‘I’m a mechanic - these are four ways to quickly identify a reliable second-hand car’

A top motoring mechanic has revealed four ways road users can quickly check if a second-hand petrol and diesel used car is reliable and safe to buy. Dwayne, a spokesperson for motoring experts at American garage ‘Genuine Automotive and Diesel' in Austin, Texas, stressed simple tests were vital.

Most importantly, he encouraged road users to always search for a vehicle before finalising a deal. This would bring up any serious issues which sellers may be hiding from prospective buyers and the best way to identify hidden concerns. Asking a trusted mechanic to have a look over a car before parting with the cash was also key to not being caught out.

Speaking on YouTube, he said: “One, you've got to look at the manufacturer. Generally, Asian cars, Toyota, Hondas, and a lot of domestic cars are good. You really want to keep your mileage down.

“Do a CarFax on it. If they are taking it to a good quality shop. Every good quality shop is recording all of their information, every invoice that I close is getting reported directly to CarFax.

“How many owners has it had? Carfax will tell you that kind of stuff.”

“Obviously, you want to take it into your trusted shop to have them do a buyer’s inspection.”

In the USA, CarFax allows motorists to access vehicle history reports by searching for their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).

Similar services are available in the UK with many completely free of charge for motorists to use online.

WeBuyAnyCar has an online number plate checker which promises to check many important details such as the vehicle's registration date.

A quick check will also inform road users of any vehicle’s tax status, tax due date and MOT history.

This can be used to quickly look into any advisories mechanics identified in any recent annual exams.

A simple online check can also reveal the number of previous keepers and the date ownership of the model was transferred to the current holder.

GOV.UK has their own free number plate checker meaning there is no excuse to look into a model before handing over any money.

Meanwhile, third-party sites such as Instant Car Check and Total Car Check can look into more details for a small fee.