BUYING USED 4WDs – Expert tips to avoid a LEMON and get a BARGAIN

In the market for a 4WD? There's a lot of traps that you can fall into that could cost you a lot of money. We give you our top tips for what to do when inspecting a 4WD to ensure you get a bargain, not a lemon

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[dillydoopsta]

I been "selling" my patrol for the last year. Mrs thinks no one is interested and I gotta put the price down.
Truth is I've never advertised it lol.

[joshuathomas]

Firstly, you want to make sure it hasn't had a hard life ( for example make sure no one from 4WD action has owned it).

[nguont]

A definite red flag is when the ad says “regrettable sale” meaning whoever buys it will regret buying it.

[mickpower]

He forgot one major red flag. You know the thing has been flogged when it's got a 4in lift and 35's and the ad says "Mrs only used it to do the shopping and drop the kids at school, never been off road" 🤣

[WaitWhat]

My red flag is when they POST photos of it doing hard 4x4ing on the ad lol
Bonus points for a red P plate...

[lukefowler]

I normally just give the tyres a good kick

[Dylansventures_]

So bassicly follow these tips and you will eventually find yourself in a showroom haha.

[NoLimitTouge]

Another point is checking the sellers Instagram account for jumping 4wds 😁

[jamesc]

I bought a 1999 GU Patrol TD42 with 500, 000k's on the clock. 5 years later and I haven't spent a cent. What a change from owning a Land Rover, I always had a list of things to fix.

[mechanic]

As a 4x4 mechanic my number 1 tip is get the car inspected by a specialist of whatever brand you are looking at. 100 - 200 bucks upfront can save you thousands👍

[johnnumbat]

Mine is a good news story - bought a used and well looked after 2010 Hilux 4WD with excellent duco condition and internally looked after. The seller had good credibility and was very transparent about the vehicle’s history with all the service books. The price was very good for this popular vehicle and from visual and driving inspection I was confident of a good purchase. I’ve owned it for eight months now and ‘Heidi’ the Hilux is going in for a logbook service. Sleeping well at night with plans to go for an Alum canopy, dual battery etc setup next. Do your research and don’t be afraid to walk away if something doesn’t feel right - avoid car dealers like Covid. Good luck John in SA.

[Dorko]

If you buy a Defender, make sure it’s leaking oil. This way you know it has oil left 🤣

[aidantuckwell]

I have an 80s diesel hilux, it was my first car. 15 years later I still have it. It has high kms, rust, replaced and repainted areas from crashes, etc, etc, etc. But still is sought after and running strong. Its silly how much its now worth!

[kenharris]

When buying a used car check the dashboard lights before you buy. Firstly get on the net and find pictures of the exact model car of the dashboard lights, there are plenty of pictures, but it must be the model you are interested in, take a screenshot of the page and print it out. If you are searching on your phone store the photo of the dash, so you can access it when you look at the car. Sit in the driver's seat, then turn the ignition on, don't start the motor, now look at the dash lights on the car, then look at your picture, if the number of lights don't correspond, this means there are missing lights on the dash, it may be that the sensor has been disconnected or the part is defective. This especially means the check engine light or other safety critical lights.

[Splagnate]

I was lucky! Bought my 4x4 from an elderly man who bought from a more elderly man so was in great shape!

[careymahoney]

I only buy 4WD's from grey nomads who give a blank look when I ask if they used low range often...

[liamgibbens]

Its all hit and miss. My patrol I was told will be a lemon. Had minor issues. Turned out to be cheap to sort and didn't have any problems till I started to thrash it. I've bought cars I've had mechanics check over and give the okay that die a month later. I've got a mate that bought a car not a scratch on it. No leaks nothing. And that's been problems since day one. Second hand is really luck of the draw. Alot of stuff can be hidden with additives.

[motorfiendz]

pffft! nothing beats the adventure of buying sight unseen over the internet and then the long drive back across country.

[MjS-zbjr]

Another tip, always take a magnet with you to look at a vehicle.
If a magnet won't stick to the under side of the body and the chassis, there is either rust (may stick to rust but significantly less than good solid metal) that was covered or a repair using body filler.

[oscarmollenhauer]

We recently went to check out a second hand 4x4. It seemed like a bargain, because the whole thing was in great condition like new. Lucky you told us to check every gear, because in low range, this vechile would go along for about 10metres the clunk and haunt to a stop.