You don't need to be a car expert to buy a used car. You can make a safe used car purchase without opening the hood. Join an academic-sociological approach!

A successful car purchase?

First and foremost, it is important not to have too high expectations of what you can get for the money. Today, anyone can look up Finn.no and find out what a car is worth. Realistically, a successful purchase is getting a car that is worth exactly what you pay. The buyer has a duty to investigate and the seller has a duty to provide information. You can't complain afterwards that there was a huge dent in the back door. This falls under your duty to investigate without the seller needing to inform you about it. It is perhaps worse if the bearing for 3rd gear is gone. Shouldn't you have heard the noise? Should the seller have informed that there is a noise in the 3rd gear? These are the kinds of conflicts we must avoid.

Start from home

You need the following 2 websites: Finn.no provides an overview of almost all cars for sale. It is also a good place to search for used cars. Vegvesen.no provides access to registration card information for all cars.
 
From the advertisement, you need the following information if possible: Registration number og VIN number – a 17-digit code with numbers and letters such as YV1FS9056B2012345.

Check if the car is imported used!

Advertisements rarely state that the car is imported used, but you can check for yourself. Go to www.vegvesen.no, select Vehicle and further purchase and sale, then Vehicle information. If the dates of Registered for the first time og Registered for the first time in Norway are not the same, the car is second-hand imported. Used imported cars may have a shorter new car warranty than 5 years. If the car is newer than 5 years, you should ask the seller how long the new car warranty is, and whether there is any additional warranty. Also note that standard equipment on Norwegian cars can be additional equipment on foreign cars, such as seat heaters, preheating of diesel engines or battery packs. Ask the seller if the car has Nordic equipment. Also ask where the car has gone before.
 

If the car is imported used, you can check whether it was manufactured in a different country than cars that are brought in through official import channels. Letter/number numbers 1 and 11 in the VIN number indicate the place of manufacture. Check the digits against VIN numbers from similar cars sold through brand dealers. Cars produced elsewhere may have weaknesses in relation to cars brought in via a Norwegian importer.
 

If the car is imported used, it is also important to check that the engine capacity (fossil fuel cars) or battery capacity (electric cars) matches cars that are common in Norway. You can do this by checking against advertisements for similar cars on Finn.no.

Check EU control!

While you are on Vegvesen.no, you can see when the last EU inspection was carried out and when the next one is scheduled. Here you should refrain from buying the car as long as a recent EU inspection has not been carried out. Buying a used car close to EU inspection is a financial game of chance even for car experts. Cars with a defect patch can be beneficial for those who like to tinker a bit themselves - but not for others - even if the seller can show a price offer from a workshop.

Check mileage!

At Vegvesen.no, you can search for mileage. Then you need BankID or similar to log in to Your page. The km length is from the last EU inspection. Any discrepancies should be explained in the advertisement.

Check model year!

Model year does not follow registration year. In general, production of next year's car models begins as early as July/August of the previous year. Check letter/number no. 10 in the vehicle's VIN number. You can find it at Vegvesen.no. There is an internal code that indicates the model year. Compare the letter/number with similar cars in sales advertisements from brand dealers. A "overhead car" is often only advertised with the first registration year - not the model year. On cars less than 1 years old, the difference can amount to several tens of thousands of kroner. On older cars it has little significance.

Check when any timing belt should be replaced!

Changing the timing belt often costs NOK 10 or more. The timing belt must be changed at prescribed km intervals or time intervals - whichever occurs first. Usual intervals are 000-60 km or 120-000 years. You should make sure that the previous owner has not exceeded the exchange limit. It should appear in the advertisement when the timing belt was last changed - possibly that the car has a chain and not a belt. If not, you must ask the seller. If the strap is to be changed within a short time, this should be taken into account in the price.

Check here when the timing belt should be changed (older models)

Check if there is a service history!

It is not usual to post pictures of the service booklet in the advertisements, but it is possible to find out about it exists service booklet. Should the service booklet be missing, the seller should be able to show invoices for service and repairs carried out in the last 3-4 years, or something similar. Regardless of whether the service booklet exists or not, it can be useful to see the papers from last great service.
 

The service documents not only provide assurance that the work has been carried out. It can also contain useful information - such as errors the owner has pointed out, the results of troubleshooting, things the owner is asked to keep an eye on, as well as notes from the mechanic with regard to general condition and future repairs.

 
As the invoice is a personal document, you probably won't get to see it if the car is sold through a dealer, but you can ask any brand dealer if there are any notes from the last service.

NAF test?

A test report from NAF-test is of course reassuring, but if the buyer orders a test several days after the viewing, there is a risk that the car will be sold in the meantime. There is no conclusion as to what is best, but documentation of a recently carried out major service can tell as much as a template-filled test report from NAF. This probably depends a little on the mechanic who has carried out the work.

Guarantees?

The owner of a used car takes over the remaining new car warranty within 5 years - and an extended warranty on rust and any battery pack. Many workshops provide guarantees on service and repairs - for example a mobility guarantee. These guarantees are automatically transferred to the new owner. Many dealers and car dealerships offer some form of used car warranty. Small companies often offer guarantees through 3rd party companies which you have to pay for yourself. Extended warranty is a good compensation for lack of technical knowledge.

Ask all questions via written message service!

After reading the above, you may be left with questions for the seller. If you use Finn.no, you will find an excellent messaging service there. If necessary, you can also use e-mail. But in any case, it is important to ask the questions in writing. Some sellers only make themselves available by phone for various reasons. One reason is that nothing they say can be used against them in a later conflict. All questions regarding the vehicle should be in writing. If you cannot contact the seller via written media, you should stay away.

Check other customers' reviews!

If the seller represents a small company or sole proprietorship, it can be worthwhile to study how other customers have rated the company's services. If it is registered on Google.com, you can easily see what others have written and what grade they have given.

Sociological investigations

The search for a "story"

Information about the seller and previous owner can be useful. The aim is to get a "story" about the car - without messing up anyone's private life. Occasionally, private advertisements contain a short "story", such as the following:

«- Bought the car to commute between A and B for two years. Have now changed jobs and no longer need the car. It has worked fine the whole time….”

"- Selling the car with a heavy heart because we have ordered an electric car..."

"- Putting the car up for sale for my mother, who has now become too old to drive. Apart from some parking scratches, the car is in good condition...”

If the car is sold as a trade-in car through a dealer, it is not as easy to find a "story" beyond an unsigned one - "Car we have received as a trade-in...". Nevertheless, it is possible to obtain information about the previous owner at Vegvesen.no. Then you can at least find out whether the car has previously been a leasing car, rental car, company car or something else. You can also see where the car has gone.

Different seller types

Just by reading the ad you can form an impression of the seller - whether the person in question is a private seller or dealer.
 
The silent type
No or few words in the advertisement indicate that the seller is not - or wants to be - particularly talkative. There may be language problems, but also a sales technique. If you want to know something, you have to ask. If you ask if there is a noise in 3rd gear, you will probably get an honest answer. Silent salespeople are no advantage to non-technical car buyers.
 
The advisor
The ideal seller profile. They inform about everything that is relevant. If you ask questions, they are happy to check up on the computer or contact others to give a correct answer. This is a typical one. modern retail salesman. They leave it up to you to make the decision.

 
"The Bullshitter"
This is a typical "old school" sales profile that can be found at retailers. The person will be happy to tell you what is best for you. If you ask questions, they answer promptly - but often by talking about other things, or telling you that what you are asking about is of no importance. If they know that you are not technically savvy, they are happy to overwhelm you with quasi-technical concepts that you are not in a position to make up your mind about.

 
The chatterbox
This is a person who gives too much information, preferably about their own private life - often about feelings and things that have no significance whatsoever for the trade. They talk a lot, and can really tell the car's "story". If you ask specific questions, you can still count on getting honest answers.

On display

Internal

The steering wheel tells a lot about the previous owner's driving style. A glossy and smooth leather steering wheel with wear where the hands have been placed can testify to an aggressive driving style. Driving with a constant grip on the steering wheel can also be due to insecurity.
 
Worn gear ball may indicate that the previous owner drove around with a heavy hand on the gear lever. First and foremost, a habit - and a small warning about careless use of the car.
 
Left seat rail and threshold - if there are unusually large signs of wear, it may indicate that the car has been used for light driving - perhaps mail or goods delivery, with frequent entry and exit.
 
Check the service booklet in the car's glove compartment.

External

Check varnish. Scratches and small dents are no problem. They cost 3 per scratch to repair, double if it goes over two body surfaces - for example door to screen. Reduce the price by many small hairline scratches (washing scratches) which are difficult to detect in photos, but easy to see in sunlight.
 
Check routes. Look for stone chips and wiper scratches.
 
Damage to the suspension?. Make sure the car is on level ground. Check whether the car is standing straight without leaning towards a side or corner - or "sags" at the rear end.
 
Car body. Aim along the gloss on the sides to see unevenness. Look for visible rust or overpainted rust at the transition between fenders and channels (the metal under the doors), around the wheel arches, under the doors and on the tailgate. If you see rust, you can count on there being more on the underside of the car.
 
Check the tires on which the car stands.

Test drive

Startup

Cold start is best. Start the car with the door open. Listen for sounds as soon as the engine starts. Ask the seller if you hear abnormal rattling or rattling. It is not unusual for a cold diesel engine to make noises like that when you start up. Check that the fan is working on all stages and that the air conditioner is cooling. Check that all windows can be opened and that doors open, close and can be locked.

On the road

Open the windows at a leisurely speed of around 40-50 km/h. Depress the clutch and listen for noises at the wheels. Feel free to drive a bit fast over a speed bump with the windows open and the clutch pedal depressed - and listen for abnormal sounds in the suspension. Find an open space and give full throttle in both directions. Check the clutch by driving up a steep incline in 2nd gear and keep the car again in the same downward gear. Did you notice that the clutch slipped - that the revs rose inexplicably? This may indicate a worn clutch. Drive through all the gears and listen for noises. If you drive an automatic transmission, check for jerks when shifting. It's a bad sign if it shifts with a "clunk". Punch and set in reverse. Does it take a long time? Does it happen with a strong jerk?

After test drive

Check cooling water temperature. Check under the car for leaks (not condensation from the air conditioning). Ask to see the tires that are not on the car.

Steer clear of these!

As a non-technical person, you should generally stay away from the following cars:

"Scrambled" cars
Cars that show signs of being modified technically and cosmetically - or where the private seller tells about repairs carried out without receipts. If you can't assess the work, you risk buying what we call a "dismantled" car.

 
Cars sold with EU inspection and service from the seller's own company or sole proprietorship
If you are going to buy a used car with the promise that it will be serviced by your own mechanic before delivery, you should bring a technical person with you who can negotiate what needs to be fixed at the service. Otherwise, there is a risk that only the oil will be changed and that everything else will be postponed until the next service, which the buyer must pay for himself.

 
Cars sold through car auctions
The auctions bring in cars whose background they do not know, and can be a place to sell cars with a questionable past. It takes a trained eye to spot what is good and what to stay away from.

 
Cars with a deficiency patch or an imminent EU inspection
As mentioned, these are cars that should only be bought by people who screw things up a bit themselves.

Conclusion

There are few who can call themselves technically knowledgeable about cars. Most people "know a little". The purpose of this article is to focus on research that anyone can do, and that can actually uncover greater things. For example, one should not underestimate the sociological. If you get a bad feeling about the seller and/or previous owner/ownership, you should not buy that particular car. The same if you get bad vibrations from the car. You don't have to be technically gifted to perceive that a car has not been treated with love.
 
If you who are reading this are planning to sell your car, it may be useful to think through the following:

What type of seller are you?

See