Tips/advice for buying a second-hand car

Transportation, Travel and Trips
1
I am in the market for a second-hand car, preferably something with a bit of room in the back for a mountain bike / the dog / snowboards, etc. I'll probably be looking for something like a Berlingo or Kangoo.

I know absolutely nothing about cars, and therefore have no idea what questions I should be asking. In Australia, you could hire someone who would inspect a vehicle for you, and then they would give you a report on the current condition, what to expect in the medium-long term in terms of maintenance / replacement parts, etc. Does something like that exist here? Is that even necessary here if you buy from a business, or does it seem excessive?

I remember my sister buying a car many moons ago, and within weeks something catastrophic happened with it and the repair cost was practically the same as the purchase price, so maybe I'm a bit scarred from that experience.

Any advice is welcome, thanks!!

2

TCS (Touring Club Suisse) offers this service precisely aimed at the people buying used cars. https://www.tcs.ch/it/corsi-controll…-occasione.php

3
If you know absolutely nothing than IMHO, get a new car.

One good reason is the newest tech, like lane change assist.

4

I have no specific advice, but we recently purchased an electric Rifter from Peugoeut (which is the same as a Berlingo) and we LOVE it! We can throw our bikes in the back without even needing to take off the wheels or lower the saddles. It's not the most attractive car, but it is sooooo practical. I would never go back to owning a car where I had to try to squeeze everything into a small space by taking bike wheels off, removing saddles, etc.

5

How does this work in practice? You ask the seller / garage / dealer to allow you to take the car to a TCS checking point? Or does the dealer take the car? Do TCS come to the dealer?

These individuals who come and inspect a car for you exist not only in Australia but in other countries in the EU as well. I have not seen advertising themselves here in Switzerland though... are there any?

6
When you search on Autoscout - you can select cars with a “guarantee” form a car dealer. That way of anything happens in the first 6/12 months, they’ll fix it.

7

Buy a Dacia new for less than Fr 15k

8
Bought a used Audi once with 12M guarantee. Within the first month they had to replace the oil pan seal and the rear defroster. Then almost a year later still luckily under guarantee it took em a week to find an elictrical short. Then came the repairs out of guarantee that I failed to realize untill the MFK. But it had a nice sound system.

9
> When you search on Autoscout - you can select cars with a “guarantee” form a car dealer. That way of anything happens in the first 6/12 months, they’ll fix it.

This does not cover any consumables - brakes, tires, suspension etc...

10
Not always. Cheap warranty is generally only for engine and transmission.

If you want to have no risk, check an option like Gowago.ch, where you have the car for a fixed price as a subscription.

11
Thank you very much everyone, as always super helpful

12
As others have said, third party "warranties" are usually not worth the paper they are written on ! They have nothing in common or to do with a MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY !

Have you thought about leasing maybe with a zero residual value so the car at then end belongs to you ?

The cars you mention are good choices for you required uses, maybe look at Skoda too ?

Korean cars usually have 7 years manufacturers guarantee, free servicing, good level of equipment.

Electric or hybid car maybe ?

13
I love buying used cars on the Swiss market, because they have usually been well-looked-after, maintained to schedule, and kept in the garage. Also, because we're in the land of milk and honey, they often have every option available.

Apart from all the good advice offered by others about having cars inspected, I would say that if you stick to reasonably new cars that have a full service history, you shouldn't go too far wrong. Don't by the very cheapest you can buy - it's cheap for a reason. Go a year or two older but get the very best you can find.

It isn't scientific, but I've always found that a car that is in good shape cosmetically (no scratches, unmarked wheels with no parking dings, clean interior) is likely to indicate an owner who cared about his/her car and looked after it properly. If they looked after the paintwork, they also likely looked after the engine. I also won't buy a car with aftermarket parts -- I always look for something that's totally stock.

Ironically, it may be better to buy a more upmarket car - think an Audi or Merc - instead of a cheaper car like a Kangoo or Berlingo, as the cheaper ones are more likely to have been run on a budget. The Swiss that have deep pockets don't mind spending to do things properly, so they're less likely to have cut corners.

14
Look for signs of rust, especially on an old car.

Listen carefully to engine, preferably started cold, and then during all test drive.

Try every electronic features (lights, windows, radar, heating seats etc...)

Look for any kind of oil leaks, water coolant (white stains).

Test all gears, engine at all RPMs. See if it runs smoothly, and hold min RPM well. Test brakes. See if it drives straight, also when you slam the brakes (steering wheel should not rattle). Check the exhaust for any smoke.

Listen for suspension noise when turning (try to bump the car up and down when it's parked). Look for any rust on the pipes that go to the brakes. Look for cracks on the engine bottom cover (could be a crash, or just driving over a bump...). Take the VIN code and have it run at the brand garage, should be free, or online. Check that maintenance was done (at the garage with the VIN, and in the book). Look on internet for the model's flaws and see how that model is behaving. Also look for any orange/red warning lights on the dashboard.

Typical regular maintenance involves changing oil, oil filter, air filter, pollen filter. Less regular, higher expenses involve tyres, brakes, suspension, (also gearbox oil, brake fluid... not expensive). Larger expenses are transmission belt (if it's not a chain), water pump, etc but that tends to be >150k km (except on badly designed downsized engines).

15
Such advice to one who knows nothing is off the wall. By they way, never heard of any car having a transmission belt. What are you driving?

16
A CVT gearbox has a transmission belt. You can find them on, for example, EF's favorite Qashqai.

17

This may be helpful
https://www.euroncap.com/en/ratings-…wFitment=false

18
Haha, my parents' car, a Nissan Sentra, also has a CVT. First time I drove it was like......what the hell is this car doing? Engine noise is soooooo weird.

19
Will make it a point to stay clear of em in the future. Sounds like a poor persons automatic.

20
CVTs have been used for scooters for a long time. There were a few hiccups when CVTs were developed for cars but that was more than 10 years ago. Today, it's just another mainstream technology.