The car should be inspected clean, in the light and not in a cramped garage, but in a spacious room or outdoors. This way you have a better chance to see the imperfections of the paint coating, possible traces of accidents and body repairs.

It is dangerous to examine your car in the underground parking place, with dim artificial light: you may easily miss the defects. If your car is parked close to other cars or a fence, ask to move it to an open area. If the car is dirty, ask the seller to wash it. A normal seller will not mind. Perhaps the seller will mind, because in winter in muddy weather cars get dirty literally in a day, and it is expensive to wash the car before every showing.

The body is one of the key elements of a car. Your safety depends on its condition. A body that has been repaired after a serious accident is unpredictable in a second accident. At the same time, a minor accident where only the attachments are damaged is not critical to the body.

One way to check that the body is intact is to look at the bolts that hold the parts together. Sometimes the bolts are painted to hide signs of tampering after a part has been replaced. To determine the actual condition, run your fingers over the surface of the bolt. If it is factory-made, it will be smooth and free of scuffs. If it has been unscrewed, there will be marks on it. The same goes for the inside of the fender - in factory condition it is smooth and even.

The condition of the interior can often be used to determine the mileage of the car. Usually it is given by the wear and tear of the steering wheel, pedals and seats.

Sometimes, in order to hide the high mileage, sellers change all the elements in the cabin, which show signs of intensive use: the driver's seat, the gear lever, the dashboard buttons, upholstery and so on.