Buying a Used Car? Here’s What We Recommend
Rob Auernig • September 29, 2025
Car Buying Tips to Help You Avoid Costly Mistakes
Our Customers are always welcome to bring a potential new-to-them used car by Auernig Auto Body for a courtesy pre-purchase inspection.
However, what if that’s not feasible? A Vehicle History Report could be helpful, but we often find incomplete or inaccurate information on those. Just because a dealer shows you a “clean” report, doesn’t mean the car has never been repaired. And even if it has been repaired, a properly and professionally repaired vehicle can still be a very good vehicle to buy.
Here are a few things to look for that may help you from making a costly mistake.
First thing is a cursory review of the overall condition. Does it look like a car that’s been well cared for?
Or… is it one that’s been recently detailed to look like it was well cared for??? Looking into the nooks and crannies for years-old dirt and debris could be very telling.
Next, take a look at the exterior of the car from a distance and from various angles.
Does the paint match to the adjacent panels? Or is it like the picture where one panel is just slightly different from the next? Is the color consistent throughout? (It’s important to know that often times, the bumpers are a poor match to their mating panels, even right from the factory. A mismatch there may not be indicative of anything, but worth noting). Is the texture of the paint consistent throughout? Paint will often have a texture to it, similar to an orange peel in some cases. Higher end cars usually exhibit less texture than others. Either way, the finish should be consistent. If not, there may have been previous repairs. One option is to purchase a fairly inexpensive mil gauge. Excessive paint thickness may also indicate previous repairs.
An Inexpensive Thickness Gauge may be less than $20 and can save you thousands of dollars. Standard paint thickness should be in the 3-7 mils range. Typically, a bit thicker paint on the horizontal surfaces as compared to the vertical, but the measurements should be fairly consistent throughout the vehicle (note that the gauge will only work on the metal panels). It’s not unusual for (especially front) bumpers to be repainted right before being sold. Take a close look at the grill area and fog lights for indications of repaint, such as overspray, painted-over-chips and inconsistent texture.
If that all looks good, then open all of the doors, hood and deck lid. Are the door jambs the same color as the exterior? If not… Run! (A complete exterior repaint is not something that should be purchased without clear support of what that paint is hiding and some indication of likely longevity of the refinish work.) Look in the jambs to see if there is any overspray, or masked paint edges like int the picture.
If the car looks good so far, take a look at the hardware that attaches the opening panels, fenders and bumpers if visible. Do the bolts look untouched or are there wrench marks on them? Disturbed bolts could be as innocent as a minor adjustment made before the dealer sold it as a new car or may be an indication to look more closely at that area of the car. For example, if the fender bolts show evidence of having a wrench applied, look for areas in the engine compartment that indicate a previous collision. Look for things like cracked paint, rust, overspray, missing hardware, bent structure or anything out of the ordinary.
If after the inspection, you still feel like it’s a worthy vehicle, then a test drive is in order. Excessive squeaks and rattles may be an indication of concern. Does the car travel straight without pulling to one side or the other? Does it stop in a straight line when heavily applying the brakes? Is the steering responsive?
Anything that you find out of the ordinary that doesn’t scare you away from the car could be an opportunity to negotiate the price in your favor.
Auernig Auto Body is always happy to provide a pre-purchase inspection free of charge. Just give us a call!
If after all of this, you still feel like it’s a car that you want to buy, a pre-purchase inspection of the drivetrain by a trusted mechanic is ALWAYS a good idea.
I hope you find this helpful!
Drive safely,
Rob
September 2025 Blog
