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Buyer guide

The questions to ask the seller

Calm, specific, and hard to bluff past.

The right questions get you more information than the right tools. Ask them early, write down the answers, and compare them with the official record. If the story holds up in three places, it is probably true.

Editorial guideVintor team

Before you go and see the car

A short message or phone call. No commitment, just calibration.

  • Are you the registered keeper? If not, who is, and can I see the relationship?
  • How long have you owned the car, and why are you selling it?
  • Is the APK current, and when did you last have the car inspected?
  • Has the car ever been involved in an accident or had any structural repair?
  • Are there any open manufacturer recalls you know of?
  • Is there any outstanding finance against the car?

At the viewing

Context, not interrogation. Let the seller do the talking.

  • Can I see the service book, the invoices, and the registration documents?
  • When was the cambelt last changed, if applicable to this engine?
  • Are there any known issues you would tell a friend about? Any noises, warning lights, or quirks?
  • Has the car been used for commercial work — delivery, rental, ride-share?
  • Has it been exported, imported, or re-registered at any point?
  • Which dealer or garage has been servicing it recently?

On and after the test drive

You now have observations the seller has to explain.

  • When we started from cold, there was a noise on first fire — is that normal for this car?
  • The brakes pulled slightly to one side. When were the discs and pads last inspected?
  • There is a warning light on that the advert did not mention. What do you know about it?
  • Are the tyres all from the same brand and age? If not, when were the current ones fitted?
  • The mileage today is higher than the advert stated. Are we working from today is number?

Before you sign anything

These are the questions that protect you once money changes hands.

  • What warranty, if any, are you offering, and can I see the terms in writing?
  • If a major fault appears in the first month, what is the agreed process?
  • Are you willing to put the described condition of the car on the purchase receipt?
  • Can the plate transfer be completed today, at the post office or via the RDW app?
  • For a private sale: would you accept that payment is released only after the transfer is confirmed?
  • For a dealer sale: what is your complaints procedure, and are you registered with BOVAG or a similar body?

What this guide is not

This guide is a prompt, not a script. A good seller will welcome the questions and have ready answers. A seller who bristles, avoids specifics, or rushes you past paperwork is telling you something. Trust that signal. For large purchases or complex histories — imports, salvage, modifications — consider a professional pre-purchase inspection and, where relevant, independent legal advice.

Common questions

Is it rude to ask this many questions?
No. For a purchase of this size, a reasonable seller expects due diligence. The questions also help them: a buyer who has all the facts is less likely to come back with complaints later.
What if the seller refuses to answer something?
That is information too. A refusal to confirm the APK status, the service record, or the existence of finance is a reason to walk away or to insist the answer is captured in writing as part of the sale.
Do the questions change for a dealer versus a private seller?
The list is similar, the legal framing is different. Dealers operate under consumer-sales rules, so the warranty and complaints procedure matter more. Private sellers trade under different rules, so the condition of the car on the day of the sale matters more. Adjust your focus accordingly.
Should I take somebody with me?
If you can. A second set of eyes, a second pair of ears, and somebody who is not emotionally invested in buying this particular car usually pays for itself in avoided mistakes.

Bring the facts to the conversation

Run the free plate check first. It is easier to ask the right questions when you already know most of the answers.

Check a plate now

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