Pitfalls Of Purchasing A Secondhand Vehicle

[thaireddevil]

Hello All,

i would like to purchase a secondhand vehicle and would appreciate any information that can be given and also a guide through the process pointing out potential pitfalls, apart from the obvious.

Regards

[PattayaParent]

Check that the engine and chassis numbers are the same as on the blue book.

[gotlost]

No Blue Book No Buy.

[nullx8]

PattayaParent is correct.

there is a institution like Tuev in germany or in other countrys .. but they VERY Serious about this 2 numbers only.

you get trough an inspection with basically any fault .. but if the numbers not match you can get some serious trouble.

another thing you need to be aware that most thai garages are quite good in repairing accidents ... so it may be hard to see if the car has or hasn't an accident.

a well connected insurance broker can backcheck claims based on chassis number for a small fee.

all the rest is technicals .. just like in every country.

i can help you seeing the car if you need assistance.

for prices .. check out one2car.com ... to get a range of the cars and what they normally cost .. to avoid be charged Farang-prices.

Edited August 8, 2010 by altf4

[liveinlos]

There is no magic bullet for purchasing a second hand car in Thailand.

1. If there is a way to rip you off, it will happen in Thailand used cars

2. Good used cars worth their salt are almost as expensive as new cars

3. Blue book a must

4. There is no inspection system in Thailand so Caveat Emptor "Buyer Beware"

5. If you are not a mechanic and have never been around cars, it is too late for you to learn the 100's of things used car dealers can do to scam you

6. Appearance of the car is not everything, it is in fact the easiest to upkeep, so just because the outside looks brand new means nothing

7. There are some really cheap new cars you might want to consider instead of a used car

Any idea of your budget? That could really determine what kind of clunker you will get and how much effort a professional mechanic would have to expend to do a thorough inspection

Most of the used cars I have ever looked at seem to have extremely high mileage as well, meaning component failure is not far off

Good luck

[thaireddevil]

Thank you all for your for your reply's and input, i knew about the Blue book, but had forgotten about checking the chassis and engine number with the book itself.

Many thanks to you all..............

[soundman]

Moved to motoring forum.

[Bobr]

Visit a few body shops and see some of the mangled pieces of metal they have stripped down to the frame for eventual rebuild and sale as a used car. These are cars that would never be fixed at home because fo the labor costs and the fact they would have to be registered as "salvaged." The body shops restore these wrecks as a side business.

Liveinos pretty well nailed it, used cars here are absolutely no bargain and carry substantial risks. Buy new if you possibly can.

Edited August 8, 2010 by Bobr

[craigt3365]

Visit a few body shops and see some of the mangled pieces of metal they have stripped down to the frame for eventual rebuild and sale as a used car. These are cars that would never be fixed at home because fo the labor costs and the fact they would have to be registered as "salvaged." The body shops restore these wrecks as a side business.

Liveinos pretty well nailed it, used cars here are absolutely no bargain and carry substantial risks. Buy new if you possibly can.

I remember a thread several months ago about a guy who visited a body shop...saw 2 cars being welded together and then was to be sold as a used car. There are absolutely no laws to protect you here. I bought one in the US from a very reputable dealer and it was a piece of S***. Didn't know it until several months later when it started leaking oil from many locations....

In the end, we bought a new car here...resale is great also....

[steelepulse]

I just picked up a used car after looking for quite a few months. I ended up sending 4 cars over this period of time to get tested at a shop that uses a computer program to check a number of things, as well as having a team of 4 or 5 staff look the car over thoroughly. After the inspection you are presented with a list of all problems found, whether the car's chassis is OK etc. The service was done at a shop called Ltestcar and I believe they are a forum sponsor in the classified section here at TV.

If the tents or private seller wouldn't allow the car to get tested, I crossed them off the list of potential vehicles as there was probably something to hide.

[nullx8]

test car cost alot ! i think somethings about 7k so far as i know ..

well okay .. in the end ist still cheaper than having trouble all day.

anyway .. i think buying a used car is just the same difficult/easy as it is someplace else.

i bought a Mazda 3 before .. and i had some troubles .. there where no problem getting things fixed up at all.

there are black sheeps everywhere of course .. and things are in thailand alot more flexible as they are in other places too.

but in the end .. its just trade

as long it rolls ....

the only problem is that there is no instance where owners forced to have the car's checked .. and the rest price is rather high as well.

but besides all this .. and with someone know abit where to look .. it should not be a big issue.

[stingray]

test car cost alot ! i think somethings about 7k so far as i know ..

well okay .. in the end ist still cheaper than having trouble all day.

anyway .. i think buying a used car is just the same difficult/easy as it is someplace else.

i bought a Mazda 3 before .. and i had some troubles .. there where no problem getting things fixed up at all.

there are black sheeps everywhere of course .. and things are in thailand alot more flexible as they are in other places too.

but in the end .. its just trade

as long it rolls ....

the only problem is that there is no instance where owners forced to have the car's checked .. and the rest price is rather high as well.

but besides all this .. and with someone know abit where to look .. it should not be a big issue.

Peaple forget sometimes, that a 15 year old BMW, for example cost less than 10% of a new one. So, even you have to spend another 50'k to make it perfect (which is unusual), it still cheap. A new car? What can you get for a decent ampount? A Vios, City or March? Not everyones taste. I prefere to drive a 15 year old Bmer, Benz, Volvo, or even a VW, than a new Vios! Suspension on European cars are much better and stiffer, than local cars.

Testcar? BKK, maybe (if no traffic). No dealer or private inviduals in Pattaya, Phuket or Chiang Mai would drive with customer to testcar. Have to be realistic.

Edited August 9, 2010 by stingray

[aussiebebe]

Hi Stingray, I agree with you that European cars would ideally be preferable to any number of modern Japanese cars, but the vehicle's history can sometimes be unclear or incomplete and and repair costs can be horrific. The OP 'thaireddevil' doesn't mention where he's based, but a report from Test Car company (on Srinakarin road) that others have mentioned would help point out all the pitfalls - I don't know of anything else. The tests start at around 4k and they don't tell you whether you should buy or not, they only test and give you a report.

Based on my experience of buying a second-hand Toyota, when I first came to Thailand, is that second-hand dealers in Thailand operate how dealers in the West would if there were no laws back home. Without remorse. You can't believe; they'll use fake parts, respray the bodywork, do cheap repairs, anything and everything possible to make profit at the expense of customer safety. I hear what Stingray's saying about cheap Jap cars, but I'd suggest buying from a dealer-based network like 'Toyota Sure' or 'Chevy OK' etc. And even then you've got to be cynical when you see a two year old Camry with 80,000km on the clock and think 'Did the owner really do 8 oil changes in 2 years.....I think not.....'

[Thaihog]

Thank you all for your for your reply's and input, i knew about the Blue book, but had forgotten about checking the chassis and engine number with the book itself.

Many thanks to you all..............

Meet the owner of the car at the Govt. License office. The chassis and engine ID have to be verified, before the Blue Book can be changed to the new owner. If the paperwork checks out, then you can part with the cash.

[Mercury]

If you know a westerner who has taken care of his car since new then it might be a reasonable purchase but because of the scarcity, a decent second hand car, it should command a premium price, which can make buying new a sensible alternative.

In the west, you can buy a well maintained 3 year old car for 33% to 50% of its original price and you can be reasonably well assured, if you pick the right car, that it will keep going for a number of years to come. However, the same is not true in Thailand as from new, many people will not even spend 1000 baht on changing the oil, they will never take care of it, never adhere to the service schedule as their mate can fill it in for them and they will still want top dollar when it comes to selling it.

I made the decision long ago to just buy new. If you know cars then perhaps you can buy second hand but most people don't as they have skills in other areas.

[Milo]

If you know a westerner who has taken care of his car since new then it might be a reasonable purchase but because of the scarcity, a decent second hand car, it should command a premium price, which can make buying new a sensible alternative.

In the west, you can buy a well maintained 3 year old car for 33% to 50% of its original price and you can be reasonably well assured, if you pick the right car, that it will keep going for a number of years to come. However, the same is not true in Thailand as from new, many people will not even spend 1000 baht on changing the oil, they will never take care of it, never adhere to the service schedule as their mate can fill it in for them and they will still want top dollar when it comes to selling it.

I made the decision long ago to just buy new. If you know cars then perhaps you can buy second hand but most people don't as they have skills in other areas.

Agreed, the difference between 2nd hand & new prices are too small to even consider used. Many very valid points about what they'll consider putting back on the road here too. I never trusted used car salesmen back in the west...here...???

Had my pickup from new for 9yrs now, main dealer service every time, 10,000Km, regular as clockwork, over 250,000Km on the clock now. A/C broke down once but otherwise not a single problem. In that time I've seen Thai friends buy new, change them after 18months because they're unreliable, knocking like hel_l and smoking like a trooper. They just don't have the first clue about driving, mechanical sympathy or basic maintenance. Which idiot told them all to use low revs and strain the hel_l out of the bottom end? Mine's going in for a blow-over paint job next month to cover the sun-fading. I'm fully expecting another 5yrs and at least 150,000Km more out of it on THIS engine/box/running gear!

Once a month from Udorn thani-Chiang mai and surrounding area/return. 7hrs is a good run, 7.5 a slow one, 8hrs with 5bikes & trailer. 680Km run on the back roads, so you can't accuse me of hanging around mollycoddling her either!!

Buy new, you won't regret it in the long run (unless you put it in the missus' name ), plenty of good finance deals out there too.

Edited August 15, 2010 by Milo

[stingray]

It's not always this way. Yes, for the normal City, Vios. Jazz, it's better if you buy new, instead of a 3 year old used one. Locals buy used, because the down payment is muchn lower, than on a new one. Anyway, that's one thing. But if you want a midsize car ,like Series 5 Memer or some Merc or even a VW, than you have not much choice. For example a 15 year old Bemer cost approtx 3++'+++Baht in a good condition. But not everyone can aoffrd 4 Mill for a now Bemer or Benz or 2 Mill for a VW. And in my opinion a 15 year old Bemer drives still drives much better than a new City or Vios.

[steelepulse]

It's not always this way. Yes, for the normal City, Vios. Jazz, it's better if you buy new, instead of a 3 year old used one. Locals buy used, because the down payment is muchn lower, than on a new one. Anyway, that's one thing. But if you want a midsize car ,like Series 5 Memer or some Merc or even a VW, than you have not much choice. For example a 15 year old Bemer cost approtx 3++'+++Baht in a good condition. But not everyone can aoffrd 4 Mill for a now Bemer or Benz or 2 Mill for a VW. And in my opinion a 15 year old Bemer drives still drives much better than a new City or Vios.

I agree so that's why I picked up a 5 series e39 instead of a new accord or camry. I'll take some additional repairs for a car I enjoy driving and still have some cash left over.

[junkofdavid2]

I bought a 14 year-old Toyota Camry 1 and a half years ago and was super LUCKY... has no major problems until now; just the usual maintenance like battery replacement, etc.

I first inspected it myself using a "used car checklist" I downloaded from an auto website, and after it passed my initial test, I had it inspected by Testcar's much cheaper (albeit not as thorough) competitor known as Cartrust for only 2,000 baht.

No need to take the car out to their shop, they just send 2 mechanics on a motorbike equipped with car testing equipment. (Like I said, not as complete check as Testcar, but good enough for me).

Their website:

http://www.cartrust.net/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1〈=en

I'm not connected to them in any way, and have never talked to them in the 1 and a half years since (never had to! )

[Shipwreck]

I agree so that's why I picked up a 5 series e39 instead of a new accord or camry. I'll take some additional repairs for a car I enjoy driving and still have some cash left over.

You say that you took 4 cars in for inspection before deciding on that particular e39?

What are some examples of what the testing company found that turned you off from those sales?

Do they make a recommendation of purchase, or just lay out the facts of what they found?

Thanks

[rotary]

Depending on what type vehicle(pick ups have better resale than cars) you might be better off with a new vehicle. If you do finance new vehicles draw a lower interest rate in many cases. If buying a car you might be better off with used but lots of pit falls such as the other guys told u about such as totaled rebuilds.

In the USA you can use CAR FAX and get an idea of what the vehicle history is....here you have to believe Khun Dang or Khun Turdsuck....lol