If you are buying a used car, follow these rules and you’ll have everything covered:

•Decide how much you can afford

Before buying a used car decide how much you can afford. Include the cost of insurance, tax, ownership transfer, petrol, repairs and servicing. Remember that older prestige and sports cars may look cheaper to buy, but maintenance, repair, insurance and fuel costs may be a lot higher. Ask dealers for estimates of repairs to get an idea. Don’t rush into a decision — shop around, and compare prices.

•View the car in clear daylight

Dark or wet conditions will easily hide a car’s faults. Take a friend or relative as a second opinion. Do not arrange a seller at a service station or lay-by, you need a place where you can safely make a thorough inspection. Don’t let the seller bring the car to you: you want to see where he or she is based and get a better idea of the trustworthiness. Why would they not want you to come to them? In the case of private sellers, check that the seller’s address is the same as that recorded in the logbook and seek additional reassurance.

•Check all documentation

Make sure all the documentation you would expect to find is available. This will normally include the registration document or blue book, service and insurance records, and receipts for repairs, maintenance, as well as receipt or invoice that shows that the seller owns the car.

•Thorough checking

Does the seller have all the documents he should? Do all the details tie up? Then make sure everything tallies: check engine and chassis numbers, registrations, dates, names and addresses and any other details you can cross check. Also investigate the keys. Are they all there? Are there too many? Does the driver’s door or boot need a different key? These clues may point to prior damage or theft, though they may seem a perfectly innocent.

•Independent inspection must

An expert involved in the reconditioned business will help to identify mechanical problems and spot signs of major accident repair. The result will provide the basis for deciding whether to buy it or not and also help you negotiate price. If the seller won’t allow an inspection, that tells you something too.

•Has it had a major repair?

Given that the global figures there are about 24 million cars on the road, this means we all have a 1 in 5 chance that our car will be accident damaged in any one year. An expert check will tell you if a vehicle has been badly damaged or not.

•Note details from registration document

While invoice is not proof of ownership, you must have a blue book. You can contact the previous keeper to confirm the car’s history. Also, do a bit of detective work. What do the dates and mileages tell you about the car’s past life?

•Look for signs of ‘clocking’

Reducing the mileage of a vehicle by turning back the odometer, or ‘clocking’, is a common trick. An expert check can help detect known discrepancies. Examine steering wheels, gearshift and seats for excessive wear, and look outside for stone chips.

•Take a test drive

Make sure that you test drive the car on a range of roads for a drive of at least 10-15 miles. Check that the car is licensed and has blue book certificate, and check that you are properly insured before you drive on the road. Look and listen carefully for rattles, creaks and banging noises. Watch for smoky start-ups (especially blue smoke), and unusual noises. Pay special attention to the steering, and check for wandering and pulling under braking.

•Follow your head, not your heart

If we’re honest, many of us start to get emotionally attached to cars even before we’ve seen them. Don’t let the paintwork or the price blind you to aspects of a car that don’t add up.