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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.

  • 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.
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