By Theodore Opara

Second hand vehicle buyers always look forward to acquiring vehicles that will give them value for money. Since they cannot afford to pay the huge price for brand new cars, they always look for vehicles that would be easy to maintain, durable, reliable, with array of comfort features and attractive to the eyes. Most used cars, come with some challenges as most owners sell them due to one problem or the other. Often times, some of these cars have seen more than one decade and it is usually left to the buyers to fix them to their taste.

Some of the problems could be engine, gear box, engine cooling system, air-condition related problems. The unsuspecting buyer could be unlucky if the car has more than one of this listed faults. Then he should be sure that he would be having regular visits to the mechanic workshop. Most buyers in Nigeria today are getting wisers as they  would insist on scanning and diagnosing the used cars  before putting down their hard earned money.

Often times, the vehicles are accidented from their original owners, which might affect the chassis. This cannot easily be detected except an experienced mechanic has to look at it. In some cases, the vehicles could be victims of flood where they are coming from in Europe, America and Japan where water could have entered the engine and caused severe damages. Have you thought about some cars whose steering wheel have been converted from right to left to suit our left drive system in Nigeria?

Automobile technician

In most cases, the conversion is poorly carried out using wrong and inferior kits, thereby exposing the owner to unforseen dangers. What about people who bring cars in bits and pieces and re-assemble them while wielding the chassis. This is another dangerous trend that is common among importers.

So, caution should be applied while buying used cars, preferably with an experienced and honest automobile technician who can carry out necessary checks on the car. Some people are easily carried away by the look of the car they want to buy. They consider the cleanliness of the car and the beauty of the interior and exterior designs. I have seen people laying emphasis on the colour of the used car they want to buy.

But the question I always ask is, what if the colour you like does not have good engine or has faulty gearbox or has been accidented? So colour should not be the major consideration but the state of the engine, transmission, shocks, rust-free cooling system, among others.

Having said this, my advise is that when buying used car, avoid one-in-town cars. If you are the only one using the car, bear in mind that you are using the wrong car because it would be difficult to source the parts. Buy cars that you can always source the spare parts no matter where you find yourself in the country. Cars that are commonly seen on the road should be your best bet. People sometimes describe such cars as “pure water”. But don’t forget that pure water would always quench your thirst.

Let me conclude by telling you this encounter with a colleague of mine who wanted me to get him a used car. He told me his budget, and I knew what that could buy was a good Volkswagen Golf. But he insisted on buying a large sedan with the budget and ended up buying a Ford Scorpio. This was years back. But he spent more time with his mechanic rather than enjoying his car.