Cars

Buying tips

Buying tips

Car Buying Tips (Australia)

A beginner-friendly checklist for inspecting and test-driving a car before you buy. Print it or open it on your phone and tick things off as you go.

Before You Inspect the Car

These steps protect you from buying a stolen, written-off, or finance-encumbered car.

Run a PPSR check (Personal Property Securities Register) — costs about $2 at ppsr.gov.au. You need the VIN. It tells you if there's money owing on the car, if it's been written off, or reported stolen. Do this before you hand over any money.
Check the rego status for the state the car is registered in (free on each state's roads/transport website). Confirms the car is currently registered and matches the seller.
Match the VIN on the car (usually visible at the base of the windscreen and on the driver's door frame) to the rego papers. If they don't match, walk away.
Ask for the service history / logbook. A car with stamped servicing is worth more and is less risky.
Look up the ANCAP safety rating at ancap.com.au. Aim for 4 or 5 stars if it's your daily driver.
Get an insurance quote before you buy. Some cars are surprisingly expensive to insure, especially for newer drivers.

Things to Check on the Car

Tech & Connectivity

Apple CarPlay / Android Auto — actually pair your phone in the car. Test wired and wireless if it claims wireless.
USB ports — count them, note where they are, and check whether they're USB-A or USB-C. Test the front and rear ones.
Cruise control — does it work? Is it adaptive (follows the car in front) or standard?
Bluetooth — pair your phone, make a test call, play music.
Reversing camera and parking sensors — clear picture, sensors beep at the right distance.

Convertibles / Soft-tops

How to put the roof up and down — get the seller to show you, then do it yourself. Listen for grinding or hesitation. Convertible roof mechanisms are expensive to fix.
Check the roof seals for leaks or wear.

Storage & Practicality

Glove box — opens, closes, latches properly. Check inside it (some hide service records or fuses).
Centre console / cup holders / door pockets — fit your phone, water bottle, and whatever you actually carry.
Boot space — does your usual gear fit? Pram, golf clubs, surfboard, weekly shop?
Spare tyre — open the boot floor and check what's there. Many new cars come with:
- A full-size spare (best),
- A space-saver (temporary, limited speed/distance),
- A tyre repair kit (just goo and a pump — useless for sidewall damage),
- Nothing at all. Confirm this matches what you expected.
Cargo cover / parcel shelf — present and not damaged.

Tyres & Wheels

Tread depth — the legal minimum in Australia is 1.5mm. Use a 20-cent coin: if the platypus's bill is fully visible, the tread is getting low.
Date code on the sidewall — a 4-digit number (e.g. "2823" = week 28 of 2023). Tyres older than ~6 years should be replaced even if they look fine.
Even wear across all four tyres. Uneven wear suggests alignment, suspension, or balance problems.
No bulges, cracks, or cuts.
Wheel locks — if fitted, make sure the locking key nut is included.

Lights & Wipers

Headlights (low and high beam), indicators front and rear, brake lights, reverse lights, fog lights, number plate light, interior lights.
Wipers front and rear, washer fluid sprays properly.

Under the Bonnet

Oil level and colour (pull the dipstick, wipe, dip again). Should be amber-to-light brown, not black sludge.
Coolant level in the overflow tank — between min and max, not rusty looking.
Brake fluid — between min and max.
No oil leaks, corrosion, or rodent damage.
Battery terminals clean, not corroded.

Body & Paint

Panel gaps should be even all the way around. Mismatched gaps suggest accident repair.
Paint consistency — different shades on different panels = repaint.
Rust, especially around wheel arches, sills, and the boot floor.
Windscreen — chips, cracks, or pitting. A crack in the driver's view will fail a roadworthy.

Interior

Sit in every seat. Check for stains, tears, sagging, wear on the driver's bolster.
Smell test — mould, smoke, or "something to cover up smoke" (heavy air freshener) is a red flag.
All windows, all door locks, central locking, child locks.
Seatbelts retract properly in every seat.
ISOFIX child seat anchor points if you need them.

The Test Drive

Drive for at least 20 minutes if you can. Mix suburban, highway, and stop-start.

Driving Performance

Cold start — try to test before the seller has warmed it up. Listen for rattles, smoke from the exhaust, or hesitation.
Fast acceleration — smooth, no hesitation, no jerky gear changes (auto) or slipping clutch (manual).
Fast braking — find a safe empty stretch. The car should stop straight, no pulling left or right, no juddering through the pedal.
Steering — centred when going straight, no pulling to one side, no vibration in the wheel at highway speed.
Suspension — drive over a speed bump or rough patch. Listen for clunks, rattles, or knocks.
Transmission — auto should shift smoothly without flaring or jerking. Manual gears should engage cleanly without crunching.

Climate & Comfort

Air conditioning — blows genuinely cold within a couple of minutes. Critical in Australia. Re-gassing isn't always cheap, especially on newer refrigerants.
Heater — blows actual hot air. Easy to forget if you're test-driving in summer.
Cruise control — engage it, set a speed, accelerate past, decelerate, cancel it.
Heated/cooled seats if fitted.

Things to Locate (don't laugh — easy to forget)

How to open the petrol cap — push-button, lever, or just pull on the flap? Which side is it on?
How to open the bonnet — find the release lever (usually under the dash) and the secondary catch under the bonnet itself.
How to open the boot — button on the key, button inside the cabin, button on the boot itself.
Where the jack and wheel brace live (often under the boot floor with the spare).
Where the OBD2 port is (usually under the steering column) — useful if you ever want to plug in a scanner.

Warning Lights

After the test drive, with the engine running, scan the dashboard. Any orange or red warning lights = ask why, and don't accept "it just does that".

Paperwork at Handover

Roadworthy / safety certificate (varies by state):
- VIC — Roadworthy Certificate (RWC), required for sale.
- NSW — eSafety check ("pink slip") for vehicles over 5 years old at rego renewal; "blue slip" if unregistered.
- QLD — Safety Certificate, required for sale.
- SA — No mandatory pre-sale inspection between private buyers, but strongly recommended.
- WA — No mandatory pre-sale inspection, but recommended.
- TAS / ACT / NT — rules vary; check your state's transport authority.
Service logbook with stamps.
Owner's manual.
Both sets of keys (replacing a missing smart key can cost hundreds).
Signed receipt with the seller's full name, address, licence number, the car's VIN, the price, and the date.
Transfer of registration — submit it within your state's required timeframe (often 14 days) or you can be fined.
Budget for stamp duty on the transfer — it's a percentage of the purchase price and varies by state.

Strongly Recommended for First-Time Buyers

Get a pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic before you commit. Your state's auto club does these:
- NSW/ACT — NRMA
- VIC — RACV
- QLD — RACQ
- SA — RAA
- WA — RAC
- TAS — RACT
- NT — AANT
It costs $200–$400 depending on the inspection, and it's the cheapest insurance you'll ever buy. A mechanic will spot things you can't.
Don't pay cash on the spot. Use a bank transfer you can verify, and ideally meet at the seller's home (with a verifiable address) — not in a car park.
Don't be rushed. "Another buyer is coming this afternoon" is the oldest trick. A good car will still be a good car tomorrow.
Test drive at least 2–3 cars before you commit, even if the first one feels great. You learn a lot by comparison.

Quick Red Flags (walk away)

Seller won't let you take it for a proper test drive.
Seller won't let you get an independent inspection.
VIN doesn't match the paperwork.
"I lost the logbook / spare key / owner's manual."
Price seems much lower than similar cars on Carsales or Facebook Marketplace.
Car is being sold by someone whose name isn't on the rego papers (without a clear explanation).
PPSR check shows finance owing or a write-off history.