Buying a car is a significant investment that requires thorough research and consideration of various risks. While purchasing a used car can be a smart way to save money, it does come with potential challenges. Therefore, buyers must be aware of common scams and pitfalls associated with used car purchases.
In this article, we highlight essential risks that you might overlook, which could lead to serious problems in the future. Before regretting your decision to buy a car from the used car market in the KSA, make sure to create a checklist of important factors to consider during your purchase.
Tampered Vehicle Documents
Always be cautious when dealing with sellers; never trust them, regardless of how trustworthy they may appear. It’s essential to verify every detail of the vehicle yourself rather than taking the seller’s word for it. In Saudi Arabia, tampering with vehicle documents and history has become a common form of fraud. Sellers often conceal important information, such as accident history and the number of previous owners. In the worst-case scenario, the vehicle could even be stolen.
Additionally, the inspection certificate may also be tampered with. Therefore, it’s crucial that you take the car for inspection on your own. Furthermore, you should check the vehicle’s history through an official Vehicle Safety Center in Saudi Arabia to ensure that you have all the accurate information.
Being Accidental
It is not difficult to hide the accidents and repairs done to the car, so if a vehicle looks fine, it may have underlying damage. However, to identify if the car is accidented, you only need to check a few things, and it will be apparent to you.
- Check the Strut Tower
If the strut tower is damaged or not aligned, there is a 99% chance that the car is damaged because this is the first thing that gets damaged in any kind of accident.
- Check Boot Floor
Open the car’s boot, remove the boot floor mat, and look for weld spots, cracks, or paint bubbles. These can tell if the car has been involved in a rear-end collision.
Unsealed Engine
The car you are buying may have an unsealed engine. First-time buyers or people who don’t know much about cars might get scammed easily. Therefore, you must add this to your checklist of risks.
To determine whether the engine is sealed, you need to inspect vigorously for scratches on the nut. If there are no scratches, the car is good to buy.
Tampered Odometer
The biggest and silliest mistake a buyer can make is buying a used car without checking the odometer of the car. There are many cases in which buyers make this mistake in a hurry and then, later, after the purchase, argue that they have been scammed, but alas, the payment has been completed, and nothing can be undone. Therefore, make sure to check the vehicle’s odometer the you first get inside the car. Thus, please cross-check the vehicle history from the Vehicle Safety Center.
Too Good to be True
If your sixth sense is making you doubtful, it is a sign that something is definitely suspicious. Hence, if the seller is gaslighting you into buying the vehicle at the moment, beware of such manipulation, especially when the deal is too good to be true. We advise you to be patient and carefully consider the deal and have other options in mind as well, so that when you negotiate, you know what you are getting for the price you are paying.
End Note
In conclusion, being thorough throughout the car-buying process is essential for making a satisfying and informed decision. Choose a car that brings joy and will accompany you for thousands of miles, instead of becoming a source of annoyance. We wish you happy car buying!
We hope you find this blog informative. Follow Arabwheels to stay ahead in your car-buying journey.
