Buying Dubai used cars can save you some major bucks, but buying badly can be a terrible misfortune. Sure, we’d all love to have a BMW as our regular ride, but doesn’t that used Toyota Corolla for AED 23,000 look good! There’s nothing wrong with haggling or bargain hunting as you are looking for the right deal but there are things that are always best to avoid!
- Cars without a service history
In this age of digital record-keeping, computerized ignitions and engine-control units, a car without an extensive service history is a car that has not been serviced for a long time. It doesn’t matter if the person selling the car swears he cleaned out his commuter every now and then. Of course, there might be exceptions made for classics but look for a long history in any Dubai used cars with most of the servicing done by the same mechanic or same dealership.
- Cars with salvage titles
A salvage title is basically a red flag and here is what it means: it’s a rebuilt car that has been rebuilt from other cars’ mechanical and non-mechanical body parts. After a vehicle is totalled, it is given a salvage title. According to UAE regulations, if a car has been flooded, burnt, or been in an accident, the insurance company will not cover the damages ranging from 75% to 90% as it is not economically viable for them to do so. That car is declared a total loss and the motor vehicle agency then issues it a salvage title certificate.
In the UAE, around 300,000 used vehicles are imported from countries like Germany, US and Japan. ESMA has the database on the used car exporting countries and prevents them from being sold in the market.
Word of caution: A salvaged car spells trouble. Also, your car doesn’t have to look like it survived the post-apocalyptic world to have a salvaged title. There are many reasons why a car may be salvaged!
- Dubai used cars with mismatched tyres
It’s always better to buy a car with tyres that have weared in the same direction and rotation. They must also have the same size, tread, pattern and construction. In simpler terms, you should be vary of buying a car with a mismatched tyres. A few examples of mismatched tyres include the following:
- Winter tyres with summer tyres
- Tires of different manufacturers
- Non-run flat tires with run flat tyres
- Dubai used cars with brushstrokes in the paint
Another used car with potential for endless future repairs is one with a funky paint job.
If you can see brushstrokes in the paint, it is very likely that the seller did a sloppy job of fixing the paint job themselves. Look for sandpaper strokes or too much priming and shrinking. If it looks like you car has been painted with stuff from your utility store, then rest assured that “alternative tactics” have been used.
Feel overwhelmed? Well, you don’t have to! At CarSwitch.com, we have made it our mission to make buying a Dubai used cars easier for you than it has ever been! With our comprehensive and 200-point inspection report of warrantied and certified cars, you wouldn’t have to be worried about buying a lemon!
