Buying Guide · 03 Sep 2026 ·
Shree Ji Motors
How to Check a Used Car Before You Pay the Booking Amount
Ten checks you can do yourself in twenty minutes — before any money changes hands.
Most people inspect a used car for the wrong things. Paint scratches are cheap to fix; a mismatched panel gap is not.
Start with the paperwork. Ask for the RC, the insurance certificate and the service book, and check that the chassis number on the RC matches the one stamped on the car. If the seller cannot produce all three, stop there.
Next, walk around the car in daylight. Look along the body from the front corner towards the rear — waves in the reflection mean the panel has been filled. Open and close every door and check the gaps are even.
Open the bonnet with the engine cold. Look for oil around the head gasket, coolant crust around the radiator cap and any smell of burning. Start the engine and listen for the first fifteen seconds — that is when a tired engine gives itself away.
Check the tyre date codes. A car with 30,000 km on the odometer and four-year-old tyres with fresh tread has probably had the odometer rolled back.
Finally, drive it. Take it above 60 km/h on a straight road, brake hard once, and feel whether the car pulls to one side. Then find a speed breaker and listen to the suspension.
If all ten checks pass, ask for a written inspection report anyway. Any dealer who will not give you one is telling you something.
Start with the paperwork. Ask for the RC, the insurance certificate and the service book, and check that the chassis number on the RC matches the one stamped on the car. If the seller cannot produce all three, stop there.
Next, walk around the car in daylight. Look along the body from the front corner towards the rear — waves in the reflection mean the panel has been filled. Open and close every door and check the gaps are even.
Open the bonnet with the engine cold. Look for oil around the head gasket, coolant crust around the radiator cap and any smell of burning. Start the engine and listen for the first fifteen seconds — that is when a tired engine gives itself away.
Check the tyre date codes. A car with 30,000 km on the odometer and four-year-old tyres with fresh tread has probably had the odometer rolled back.
Finally, drive it. Take it above 60 km/h on a straight road, brake hard once, and feel whether the car pulls to one side. Then find a speed breaker and listen to the suspension.
If all ten checks pass, ask for a written inspection report anyway. Any dealer who will not give you one is telling you something.