Mumbai is one of the cities which require a car for commutes. Public transport is very expensive in Mumbai and also travelling on the local trains can be quite uncomfortable. Unless the monorail and metro railway in Mumbai connect all areas of the city well, going from one place to another can take hours. Moreover, most localities are quite far from one another in the city. Hence, you need to be prepared to spend a lot when it comes to commutes.

If you are short on budget but want a car for commuting between different areas, then you can think of getting a used car. Unlike new cars, there are a lot of dos and don’ts when you think of used cars. This is a guide to help you through the process.

Deciding upon a model

When you think of a model to buy, consider your budget, daily usage, driving habits, parking space etc. Go through the reviews, opinions, prices and tech specs of various cars. Choose a model which matches your image and lifestyle. You can also test drive a few of the selected models to see which suits you. When deciding upon the car to buy, make sure you consider the age of the vehicle.

Options of Payment

If you want to borrow money from a finance company to buy the car, look for good companies, their monthly repayment options and interest, length of the loan period and compare them with your budget. Do not be lured by the various advertisements that are shown by financing companies. Consider the amount that you have to pay back to the lending company before coming to a decision.

Where to buy your used car?

Used cars can be bought from various locations: individuals who want to sell their old car, dealers who sell both old and new cars, pre-owned and second hand car showrooms etc. It is advisable for you to buy your used car in Mumbai from a dealer rather than a pre-owned car dealer. These cars are inspected regularly and also they have maintenance and service warranty. You may also ask for a pollution and tax test. However, you must verify the number of years this dealer has been in the business and get references from the people who have bought their cars from here.

If you are thinking of buying your car from an individual seller, then you can look up newspapers and other classifieds. Enquire into the age of the car, the reason for selling it off, whether it has been in any accident etc. You should also get the car inspected by a professional mechanic. However, the car will be sold to you on an “as is” basis i.e. you do not get any service or maintenance warranty.

What kinds of cars should you buy?

When you have test driven the kind of car that you want to buy, you should look into the following aspects:

1. Registration of the car- Go for cars which are 3 to 5 years old and have travelled between 14,000 and 20,000km.
2. Age of the car- Look at the odometer reading for calculating the manufacturing of the car. However, you must remember that odometers can be tampered with.
3. Engine- The engine of the car that you choose to buy must have a smooth start. An engine that has been maintained well should not produce uncommon sounds or black and blue smokes at the time of acceleration. Check if the exhaust pipe spouts oil.
4. Condition of the tyres- If the tyres are not up to the mark, you can bargain up to Rs 1000. Look for the alignment and wear and tear in the tyres. Check the springs, bushings and sounds of the bearings. Getting bearing changes can be quite expensive.
5. Bonnet- Check whether the car’s bonnet is ok or not and whether it has been repainted. Acid wear and tears around battery areas are also something that you should check up. It shows that the previous owner did not maintain the car well.
6. If the battery of the car is old, you can further bargain for Rs 2,500 for the car.
7. Check the electrical components, dippers, lighting, hind and cabin lights etc. Take the car out for a spin in the afternoon to see how the AC is functioning, particularly around slopes.

Documents required for it

Before buying used cars in Mumbai, you must check all the documents. You should always ask the seller for registration papers. For the purpose of transferring the ownership of the vehicle these papers are needed. The certificate shall also give the chance to the buyer for confirming the vehicle’s ownership.

Blue Book – You have to check whether the car’s blue book is duplicate. Look up the RTO for more authentications. The chassis and engine number need to match those with the ones mentioned in the registration papers. The registration’s state has to be mentioned in your papers. The state which has been mentioned needs to be the same as the state where you want to drive the car. If it is not then you need to make sure there is a transfer of the name of the state. Look for the RTO Tax Receipt.

Insurance Certificate – It is one of the most important parts of a car’s documents. You need to look for previous accident claims. This document is also required for transferring by the RTO.

Pollution under Control Certificate – Important for the transfer of ownership name

Municipality or BMC certificate – This certification is needed in case the car has been registered in an area under a municipality.

Road Tax – Make sure that your seller provides you with papers which are for road tax and that all the payments have been cleared prior to selling the car to you.

No Objection Certificate – The NOC is most important as it is issued by a finance company. If the car that you intend to buy was bought with finance from a company, then this is required. The NOC will ensure that the finance institution do not have any claim to the car anymore.

Form 3 – This is another form that the financer has to sign and you need to retain this safely.

Depending on the car you buy, there may be further documents that you require.