Here's How to Inspect a Used car in 5 Minutes

Here’s some quick tips you can use to inspect a used car without any special tools or knowledge. These pointers will allow you to quickly assess if a vehicle is even worth pursuing before asking the seller for the paperwork, taking the vehicle on a test drive, or even performing a thorough mechanical inspection on it.

Start by walking around the vehicle by taking a look for any obvious signs of damage, dents, rust or accident repair. Next, examine the interior of the vehicle and take note of its general condition - any smells, stains, cleanliness. Generally a vehicle that was kept in good condition would have been properly maintained under the hood.

Secondly, pay attention to the tires and brakes. Expensive tires with decent thread (like Michelin brand name) mean that someone's spent good money on the car. Check the brake rotor for any rust and the pad thickness if it can be easily viewed through the wheel spokes.

Next, take a look under the vehicle, noting for anything that's out of place, undercarriage rust, or leaks. Under the hood, look for any obvious leaks, repairs, or abnormal aftermarket components, as well as the age of the battery and fluid conditions. Listen to the engine to make sure it sounds normal.

Finally, its worth investing in a small OBDII reader to scan codes and make sure there aren't any stored error codes. Check the trunk for the spare tire. Any original accessories (floor mats, hood deflector, owner manual, extra keys, etc) that came with the vehicle are always bonuses and show that someone's cared for the car when those were bought and they didn't skimp out.

Once you've determined that this vehicle is worth pursuing, then make sure to perform a serious used car inspection. You can follow the six-part video series for tips outlined here:

The Bluedriver bluetooth OBDII scanner can be purchased here:

This is the Camera I use:

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[tylerc]

First thing I do is get under the car and look for any questionable rust/leaks. Second pop the hood, check oil, transmission fluid if not sealed, then radiator. Make sure tires aren't cracking, brakes are a easy fix but always look for rust. This guy's spot on. Always start the car when it's cold to see if any lifter ticks or VVT rattles are present.

[JohnSmith-mkhz]

Good info. It's also a good idea these days to make sure the Vin number matches what's on the title.

[test]

Excellent tip on smell. On a recent hunt for a used car, I passed over one that smelled moldy but looks good otherwise.

[abhishay]

Turns on the radio,
The radio: a little bit of bad news 😂

[jt]

Lot of scammers now in the used car market. Never buy a rebuilt, check for rolled back odometer or they have switch the speedo for a lower miles one. Uni body vehicles can never be squared after a major accident, that is why they are written off.
Check for excessive wear on brake pedal, steering wheel (often covered) and driver seat that does not match to the miles or klms.
Another great video,

Good LUCK TO ALL !

[seanguy]

Taking off the oil cap to see if there is any varnish or sludge is a good tip as well

[VKSgtSLaughter]

OTHER TIPS...
ENGINE: Before you start the engine, check the oil level. If its low or smells burnt, that can be a sign of a worn-out engine.

Check the oil fill cap for foamy oil residue, which is a sign of coolant getting into the oil, caused by a head gasket leak.

Wipe your finger in the exhaust pipe. If there's a little soot it's Ok, but if it's a lot of soot and/or is oily, the car is burning oil.

If you can remove a spark plug, check to see if it's black, burnt, or oily. If so, this is a sign of the engine wearing out.

Remove the radiator cap and check for low coolant and look for an oily film, which is a sign of a head gasket leak.

TRANSMISSION: Check the fluid levels and smell the fluid. If it's low there's a leak and if it smells burnt, the transmission is wearing out.

With the engine running and your foot on the brake shift the transmission from drive to reverse and listen for a clunk. That can be a sign of bad transmission mounts or the transmission itself is worn out.

SUSPENSION: Push down on each corner of the car (one at a time) and try to get it to bounce. If it bounces more than twice the shocks are wearing out. Also listen for clunks, which can be a sign of worn out suspension components.

AC: Pull out the cabin air filter and examine it for mold and musty odors, which can be as sign of a clogged evaporator, drain, or bad AC unit.

TIE RODS & BEARINGS: Jack up the car so the front wheels are off the ground. Grab the front tire at 9 and 3 and push and pull on each side. If there's a clunk the tie rod is worn. Grab the tire at 12 and 6 and push and pull. If there's a clunk the wheel bearing may be bad.

Is a bunch more but this is all I could fit.
Good video 👍

[eamonnmcdermott]

If you were examining a German competitor of a similar age there would undoubtedly be a long list of issues. You just can't beat the Japanese and especially Lexus for reliability!

[Henry_Jones]

For rebuilt titles I think they can be safe if you know what youre getting and you have a mechanic inspect it. I purchased an 01 grand marquis from a guy whos business is rebuilding and reselling ford panther cars. He had been around a long time, he wasnt one of these fly by night auction dealerships so I thought he was a safe bet and I was right. It insected good and I got 7 reliable years out of it.

I did find an empty whisky bottle under the passenger seat though lol

[Henry_Jones]

Heres a tip, dont fall in love with a car before you buy it. Thats what I did when I was dead set on a gen 3 Honda Prelude Si and I purchased the fist one I came accross and thought it just needed a clutch. It was infested with electeical gremlins and I got rid of it in less than a year. Live and learn.

[poprawa]

I like to squeeze on big coolant hose. It is possible to examine air pockets and broken coolant cap in seconds. Broken coolant cap on Japanese cars is really good way to overheat engine :>

[garyjust.johnson]

You wield that toothbrush like a magician with a magic wand!

[mohandeventhiran]

Thanks for making these videos. Simple, to the point and some subtle fun. I’ll have a used toothbrush with me next time. :)

[Bluelightbandit]

03:52 Sounds like and reminds me of my late grandmother's Singer sewing machine.

[MattJonesYT]

You can check for a blown head gasket by seeing if there's water in the oil by burning a bit of it in a spoon and watching for sputtering or steam. Schrodingers Box showed that it actually works about as well as doing a block test.

[ravipeiris]

At over 277, 000 miles, this Lexus is amazing.

[Tggfdbhfbb]

Hoping to become a mechanic someday, i see myself coming back to your videos often

[coalbuster]

Thanks for the tips. Another thing is to measure distance from tire to wheel well edge on both sides. If not equal, frame bent from accident. You can use the ruler on your smart phone or even your fingers.

[Mike_]

Love your videos and that tooth brush!!
Greetings from South FL

[ChileExpatFamily]

I love you always have your tooth brush pointer! Unique.. Ciao from Chile. Jim