HIDDEN DAMAGE TO LOOK OUT FOR

A used car can be a double edged sword. On one hand you may get your hands on an excellent car for a really good deal, while on the other hand you might end up with a car that is worth no more than scrap value. How can you differentiate these cars? The answer to that is years of practice, as there are many types of hidden damage that can make a car worthless and dangerous to drive.

The biggest and most dangerous type is chassis damage. There are many cars out there with a welded chassis or even a dented chassis, which affects the car’s structural integrity. The problem with this type of damage is that it is not easy to spot, and will require the car to be lifted to reveal the underbody of the car.

In order to understand why this damage is severe, we need to know what a chassis is. It is basically the skeleton of the car, the chassis is what the body sits on and where the rest of the car connects to form the overall vehicle. Therefore any damage to the chassis can have severe effects on the rest of the car.

Oil leaks are another type of dangerous hidden damages. The oil’s job is to keep the engine lubricated to maintain free movement and prevent heat expansion. An oil leak, no matter how small, can deteriorate the engine’s condition as it is not being lubricated and will therefore heat up.

While you may think a small oil leak is no big deal as it can be fixed and the engine will be fine, the problem is that you do not know how long has this leak been there. Small leaks left unattended can have detrimental consequences on the engine block that cause irreparable damage that does not have much of a telltale sign.

With time, catching these issues becomes second nature as the person will start subconsciously looking for signs of chassis damage and oil leaks. This experience only comes with time, and the best people to give you an honest word on such damage are certified professionals. They will save you time and money.