Used car: avoid these mistakes | Letters of News

About 500,000 used cars are sold in Norway every year. The number of people who buy used cars is about three times the number of people who buy new cars.

NAF's Jan-Harri Svendsen tells us what's important to check before buying a used car.

– Ensure that the car has undergone all services. This used to be done by checking the service manual, but many new cars have electronic service manuals. In these cases, you should check with the agent, he tells ABC Nyheter.

Svendsen also encourages you to take a look at the overall condition of the car.

-Is it rust? Corrosion or abnormal leakage? Check whether the car has been involved in accidents or whether it has undergone major repairs. If you are not sure, you should have the vehicle NAF tested. Also because there are many hidden errors that you cannot discover on your own.

– What are the most common mistakes people make when buying a used car?

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– They do not take the time to check the condition of the car and many of them are also reluctant to ask questions that may seem crucial to the seller. NAF's advice is to use plenty of time and preferably have a knowledgeable person take a look at the car, Svendsen says.

– Expenses can be obtained quickly after purchase

Thomas Iversen, chief legal advisor at the Consumer Council, says it's important to consider your vehicle needs when buying a used car.

– You have to think about space and cargo, and perhaps do not buy a car larger than you need. After that, it's important to take into account maintenance and potential repairs, especially if you choose a slightly older used car, Iversen tells ABC Nyheter.

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-As a general rule, you can say that the older the car you buy, the greater the risk of incurring lease expenses quickly after purchase. He adds that no one is responsible for these expenses but you.

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Don't withhold information

When buying a used car, you have to choose whether you want to buy from a private person or from a used car dealer.

-The advantage for used car dealers is that you have slightly better rights; A five-year appeal period and the Consumer Purchase Act as a law of protection. If you buy from a private person, you have a two-year appeal period in accordance with procurement law, and you can also agree to waive a number of errors and omissions. The risk is a little higher, but you often pay a little less, Iversen says.

He suggests that it might be a good idea to research a car in the local area, so you can take the car for a short test drive. It is recommended that you carefully read the advertisement and any other documents attached to it.

-The status report is something we recommend looking out for. Then you learn more about the technical condition of the car. You should also note the mileage and age of the car. If the car has traveled more than 150,000 kilometres, or is between eight and ten years old, you should expect some wear and some short-term maintenance.

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When selling a used car, it is important to provide information about things you know are not right with the car.

-If you withhold information you know, this may be something the buyer can come back and complain about.

Electric cars are attractive

Used car sales so far in 2024 follow the trend of recent years, Svendsen says.

– We see that cars with internal combustion engines are still very popular on the used market, which can be explained by the fact that the average age of our car fleet in Norway is relatively high, which is 10.7 years. Meanwhile, a number of electric cars, which also have good range, have dropped in price. He says this makes them as attractive as used cars.

At the time of writing, there are 53,000 used cars for sale on Finn.no. 9,000 of them were published by private sellers.