Contents 1
Disclaimer, copyright and publisher information 2
Our partners 2
Part 1: Getting started 3
What you really pay 3
Getting finance 4
‘Rent-to-buy’ schemes 5
Insurance 5
Part 2: Buying a new car 7
Date of manufacture 7
Trade-ins 7
The contract 7
Warranties 8
Consumer guarantees 8
Pre-delivery check 9
Part 3: Buying a used car 10
Service history 10
Mechanical inspection 10
Check the vehicle’s status 10
Buying from a licensed trader 11
Buying from a private seller 13
Buying online 14
Buying at an auction 15
Part 4: Getting your car serviced or repaired 17
Service and repairs 17
Finding and dealing with a mechanic 17
Warranties on repairs 18
Recycled parts 18
Part 5: Selling your car 19
Trading in your car 19
Selling your car privately 19
Selling your car at an auction 19
Part 6: Useful contacts 20
Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV) 20
VicRoads 20
Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce (VACC) 20
Finance and insurance advice 20
Environment and sustainability 20
Other contacts 21
Part 7: Used car buyer’s checklist 22
Before the test drive 22
On the test drive 23
Consumer Affairs Victoria 25
TIS 25
TTY 25
Unless indicated otherwise, content in this publication is provided under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia Licence. To view a copy of this licence, visit the Creative Commons Australia website .It is a condition of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Licence that you must give credit to the original author who is the State of Victoria.
This document is available for download in accessible PDF and Microsoft Word formats from the Consumer Affairs Victoria website . If you would like to receive this publication in an alternative accessible format, please phone 1300 55 81 81.