Common Repair Problems You Will Run Into With Your First (Cheap) Used Car

If you've decided that you are ready to get your first used car, or perhaps you're helping your teenager purchase their first used vehicle, then it is important that you understand the areas that will commonly need repairs. Here are some things to keep in mind.

Brakes, Brakes, Brakes

This is the first area that people need to look at. It is best to have a car checked out by a mechanic, but if you are buying your car on the private market (person-to-person), you might not have access to a mechanic like you would if you purchase from a dealer. You can test the brakes during a test drive, but it's not easy to jack a car up, take the wheels off and inspect the brakes. If the car brakes without delay while you are driving and press down on the brake, then the pads are probably still in reasonable condition. This is good, but you shouldn't forget about it and drive off into the sunset.

Head to a mechanic and have the brakes checked. You want to make sure the brake pads are in good shape. It might be wise to get them replaced once you get the car unless the prior owner had recently installed new ones. More importantly, you want to have the brake rotors checked out. If they are worn down, it's a signal that the car was driven after pads wore away. This can warp the brake pads. You might want to have the surface of the brake rotors resurfaced. The reason you should do this is so the brake pads sit on an even surface. Otherwise, you might need to replace pads more frequently than you otherwise would due to improper wear.

Suspension Test (The Bumper Bump)

When you're looking at the used car, do a bumper bump. This is a test where you press down on the bumper and see if the car moves up and down. If it does, then the suspension is shot. The shocks or struts are damaged and no longer function. This is a problem that can be very expensive. If the car was driven without struts or shocks for a long time, then the frame might have been warped.

If the car passes the bumper test, it still doesn't mean you are in the clear. All it means is that the shocks or struts are not shot. They might be on their last legs. So, once you purchase the car, take it to the mechanic and have them inspect the struts or shocks. This is not something you can do yourself. These devices are under incredible compression and tension, so special tools and safety procedures are required in order to access them and look at them.

For more information, contact Advanced Auto Care or a similar location.

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