflated or under-inflated tires. Uneven wear along the circumference of the tread may be a sign of problems with steering, suspension, or brakes.

Suspension

Push down hard on each corner of the vehicle and let go. All corners should rebound softly once or twice before stopping. A vehicle with worn shock absorbers or struts will rebound excessively.

Steering

Test for any slack or play in the steering by turning the steering wheel right and left with the car idling. Excess play may be a sign of a worn steering gear or damaged linkage.

Performance

Engine

Turn the ignition on to check if the engine starts easily.

Note any engine hesitation or stumbling on acceleration.

Listen for unusual noises, such as clattering or metallic sounds, sharp hissing, humming or growling, while the engine is running.

Check if the engine idles smoothly.

Transmission and clutch

Check if automatic transmission is smooth.

In manual transmission, check if transmission shifts easily without grinding.

Note any delay between shifting and the moment when the transmission kicks in.

Note any shudders, slips, or jerks in transmission.

Make sure the kick-down function works properly.

Others

Listen for unusual noises while accelerating.

Listen for knocking or creaking noises when driving over bumps.

Step on the brakes several times at different speeds.

Make sure the anti-lock brake system is working properly.

Turn the steering wheel right and left while driving. Note any difficulty in steering. The steering wheel should be centered when the vehicle is moving straight ahead.

Note any shaking or vibration of the vehicle while moving.