Questions to ask when buying a used car

What is the single most useful question to ask?

"Who checked this car, against what list, and is that list published?" A dealer that checks its own cars can answer in one sentence; a dealer that buys at auction and puts cars straight out often cannot. Every ONECARS car is checked on 34 points by ONEFIX, our own workshop on the same site at Plas Acton, Wrexham, and the list is published at /how-we-check-our-cars so it can be read before anyone rings up.

The follow-up matters as much: was anything found at the check put right before the car was offered? At ONECARS a car with work outstanding is not handed to its buyer until ONEFIX has done it — that rule sits in the system, not in a salesperson's word.

What should you ask about the car's MOT history?

Ask for it, then check it yourself rather than taking a summary. Anyone can pull a vehicle's MOT history free on GOV.UK with the registration number: every test's result, the advisories and the failures, and the mileage recorded at each test. Advisories are the useful part, because they are the garage writing down what is wearing out before it fails.

Every ONECARS car page old enough to have been tested shows that history from the DVSA, test by test, with the mileage at each test, so there is nothing to request. Worth knowing for a younger car: in England and Wales a car needs its first MOT by the third anniversary of its registration, then every year — so a two-year-old car has no history to read, and the service record carries the weight instead.

What should you ask about the mileage?

Ask whether the mileage recorded at each MOT rises in a straight line. A jump, a dip or a long flat stretch is worth a question, and the MOT record on GOV.UK shows it without anyone having to be taken at their word. Compare the figures on the dashboard, the last MOT certificate and the service book.

What should you ask about paperwork?

Ask to see the V5C log book, the service record and any receipts for recent work. When a car changes hands the seller tells the DVLA and the new keeper gets a new V5C in the post, so the book handed over on the day is the seller's copy — the details on it should match the car in front of you.

What should you ask about tax and insurance before driving it home?

Ask when the car can legally be driven, because two things do not come with it. Vehicle tax does not transfer with a car: the new keeper has to tax it before it goes on a public road, which can be done straight away online using the V5C reference. And a car must be insured before it is driven on a public road, including the drive home. Neither is the dealer's job to do for you.

What should you ask about what happens after the sale?

Ask who fixes it if something goes wrong, and where. At ONECARS every car comes with a free three-month warranty on the engine and gearbox, up to 2,500 miles, with repairs done by ONEFIX on the same site, and longer paid cover is available — what it covers is set out at /guides/what-our-warranty-covers. After the sale, ONEFIX next door services, repairs and MOTs the car, so the workshop that checked it is the workshop that sees it again.

It is also worth asking what the law gives a buyer regardless of what any warranty says. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 says goods must be of satisfactory quality (s.9), and s.31 says a trader cannot exclude or restrict liability for goods being of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described — "sold as seen" does not remove those rights from a consumer buying from a dealer.

What should you ask about the price?

Ask what the advertised number becomes by the time it is paid. Admin fees, documentation fees and preparation fees are where a tidy figure grows. ONECARS charges no admin fee: the price shown is the price paid. If a part-exchange is part of it, /guides/part-exchange-explained sets out how that side works.

What should you ask about holding a car you are not ready to buy?

Ask whether a hold costs anything if it comes to nothing. A reservation holds an ONECARS car for fourteen days; within those fourteen days it can be cancelled for any reason and the fee is refunded in full, and if the buyer goes ahead it comes off the price. Ask any dealer the same question and listen for whether the word "refundable" is actually used.

What should you ask if you are buying without seeing the car?

Ask whether the sale counts as a distance sale, because that changes what the buyer can do afterwards. A car bought from ONECARS online and delivered is a distance sale: there are fourteen days from delivery to change your mind and return it. ONECARS delivers free within 20 miles of Plas Acton, Wrexham, on weekdays in hourly slots, with the car checked, valeted and fuelled before it leaves — the detail is at /delivery.

A checklist to take with you

• Who checked the car, on what list, and is the list published?
• Was anything found at the check put right before the car was offered?
• What does the MOT history on GOV.UK show — advisories as well as results?
• Does the recorded mileage rise in a straight line?
• Is the V5C log book here, and do its details match the car?
• Is there a service record, and does it match the mileage?
• What cover comes with the car, and who does the repairs?
• Is the advertised price the price paid, or are there fees on top?
• If the car is held, is the fee refundable?
• If it is delivered, is this a distance sale?

Where can you see this in practice?

On any car page, because the answers are printed rather than recited. Every ONECARS car page has the car's photographs, its full spec and its MOT history. The 2010 Volkswagen Polo 1.2 S 60 at £2,995 and the 2012 Mercedes-Benz E220 Executive SE CDI at £3,995 are two fair examples to read side by side.

The forecourt is at Plas Acton Garage, 282 Chester Road, Wrexham LL12 8DU, with a second forecourt at Ruyton near Shrewsbury; we are open Monday to Friday 9 to 5 and Saturday 10 to 4 for viewings by appointment. Browse the stock at /used-cars, read /guides/buying-a-used-car-in-wrexham next, or get hold of us on /contact.