A MECHANIC has revealed three easy hacks you can use to spot a car that’s been in a crash before buying it and avoid being ripped off.
Buying a write-off without realising could see you paying thousands in repairs, so these handy tricks could mean major savings down the line.
Scotty Kilmer, who has been working on motors for over 50 years, uploaded the tips to his YouTube channel.
He said: “Today I’m going to show you how to spot if your car’s been in a wreck.
“It’s not always obvious.
“Don’t get stuck with a car that’s been in a wreck, do these checks first.”
First of all, Scotty recommended using your car key to check the gaps in the bodywork.
With the way most cars are assembled, there will usually be some gaps between body panels factored into the design.
However, these should be spaced evenly and be of similar size.
You can use your key to check this by holding so the broad edge is facing up and trying to fit it into each of the gaps.
If it will go into one gap but won’t fit in another, this suggests that the car has sustained an impact significant enough to shift the panels.
Secondly, Scotty suggested using a magnet to check for invisible bodged repairs.
Unscrupulous sellers can repair cracks and scrapes with sealant, but this isn’t magnetic.
Simply place a magnet on some of the metal parts of the car and if it fails to stick, this can indicate that they have been stuck back together after a collision.
Finally, make sure to check the car out on a sunny day where possible as this can help you see if it has been repainted.
Take a look at the paintwork in direct sunlight and if one part appears newer than others or there are different colours where there aren’t meant to be, this tells you something has been covered up.
Given the Great British climate, though, if you can’t inspect the car when the sun’s out, a powerful enough torch should do the job.
It comes after a car expert revealed three summer-friendly convertibles to pick up for under £10,000 this year.
