Used Car Reliability – A Checklist

The reliability of a used car is of high importance because it would be “buying someone else’s problems” if unreliable used car is purchased. If good care is taken of used cars, they depreciate more slowly than new cars.   Conservative cars are more likely to be better cared of than a high horsepower can.  It is better to avoid used luxury car or sports car because they become old fashioned and lose their value more quickly.  Added to it, power windows and door locks are very expensive to repair. The reliability of a used car can be estimated mainly through the consumer reports and the reputation of the car company.  Also, the frequency of repair records in publications should be examined for a used car’s reliability.  References from other customers and the car dealer for the turnaround rate for the dealership are necessary for the reliability.  But the first hand information from the inspection of a mechanic is always recommended for the reliability of a used car.

The important factors to be evaluated before purchasing a used car are the reliability, quality and dependability.  To avoid the unnecessary hassles and expenses, it is better to get the hard and objective data for the used car. Identifying key problem areas in used car will help a long way for used vehicle shoppers.

Mechanics opine that there are certain commonly occurring problems for a used car in blower motors, radiators and certain electrical systems. The mechanical reliability of a used car has seven important systems. They are the engine, steering and suspension, brakes, transmission and drive line, heating and air-conditioning, starting and charging and accessories.

Basically, a radiator consists of two end tanks and a center "core”, consisting of rows of tubes which flow coolant top to bottom or horizontally, depending on the car model.  The corrugated fins dissipate heat to the air, which passes through the radiator.

The fins which are thin metal blades take away the heat from the water passages into the air stream through the core-the more fins, the better the dissipating ability of the core.  Of late there has been a high uprising in the use of aluminum radiators.  Therefore radiator plays a vital role in the reliability of a used car to yield good results.

Blower motor may pose problems by switching over to another speed without warning or may stop functioning. Therefore the durability of blower motor should be taken into consideration for the reliability of a used car.

Used cars may also come across electrical problems due to which cooling fan motors may breakdown, melt or overheat.  Breaking down of bearing may cause the fan blade to strike the covering thus damaging it, which in turn over heats the engine.

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