How to Test Drive a Used Car
- Melissa Harris
- May 20
- 6 min read
Are you prepared to test-drive a used car before you buy it? If not, read this piece.
The experienced team at Stonehill Motors is ready to guide you through the process of test-driving a used vehicle. This article covers things to look at, listen to, and even smell. Whether you’re buying a used car from us or someone else, we love our community and we want you to be prepared.
Remember, if you’re not sure about test-driving a car alone, you can take a vehicle to your favorite mechanic before you buy it. This is your right as a car buyer in California. The mechanic can charge you for their time, but this is a worthwhile step if you are shopping for used cars alone.
And, if the seller discourages you from visiting a mechanic, just leave.
Now, let’s walk through the test drive process.
Ask to See the Title
The first problem you could meet when used car shopping is a salvage title. Lemon law titles or missing titles can also mean problems.
What is a Salvage Title?
A car with a salvage title was “totaled” by an insurance company and sold as junk to a wrecking yard. Sometimes, mechanically inclined folks will buy these cars from the junk yard to fix and sell them.
Here at Stonehill Motors, we do not buy or sell salvage title vehicles. However, salvage title cars can still be a good purchase in the right situation. If you only have $800 to spend on a car, you might be able to find one of these on the market in your price range.
We see a ton of salvage titles on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace, by the way. Be aware, and ask about the title every time.
The biggest problem with salvage title vehicles is that insurance will never pay to fix them, and you will have a hard time getting a warranty for this car. Insurers all share databases. They all know the car is officially junk. To them, it is not worth repairing.
Lemon Law Titles
California Lemon Laws require car manufacturers to sell reliable vehicles. If a brand-new car goes back to the shop several times for repairs during the first 18 months, it will be branded as a lemon.
If you see the title marked “lemon”, it could be a good car. The manufacturer repaired it several times already.
Then again, it could come with a host of problems no warranty will cover. If you are not an experienced mechanic, we suggest you avoid used cars with lemon titles.
Other Title Problems
Missing titles can be a hassle when it comes to registering the car at the DMV. In the best case, you will just pay extra for a replacement title. In the worst scenarios, one might discover a car was stolen, or that it is a salvage title.
It is a huge red flag if you are looking at privately-owned cars with no title.
Now that you’ve seen the title, it’s time to walk around the car for a good look.
Check Out the Exterior
Used cars endure all kinds of damage. Little scratches, dings, or tiny dents are probably not a big deal.
What you’re really looking for is:
Rust
Mismatched paint
Ugly or crooked lines that don’t match up from one section to the next
Major dents, scrapes, etc.
Lumpy Bondo (a filler product used to repair rust holes and other damage)
Unreliable tires
Broken or chipped glass in the windows
Next, check the oil.
Check the Oil
New oil looks almost like corn oil, golden and clean. Bad, old oil is black and sludgy. Most of the time, the oil you see will be somewhere between those extremes.
Glittering sparkly bits are a huge warning sign! If the oil looks glittery, something in the engine is wearing out and causing metal flakes or shavings to get in the engine. Avoid that car.
If you are not confident about checking oil, have a mechanical friend do it. Or take it to a professional mechanic before you buy the car.
Here are some good videos that might help:
Assuming you’re happy with the exterior appearance and oil, fire it up!
Start the Car & Get Out to Look, Listen and Smell
The car should start quickly and easily. If you must make several attempts to start it, or get a jump start, there might be problems.
We should mention that a jump start might only mean that a car has been sitting for a while. If the car looks like it has been sitting, things can still turn out okay. Just be aware this vehicle might need a new battery, and it could cost a couple hundred bucks on top of the hassle.
Listen to the Car Running
Do you hear knocks, pings, chugs, rattles, or any other weird sounds? Depending on the price point, these could be signs to stay away.
The Sniff Test
Does anything smell unusual? A strong smell of gasoline, a bitter smell of burning oil, or a sweet smell like maple syrup (a coolant leak) all equal problems.
Look at the Exhaust
Exhaust should not be smokey. White or bluish smoke is a bad sign.
It is okay if a little clear water drips out of the exhaust.
Assuming everything looks and smells good, go for a drive.
Test Driving the Used Car
Here at our used car dealership in Lake Isabella, we encourage customers to take the car out for a good 10 minutes at least. Get to know it!
Make yourself comfortable by moving the seat and mirrors to fit your size and style.
Get on the highway and see how it accelerates. Notice that an automatic transmission goes up and down into every gear while getting on and off the highway.
Be sure to:
Turn it both ways
Put it in reverse
Try parking it when you get back to the lot
Check that the air conditioning and heater work
If you’re testing a 4x4 vehicle, put it in 4-wheel drive. You will feel the difference!
Then, look at the other details.
Checking the Interior Details
We’ve found that many people turn on the radio right away when test driving used cars for sale. We suggest that you leave the music off while you drive so you can really hear the engine and accessories working.
Once you get back to the dealership, play with the interior details like the sound system, power windows, heated seats, and so on. Try the volume on the radio. Try all the buttons and features.
Look into the back seats and trunk space. Find out if the car has a spare tire.
By now, you are probably getting excited about a new-to-you vehicle. If all these points look good, the final step is to ask for an Experian Auto Check record or a Carfax.
Check the Records Before Negotiating Price or Running Credit
Most used car dealers now offer either Auto Check or Carfax.
Both third-party reports will give you important information about:
Number of owners
Lease, police, or rental car history
Number of accidents, and the severity of them
Attempted thefts
Odometer readings
That final point, odometer readings, is a big one. When it comes to used cars, it doesn’t make much difference if there were minor accidents or a few owners.
But if an odometer has been rolled back, that’s a huge red flag. Either the price for the car should reflect that the odometer is inaccurate (we mean it is crazy cheap), or you should avoid that vehicle. It could have hundreds of thousands of extra miles not showing.
As used car dealers, we visit auctions in person and online all the time. We have seen hundreds of vehicles with massive odometer rollbacks. We do not sell them, but we know how many are out there. It's a LOT.
If you are shopping for cars from private sellers, run your own Carfax or Auto Check. Do not trust a report handed to you by a stranger. We’ve seen too many scams. This one-time cost of $40 could save you thousands of dollars.
Finally, Ask About Smog
Here in California, most used cars, trucks and SUVs must pass an emissions (smog) test before they can be registered to a new owner. As a licensed used car dealer, every car passes smog before we list it for sale at Stonehill Motors.
However, if you are buying a car from a private seller, be sure you see a recent smog certificate. Otherwise, you might find yourself paying for hefty repairs, or unable to register the vehicle. Be wary of scams, that is our point.
Ready to Test Drive a Used Car? Save with Us!
We hope you feel a bit more confident about shopping for used cars. We invite you to visit our dealership, found at 6047 Lake Isabella Blvd # B, across the street from AltaOne.
We look forward to earning your business with excellent prices and terrific customer service. All our cars come with clean titles, Auto Check records, and a recent smog.
Our clients come from Lake Isabella, Kernville, Ridgecrest, Bakersfield, Wofford Heights and Bodfish. Come test drive our used cars for sale in Lake Isabella and Save with Us!
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