2012 dmax problems Page 9

Compare cars for sale on Tradingpost, listed by private sellers and licensed dealers.

Whether you are after a hatchback for the city, a family SUV or a ute for work, compare what is listed now, check the odometer and service history on each ad, and talk to the seller direct.

Narrow your search by body style: SUVs and 4WDs, utes and pickups, hatchbacks, sedans, wagons, vans and people movers, coupes and convertibles.

Buying second hand is mostly about what you check before the money moves. Run a PPSR check on the VIN: it tells you whether there is finance owing on the car, whether it has been written off, and whether it has been reported stolen, and it costs a couple of dollars against a debt that otherwise follows the car to you. Ask for the logbook and match the stamps to the odometer rather than taking the number on its own. Confirm how much registration is left and who pays for the roadworthy or safety certificate, because the rules differ by state and it is worth settling in writing before you agree a price.

Then look at the car itself. Inspect it in daylight and dry weather, take it on a drive long enough for the engine to reach temperature, and listen with the radio off. Check the tyres including the spare, look for mismatched paint and uneven panel gaps, and pull the service history apart for the timing belt or chain, the clutch and anything major that has already been replaced. On anything you are serious about, a pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic or a motoring club costs less than the first repair it saves you.

Every listing sets out the asking price, odometer reading, transmission, fuel type and body style, so you can weigh up cars side by side before you get in touch. Filter by make, model, model year, price, body style and distance from you to narrow the search, then message or call the seller direct. Selling instead? Create a listing, set out the odometer, the service history and the rego, and reach buyers already comparing cars like yours.