Used-Car Buying Guide

A practical overview of buying a used car in Australia, from budgeting through to settlement. Each section links to a deeper guide where one exists.

1. Set a real budget

Include stamp duty, registration transfer, insurance, and a contingency for the inspection and any immediate servicing — not just the advertised price.

2. Shortlist using real owner data, not brochures

Use Cars to compare owner ratings, common problems and reported running costs for the models on your shortlist, and read individual owner reviews for context an average can’t give you.

3. Decide private seller or dealer

A dealer sale generally carries statutory consumer guarantees a private sale does not. If buying privately, read questions to ask a private seller; if buying from a dealer, read questions to ask a used-car dealer.

4. Check the vehicle’s history

Run a PPSR check before you get emotionally attached to a car. It is inexpensive and can rule out a write-off or an encumbered vehicle in minutes.

5. Inspect it properly

Work through our Inspection Checklist, including a cold start and a full test drive. Learn to spot accident-repair warning signs and uneven tyre wear.

6. Book an independent pre-purchase inspection

For anything you are seriously considering, a qualified independent inspector will catch issues a visual check cannot. See when to book one.

7. Understand what you’re seeing in the numbers

Learn how kilometres and age interact, and how to read ratings and review sample sizes honestly before you compare models.

8. Negotiate and settle

Use inspection findings and any needed near-term maintenance as concrete, itemised negotiation points rather than a vague “can you do better on price.”

9. After you buy

Once you’ve owned the car for a while, consider submitting your own review — it is exactly the kind of first-hand data this guide relies on.