The used car market is increasingly vibrant thanks to the attractive price compared to new cars. However, according to a car repair technician at Ninety Eight Auto (Cat Lai ward, Ho Chi Minh City), the initial purchase price is not the entire amount of money users have to spend.
Many cars have a beautiful appearance, new paint, smooth operation but still have potential internal damages, causing car owners to incur large repair costs after receiving the car.
One of the most difficult items to evaluate is the engine and gearbox. These are high-value parts but with many damages that cannot be detected just by test driving or external observation.
Even if the body, chassis and paint meet the requirements, the car may still have errors in electronic control boxes such as the engine control unit (ECU), gearbox control unit (TCM) or other control modules.
Buyers should take the car to a reputable factory for inspection using specialized diagnostic equipment. Bug scanning helps detect error codes stored in the system, but still needs to combine test driving, actual inspection and monitoring of vehicle operating parameters, because some errors may have been removed before the car is put up for sale.
In addition to the engine and gearbox, the suspension system, steering and braking systems are also items that are easily overlooked. To make an accurate assessment, the car needs to be lifted to the bridge to check the rotor, A-frame rubber, shock absorbers, steering ruler, semi-axle and undercarriage joints.
These are all depreciated details over time but difficult to recognize with the naked eye. If many details are degraded, the cost of replacement and adjustment can be up to tens of millions of VND, especially for imported or luxury car models.
Shock absorbers also need to be carefully checked. Many cars still use original shock absorbers, but the shock reduction efficiency has decreased after a long period of operation.
Meanwhile, vehicles using restored shock absorbers or replacement shock absorbers of unknown origin need to be carefully checked. The quality of these types of shock absorbers depends on components and repair procedures, so they may not achieve the durability and operating efficiency of genuine new shock absorbers.
Even if the car does not have major damage, technicians still recommend overall maintenance after purchase, including engine oil replacement, checking and changing gearbox oil if necessary, changing coolant water, brake oil, cleaning the air conditioning system, changing air conditioner filters if necessary, changing other types of filters and comprehensively reviewing consumption details. This expense helps users understand the car's condition and limit risks during use.
In addition to technical factors, buyers also need to complete legal procedures before transferring ownership, and at the same time agree on handling remote fines or outstanding obligations to avoid disputes.
Therefore, instead of only paying attention to appearance or selling price, buyers should invest in comprehensive technical inspection at reputable facilities. Initial inspection costs are not high but can help avoid repair bills up to tens, even hundreds of millions of VND after buying a car.
