Checks to do before buying a used car

It is a wish for many people to buy themselves a car at some point in their lives. They could buy from a local bond or from someone they know or even do not know. Those who can afford to will opt for brand new cars with zero mileage. But there is the option of buying a used car from anyone who is selling.

If you choose the latter, it is important that you carry out a number of checks on the car in question.

Unpaid street parking fees
A field officer with Multiplex Limited says on average, he issues approximately 100 street parking tickets to motorists on Kampala Road alone. He observes that procedure dictates that before you drive away, you clear your parking fare with the ticket issuing officer who leaves a ticket held by the windscreen wiper before your steering wheel for you to see.

“Not all motorists clear their parking bills before they drive away. Some do and others do not. Those that do not oblige and drive away are recorded in the system as debtors or parking fees defaulters.

If you accumulate unpaid parking fees, your car is documented as wanted. There are motorists who accumulate unpaid receipts of more than Shs1m and above until their cars are clamped,” Okoth explains.

Okoth advises that before you buy a car, crosscheck with Multiplex Limited to find out if the car you intend to buy has any record of unpaid parking tickets however good the deal may seem. This is made easy because all vehicles issued with parking tickets have their number plates captured in the company system.

“Imagine buying a car at Shs8m and your car is clamped because it has accumulated unpaid parking tickets of Shs2m. How annoying would this be simply because the person from whom you bought the car did not open up,” Okoth stresses.

Performance of the car
If you do not have sufficient mechanical knowledge, Eric Amadi, a mechanic at Dalas Auto in Bunga recommends taking the car for a road test in company of a trusted mechanic. This can help test the safety system and braking efficiency of the car and its fuel consumption rate, among other aspects. You may also need to review the car ground clearance as a major factor due to the rough nature of some rough roads characterised with potholes.

“Some vehicles come with low fuel consumption rates. But because some motorists take them to garages and mechanics tamper with systems such as the exhaust, the car starts consuming a lot of fuel, it may be a problem they are struggling with and may not tell you. Having a road test at least for two days gives you a clue on how a car performs on and off road,” Amadi explains.

Service and maintenance records
Much as few Ugandan motorists keep car service and maintenance records, Amadi opines that it is equally paramount to find out where the car you intend to buy is serviced and what was actually serviced. This information helps you understand what you should expect and where to go in case of any other required garage visits.
“If the records available or your personal research shows that the car needs to be serviced at least once in three or four months or every time you make a long trip, it puts you in a better bargaining position for a better deal because this means that you will have to spend on every garage visit,” Amadi explains.

Traffic offences
Similarly, Charles Ssebambulidde, the spokesperson of the traffic directorate says not all vehicles on the road have clean traffic records. There are those, for instance, that commit grave traffic offences such as knocking dead and or injuring other road users especially pedestrians in hit and run accidents.
Other vehicles are used by wrong doers to commit crimes such as robberies, while others are involved in traffic offences such as disobedience of traffic laws and signs, especially speed limits and are declared wanted.
“Check with the traffic directorate and find out if the car you intend to buy is not in any way on the police wanted list. Sometimes their number plates are captured and owners keep or hide them off the road for some time and drive them after a long time when they think police has forgotten all about the offences committed,” Ssebambulidde explains.

Vehicle registration
From a legal perspective, Ivan Tumwebaze, a lawyer, observes that checking proof of ownership of the car you intend to buy from anyone should be priority. This stretches just beyond physical possession of the car but the paper work that accompanies it.
“If the car has been owned by a chain of other motorists, the current owner should have a chronology of names of previous owners. Vehicle registration may include checking on the car logbook and card to clarify if the car chassis and engine numbers corresponds with the one engraved on the car body and engine,” Tumwebaze advises.

“Sometimes the chassis or engine number on the car body may not correspond to the one on the logbook and you rush to pay yet you have invited problems your way,” he adds.

At the end of the day, when you are comfortable with these and other checks, all you need is value for your money, rather than the excitement that comes with owning a car. It may take time to verify but it works to your advantage.

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