When buying a brand new car you can feel confident that the car is safe and reliable as manufacturers today ensure that cars will be able to protect you against most of the threats you may find out there.

When buying a used car, you will need to ensure that you will be protected against all of the things that could go wrong on the road and that your car will be able to withstand all of the threats people face every day. When you take a car home from a dealership, the car should be in excellent condition, but no car will stay that way forever; you need to maintain it. S4 Used Cars can stress the importance of ensuring the safety of your vehicle which will give you peace of mind and could help you avoid some really dangerous situations.

Tyre Pressure And Ridges

Tyres are a vehicles only contact with the road and the importance of making sure that they are in good condition cannot be stressed enough. When buying a used car you should be sure to ask how long ago the tyres had been replaced and make sure that the ridges are deep and not smooth. Tyres are actually not very expensive to replace; if you think about the fact that the life expectancy of tyres adds up to 60 000km’s if you maintain them well.
Air pressure is another thing which many motorists tend to neglect, but when it comes to road safety this can make a big difference in your car’s performance.

Brakes

Having a good brake system can save your life and many of us tend to neglect our brakes and wait to hear the really bad screeching sound of metal against metal before we replace them. Just because you are driving a used car does not mean that you don’t have to have a maintenance plan or service plan. Driving a used car makes regular service and maintenance even more important.

Fluid Levels

When you don’t really know anything about a car, you might be shocked to find out how many things need the correct fluid levels to function properly.

At least once a month check your oil levels- this can be done at a service or gas station and if you check the cars manual you can even do this yourself.

Your wipers also need fluid in order for them to be able to work, and not having any left would mean that you would be in great risk when driving in a storm, unable to see the road ahead of you. Not having enough water in your car could lead to the car overheating and could cause serious engine damage.

While it may seem like a lot of effort to ensure the accurate fluid levels in your car it could save you a lot of money, and in some cases it could even save your live.

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When deciding to buy a used car from a private dealer and not from a dealership, you might be attracted to the fact that you could negotiate and get a better price or that you will find someone who’s desperate to sell as they need the money. While desperation from a seller could sometimes work to your advantage, it most likely could just as easily go in the opposite direction. Here are some pointers from S4 Used Cars which could help you spot whether you will be making a good or bad decision when purchasing a used car.

1. The advertisement sounds too good to be true

If you see that a really good car with a lot of appealing features is being advertised for a ridiculously low price, there is a very good chance that the owner is either hiding something, like the fact that the car was a write off, or that the advertisement is a scam and the seller will somehow try to make money out of you with you getting absolutely nothing in return. As the saying goes: if something seems too good to be true, it usually is.

2. The Car Has No Papers

Never buy a car that does not have registration documents. Chances are that the car was stolen and that you will be sitting with a lot of problems after buying it. If the seller of the car has nothing to hide, he would have applied for new papers and tried to do an honest sale.

3. Does The Mileage On The Car Match The Sellers Story?

When looking at a used car that you are planning to buy, ask as many questions as possible; ask why the person is selling the car, what they used the car for, when they bought the car and how many owners the car had before they bought it. If all of the answers to these questions don’t add up, you might want to reconsider buying the car. A lot of people are dishonest and will use illegal methods to make the mileage less on the car; the higher the mileage compared to the year the car was made, the more problems you will have with the car.

4. Are There Any Signs Of Accident Damage?

When looking for a car you will see that many people do state that the car they are selling has been in an accident, but usually they will state that the damage is minor. Off course no one will put the full extent of the damage in the advertisement, but will they tell you? Your best bet would be to just not take a chance. Take a mechanic with you when you go to look at cars, because a car could look great on the outside and have unbelievable damage on the inside.

5. Service And Maintenance Records

A car that has been well taken care of will have service records and the owner will be more than happy to show them to you. Make sure that you look at the dates on these records and that the car had been serviced recently; this way you can ensure that you will not have to spend a big amount of money on the car right after you bought it.

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Making a mistake when it comes to buying a second hand car will not only break your hopes and dreams for your future car, but will also cost you a lot of money. Buying a second hand car can be very risky when you buy it from a private source as you have no idea about the reputation or integrity of the seller. Buying a car form an established company, like S4 Used Cars, is a lot safer as you can hold the dealer accountable if something goes wrong, and you will feel more secure in the fact that dealers pride themselves on their reputations.

A Bad Experience

When it comes to making mistakes regarding second hand cars I seem to be an expert at making all of them at the same time. I learned a very expensive lesson when I sold my old car, saved up some money, and bought another one from two men. One of the men told me that his wife had been driving the car for eight years and I was very happy to find that the car had only 78 000 km’s on the clock, and the exterior was beautiful.  However, there were no service records and I ignorantly did not ask for any- my first mistake.
After buying the car I was ecstatic as I thought that I had made a very good decision, but I started to feel very uneasy after I opened the ashtray bucket and found a price sticker with my car’s details on it. The price on the sticker was 50% less than what I had just paid for it.

Another big blow came when I took the car for a routine service; the mechanic opened the hood and pointed out to me that the car had been in a very serious accident. While the car drove smoothly for the first few months it soon started to develop more and more problems and I in turn had to pay for them.

Who Takes The Blame?

Needless to say I had been conned; badly! Obviously the two men had bought the car when it was badly damaged form an accident and fixed it up just enough in order to sell it to some poor ignorant fool, who happened to be me. I have to admit that the blame does not solely lie with the two slime balls who sold me the car; if I had done my homework I would never have bought it. In the first place I was in a hurry to buy another car and had been looking at cars for two weeks when I finally found one that looked decent on the outside and fit my budget; big mistake! Needless to say, what’s under the hood of a car is a lot more important than the exterior.

I also failed to ask enough questions and took everything at face value. Independence is great, but when it comes to making a big investment like buying a car you should take people along who know what to look for and who will help you recognize all of the warning signs.

Lesson Learned

So what did I learn from this mistake? When buying a car do your homework, get an experts opinion and make the seller sign a contract that claims that the car is in a good condition. If it then turns out that you were conned, you will be able to lay a charge and to get compensated.

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People buy cars for different reasons, and whatever your reason may be for buying a car, you need to ensure that it will suit your needs. Many tend to be hasty when choosing a car, but if you take a while to assess your needs and to see what you expect of a new or used car you will greatly increase the chances of being satisfied with the purchase for a very long time. S4 Used Cars can stress the importance of need assessment when it comes to buying a used car.

Before starting your search for a used car, stop and think about the following:

1. What Will My Main Use Of The Car Be?

Are you buying a car for a child who just got their drivers licence? Are you expecting an addition to your family and need a family car? Did you get a new job that expects you to travel regularly? As you can see people have different reasons for buying cars, and those reasons will determine the type of car you will buy. When buying a used car you need to look at the history, mileage, features and safety in order to decide whether the car would be fit for the purpose it will have to serve.

2. How Much Am I Willing To Spend On The Car?

You will need to set a budget for yourself and will then look at vehicles that fit into that budget. If you are planning on buying a car cash then a private dealer will be an option, but if you will be buying a car on credit, you will have to ensure that you fit the credit criteria and that you will not be turned down by the bank.

Another thing to work into your budget when buying a used car is unexpected repairs. You will need to do a thorough assessment of the car after you bought it so you can ensure that you and your family will be safe when driving it.

3. How Long Am I Planning On Driving The Car?

If you are planning on buying a car that will stay in your family for a really long time then your main concern will be that the car is in excellent shape and that it is safe and affordable.

If you plan to sell the car shortly after buying it, or only plan to drive it while saving up for a new car, you need to look at how fast the value of the car decreases. Cars that do not easily lose their value are cars that are not costly to maintain, have affordable parts that are always easily available, and are popular and easily recognisable.

4. From Whom Would I Like To Purchase The Car?

Will you use a dealership or look for private advertisements? There are pros and cons to each choice and the major things to consider are how much time you have, your knowledge of cars and the risk involved.

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There’s nothing that compares to getting your driver’s license; the feeling of independence and finally entering the adult world. Some of us were lucky enough to get rewarded with a nice small second hand car after passing our drivers licenses and others worked hard to save up enough money for a cheap set of wheels. But whether the first car you drove was cheap or not it was the best ever! S4 Used Cars understands the meaning that a car has for many people; cars give us independence and security, they take us places and leave us with experiences.

The first thing most men think about when getting a promotion at work, is that they are one step closer to buying that amazing sports car they have been dreaming about since they were little boys.

Women on the other hand see their cars as accessories, and no matter how old or ugly your car may be, there is nothing that gets you as excited as to buy pink seat covers or strawberry flavoured fragrances for your set of wheels. Women seem to look for safety and convenience in a car and get very emotionally attached to them; they even name them.
The fact of the matter is that our cars form a big part of our life; we depend on them, take care of them and create memories in them. No one will ever forget the first time they were horribly let down by their car and got stuck on the side of the road; but the fact remains that no matter how mad you get at your car, you are always unbelievably relieved when you get it back from the mechanic, slide behind the wheel and blast music from the open window as you cruise down the road.

Saying Goodbye

I will never forget saying goodbye to my first car; my grandma passed it on to me after she bought a new one. As you can imagine it was pretty old and not too good looking, but the pride I felt when I saw it standing in the driveway and knew it was mine, was an unforgettable feeling.

Thanks to my new/old car I was able to get a really good job 30km from where I lived. While this was far to drive every day I did not even realise as I was so amazed at the fact that I could get to work and back all by myself. Yes my car did let me down sometimes, but never left me stuck on the side of the road; something which I am eternally grateful for.
While working I saved up some money and as luck would have it, I had to use that money to buy a new car after my old car’s engine decided to give out. Was I happy with my new car? Only after the first two weeks as I kept feeling sad for my old car; I cried for two hours straight after selling it to a dealership. Weird but understandable.

Cars mean a lot to us and form a great part of our life; whether your memories are of a great kiss on the backseat, a sad break-up, or taking home a newborn baby, your car helped to make that possible.

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We all have those moments in life where we seem to do something really stupid, and afterwards console ourselves by saying that we actually learned a really important lesson from our mistake; even though in some really rare cases this might be so, you should try to avoid having one of those moments when it comes to selling your car.
S4 Used Cars specializes in buying and selling cars and as experts in a field you tend to come across some really bad mistakes that people tend to make. Luckily we can all learn from those:

1. Do Not Sell Your Car As It Is

While some people pride themselves on being exceptional neat freaks, there are very few of those people in the world, and chances are that your car looks like mine; with paper, straws, take-out and jackets strewn all over it. Of course there is nothing wrong with using your car as a dressing room, but when you plan on selling it, you might want to make it look as if you used your car as a car only. Ensure an excellent presentation; spotless exterior, interior and air freshener.

2. Do Not Sell Your Car Without Checking The Market Price

Needless to say you will not be able to look at your car and guess exactly what the market price is unless you work as a car sales man. There is nothing worse than selling your car and then finding out afterwards that you could have sold it for a lot more. Do your research and ensure that you are selling at the right price.

3. Do Not Throw Away Service Records

Even though you may be a really honest person; about half of the other people in the world are not. This means that someone who comes to view your car will not just believe that you had faithfully serviced the car every year and that nothing is wrong with it; they actually would like to see it. Ensure that you keep a service record; people prefer black on white, saying “I swear” will unfortunately not convince them.

4. Do Not Sell Your Car To Friends And Family

Some people have no problem with standing firm on their asking price, but others waver quite extravagantly when it comes to friends and family. Off course you cannot ask your parents the full price you were planning on; they brought you into this world. And your best friend since fourth grade; he once gave you his play station.
Another thing to consider when selling your car to those close to you is that they will hold you personally responsible for every little thing that goes wrong with the car after they bought it. Might as well just give it to them- spare yourself the trouble!

5. Do Not Sell Your Car In Instalments

Unless you are selling your car to someone you see at least once a week like a fellow employer or family, it would be a very big mistake to sell your car to someone without immediately getting the full sum of money. If you do plan to go down this route you will need to ensure that you follow all of the legal requirements like a contract that stipulates what amount will be due exactly when each month.
For the sake of ease and safety: just sell your car for the full amount IMMEDIALTEY!

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Buying a used car does not mean that you need to buy a car that will cost you a lot of money to repair. When buying you need to be smart and look for cars that are cheap to maintain with easily attainable replacement parts. When buying a car form a dealership, be sure to ask them what the maintenance costs are and how easily you will be able to get parts when break downs occur. S4 Used Cars will be able to assist you when buying a used car and will point out to you whether you are making a good or bad choice when it comes to maintenance.

How Will I Know What The Maintenance Costs On My Car Will Be?

In order for you to answer this question you need to look at the cars that get manufactured within your country. If you buy a used car that only gets manufactured in for example China, you will most probably pay a very high price for replacements as they need to be flown in and it might also happen that the part you need is not available, which means that you will not be able to use your car until the part arrives.

Many people buy cheap cars and then think that they are making a good decision, but as soon as the maintenance plan is up they realise what the costs to repair are and decide to sell the car. That is the reason why you will see so many small used cars, manufactured in other countries, advertised at very low prices with very low kilometres.

Which Cars Are Low Maintenance?

In South Africa the best low maintenance cars are cars manufactured by:

Hyundai
Toyota
Audi
Honda
Volkswagen

Before buying a car you need to call service and repair centres and ask how much they would charge you for a service, major service or for specific repairs for that specific make of car. If the quotes don’t match your budget then do not buy the car! Even though the used car might come at a cheap price, it will cost you dearly when it comes to services and repairs.

What Other Things Do I need To Consider Regarding Maintenance?

1. Fuel: The bigger the engine of a car, the more fuel it will consume and the more you will pay. Also remember that taking your car for regular services to have the filters cleaned will help your car use less fuel.

2. Use reliable mechanics: When taking your car for a service or for a repair you might be tempted to take it to a cheap backyard mechanic but this could cost you dearly. Rather take your car to the manufacturer’s service station and then you can be sure that the people working on your car are trained and specialize in that specific make. You will also be able to take your car back or get refunded when something goes wrong.

3. Service and maintenance plans: This will help you to get things fixed as soon as something goes wrong or to spot problems which might have caused trouble in the future.

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There are a lot of factors to take into consideration before deciding whether you will either trade or sell your old car. Most people opt for selling their used cars when it’s time to buy a new one, but when it comes to one of the biggest investments you own, you need to make sure that you are making the most beneficial choice for you and your future. S4 Used Cars deals with trade-ins as well as the buying and selling of previously owned vehicles and can offer you the pros and cons of each choice.

Trade-ins

Most people decide to trade in their cars when they feel that their old car would make a good deposit on a new one. You simply have to drive your car to dealership where you are buying a new one and the trade can be made. The advantage of trading in a car is that the process is much simpler; you simply give the keys to the dealer and drive away with your new car. You also don’t have to worry about advertising your old car, service and repairs before selling, documentation and the presentation to potential buyers. When trading or selling your car to a dealership they will take care of all of the paperwork and you just need to sign. Trading definitely saves you time and leaves less to worry about.

On the other hand you might want to first look at the market price of your car and what you would be able to make if you sell it privately. If the difference between the trade in price and the selling price is too big then rather opt for selling. Off course you need to take into account the repairs you will have to do as well as advertising when selling your car privately.

Selling Your Car Privately

When you decide to sell your old car instead of trade it you will be getting a lump sum of cash in return. To some people this is a more attractive option as you might not want to buy a new car or you don’t want to put down a deposit on a new car.

Some things to consider are how much time you have on your hands as well as how much research you are willing to do. If you decide to sell your car privately you need to make sure that you will be able to sell it; if you are a push over then you most likely will not get the market price and will settle for much lower.
Selling privately has the benefit of negotiation to your advantage and if you are not in a hurry to sell, you can wait for the right offer to come your way.

In order for you to decide what the best option between trading or selling your car would be, you will have to weigh the trade in price against the selling price minus all of the costs for repairs, presentation advertising and your time.

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When it comes to sales it’s all about presentation, but with a car you can expect that whoever is interested in buying would take it for a test drive as well. In order for the sale to go as fast as possible, you need to ensure that your car will look and drive well enough so people won’t hesitate and think back to other cars they may have seen. When comparing your car to other cars in the same price class; yours should come first.
S4 Used Cars specializes in buying and selling cars and knows exactly what you need to do before putting your car in the market.

1. Ensure A Good Presentation

Make sure that your car is spotless before presenting it to potential buyers. Think about what you would like to see and smell when looking at or climbing into a car that you might buy. You would most probably want to know that the car had been driven and owned by someone who took excellent care of it.

Before selling you need to take your car to a valet or wash it yourself, but make sure that the interior, exterior and the wheels are shining. Air fresh the inside of your car as people will want to drive in a car that looks unused; seeing all of your gym clothes and cigarette butts lying around in the car will put them off immediately, while a fresh smell and spotless shine will make your car seem new and well taken care of.

Ensure that everything is in place inside of the car; the cigarette lighter should be in place and the boot should be clean and neat with a spare tire. People need to feel like they will be buying a car that is reliable safe and accessible.

2. Service

Unfortunately many people realize that they cannot afford maintaining and servicing a car after buying it and therefore sell it again just before a major service is due; if this is the case you need to be honest with the potential buyers so they can decide whether they will be able to afford it or not. You might want to make the selling price slightly lower than the market price to accommodate the buyers on the costs they will have to endure after buying the car.

If service costs are not the reason why you are selling your car then you need to take your car for a service before selling it. Make sure that the brakes feel strong and safe when stepping on them and that the potential buyers test-driving your car will feel very safe and at ease. There is nothing that will put you off of buying a car faster than a car that rattles and bangs.

3. Documentation

Ensure that all of the necessary papers are inside of the car like the license, registration and manual. If you had done any repairs before selling the car then leave the receipts for the repairs in the glove compartment so the new owners will be able to take the car back if they experience a problem with something that you had already paid to get fixed.

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