Wednesday , May 21 2025

Used car buying – the facts

The average Brit spends 27 hours purchasing a used car and buys seven in a lifetime, according to new research.

In the age of technology and speedy click to buy purchases, the second-hand car buying process is stuck in the slow lane.

Even after travelling an average of 48 miles and attending four viewings, two-thirds (68%) of buyers are disappointed with their purchase.

Top reasons for dissatisfaction include:

  • Car not worth the asking price (54%)
  • It didn’t drive well (28%)
  • Car looked worse than its photos (28%)
  • Bodywork was in bad condition (24%)
  • Tatty interior (22%)
  • Car was going to need more work than expected (21%)
  • Owner seemed dodgy (20%)

Furthermore, 13% had to have unexpected work done to the vehicle and 10% said their new wheels broke down within a month.

New online used car retailer Carspring, which conducted the survey, aims to transform the way people buy and sell second hand cars by delivering a fully inspected car directly to your doorstep within a week of purchase – and buyers have a 14-day money back guarantee if they’re not fully satisfied so there’s plenty of time to test drive.

About Gareth Herincx

Gareth is a versatile journalist, copywriter and digital editor who's worked across the media in newspapers, magazines, TV, teletext, radio and online. After long stints at the BBC, GMTV and ITV, he now specialises in motoring.

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2 comments

  1. It’s really true that, whenever you go ahead with a decision of buying a used car or old car for that matter, you must inspect it thoroughly. That’s because both the life and mileage of the vehicle depend a lot on its initial usages.

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