BUYER BEWARE
Tips on what to look for
It’s every used vehicle shoppers dream: a pristine seven- or eightyear-old vehicle, driven by the proverbial little old lady and it has less than 35,000 km on the odometer. While a low- mileage vehicle can be a great buy, there are some things to look for.
RUST NEVER SLEEPS
While lower-mileage vehicles may have less wear and tear on certain systems, both time and our famous climate will take their toll. Take the time to get down low and have a good look at common rust points. The lower inside edges of the doors, the rear of each wheel well, the leading edge of the hood, rocker panels, and the tops of the strut towers in the engine bay are good places to start. Pay attention to sub-frames, floor pans, steel oil pans, fuel tanks, steel brake and fuel lines, and exhaust systems. If you’re on a retailer’s lot that has a service department, don’t be shy about asking them to raise it on a hoist for a more comfortable inspection.
CHECK ALL RUBBER
Almost anything made of rubber (natural or synthetic) on a vehicle is subject to dry cracking with age. While a door or trunk seal isn’t going to cause much of a safety or function problem (other than a wind-noise or water leak), bad rubber suspension bushings can lead to tire wear and other serious problems. Any visible cracking on things like control arm bushings, steering gear or engine and transmission mounts, stabilizer bar bushings and the like will mean repair bills down the road. Flexible fuel and brake lines fall into this category, along with coolant hoses, oil-cooler lines, and various boots (tie rod ends, ball joints, and axle joints). A vehicle that has been garaged for most of its life may have few problems like this, but if it was parked outside, winter driven and over eight years old, you can count on having more than a few questionable rubbers.
SLUDGE AND WATER
If you’re looking at an older lowmileage vehicle, chances are pretty good it seldom saw long highway runs and its engine didn’t get fully warmed up every time it went out. This can lead to two of the worst things for engines: moisture contamination of the oil and oil sludge buildups. It’s hard to determine from a cursory look if an engine has had either of these conditions, but having a hot engine-oil flush done can be worthwhile in protecting yourself from major repair bills.
If you found your potential cream puff at a licensed and regulated auto retailer, most of this detective work you can leave to them. If they offer a certified used vehicle program, all the better. One additional ask that can be important for an older vehicle is a wheel alignment inspection. After sitting on its wheels for years, an older vehicle’s suspension system can settle and having the alignment verified will ensure long life on its tires.