{"id":20951,"date":"2021-01-26T14:00:39","date_gmt":"2021-01-26T06:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carsome.my\/news\/?p=20951"},"modified":"2025-06-25T12:01:04","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T04:01:04","slug":"how-to-buy-a-used-car","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carsome.my\/news\/item\/how-to-buy-a-used-car","title":{"rendered":"How to Buy a Used Car \u2013 10 Tips You Should Follow"},"content":{"rendered":"

A brand-new car loan is between RM 700 to RM 1200 per month on average for a 7-year loan. Compare that to the monthly installment of RM 300-RM 600 per month for a used car. That\u2019s about RM 5,000 to RM 7,000 a year in savings if you choose a used car that is less than 10 years old and has a mileage of less than 100,000 km priced at RM 60,000. If this is not a steal, then we don\u2019t know what is anymore!<\/span><\/p>\n

If you want to go down the road with a used car (which is better than a new car in so many ways), here are 10 tips you can follow before you buy your new used car!<\/span><\/p>\n

Set a Budget<\/b> – The most important tip when it comes to buying a used car is to set a reachable budget according to your financial ability. You can find different car models that can be purchased based on your set budget. Let\u2019s say your budget is RM 50,000. You can get a monthly loan from as low as RM 300 to RM 500 for 5 to 7 years depending on your monthly commitment.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How to Calculate Your Total Loan based on your Pay.<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Make sure the price of the car does not exceed your annual pay. If you earn RM 2,700 monthly, the price of your used car must not exceed RM 32,400 (RM 2,700 x 12 months).<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. The monthly payment should be more than 15% of your total salary. So, the ideal amount for a salary of RM 2,700 would be between RM <\/span> 300 to RM 500 per month.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Make sure you get a car according to your need and your financial ability, not based on your wants and dreams. To make life easier, you can use Carsome’s loan calculator to help you gauge your monthly allocation based on your budget.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Survey Online<\/b> – In this modern age and time, every information is right at your fingertips. No more travelling far to a used dealership to survey for used cars because there are various online platforms like Carsome that offer used car trading services. It is also best not to go directly to a physical dealership without doing proper research online. You might get swooned by their smooth-talking skills and get something which is above your budget.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Other than that, online car trading platforms also allow you to set \u201cfilters\u201d according to your set budget and needs which makes it easier to pick out cars that are within your budget.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Check the Car\u2019s Age<\/b> – Just like the budget, setting the age limit of a used car is also an important tip to know. For example, with a budget of RM20,000, you will be presented with a variety of used cars that you can purchase. If you already have an estimated age of a used car that you want, you can then set the filter to narrow down your search according to it (eg \u2013 cars not more than 5 years). You can find the average age of cars that was sold the most to Carsome was between 6-8 years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"Average<\/p>\n

    Check the Mileage<\/b> – <\/span>In general, if the mileage of a used car is high, this would affect the value of the car. You want to choose a car with a low-medium mileage as that makes it easier for you to feel confident when it comes to quality. Low to medium mileage used cars often <\/span>offer quality that is near to what you would find in a brand-new car. But do keep in mind that this also depends on the age of the car. Buying a higher mileage but newer car is better than buying an older car with low mileage as components in a car deteriorate over time regardless of how far it has driven.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Check the History of the Car<\/b> – Make sure you check the history of the car before you decide on any used car. Usually, used cars sold at a price that is lower than the market price may have its own hidden history. Find out in advance whether the car you want has been involved in any major accidents, any major overhauling, if it has been flooded, how many times it has changed owners, etc as all this would affect the maintenance of a car in the long run. Avoid getting deceived by the perfect outer appearance of the car.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Record of the Car\u2019s Service Schedule<\/b> \u2013 Used cars that are serviced consistently according to its schedule gives an indication that the car is in a good shape. If it is possible, you should look out for car owners who service their car at their respective brand\u2019s service centers.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"periksa<\/p>\n

    These service centers would have a proper record of all service done to the car. This maintenance information is particularly helpful when you want to find out in depth about the used car that you want to purchase, be it information related to spare parts or major damages to engines and other parts of the car.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Check the Exterior and Interior of the Car <\/b>\u2013 You should check out for any dents, bumps, or defects on and inside the car that you are planning to buy because if there are any, getting these fixed can be quite tiresome and costly. What you can do is try to negotiate for a discount if you detect any damage on the car that the owner does not wish to repair.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"beli<\/p>\n

    Take in mind the repair cost \u2013 repainting the car\u2019s body is about RM 2,000 to RM 5,000, to remove a dent from the car starts from RM 150 and this is based on how deep the dent is. Meanwhile to deep clean your seats can cost up to RM 200 based on the material.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Inspect the Other Parts of the Car<\/b> \u2013 Here\u2019s what you should look out for when you are inspecting all additional parts of the car.<\/span><\/p>\n