If you’re buying a second hand car, it’s important to know your rights in case anything goes wrong. Buyers often feel that they have no come back if the car develops a problem, particularly when buying from a private seller. Some dealers will imply that the car is “sold as seen” and there is no warranty. However, buyers are still protected by the sale of goods act, although there is less protection when buying from a private seller.

When buying from a dealer the car should meet any description given and be of satisfactory quality. The car should be fit for purpose. If the car cannot get you from A to B, for example. If such issues arise within a reasonable time you should be entitled to a full refund or compensation for the cost of repairs.

You have fewer rights when buying a second hand car privately but the sellers must not misrepresent the car and its history. Their description of the car must be accurate so make sure to take note of this when you buy.

When it comes to car repairs, we all like to look for a bargain. No one wants to spend more money than they have to, but sometimes it is not worth skimping on quality to get a cheaper version. Many car companies now offer non genuine car parts. This can be anything from radiators through to exhaust systems and the money you can save by fitting these can be quite a large amount.

If your car is still under manufacturer’s warranty you may find that you have to have the repairs carried out at a main dealer and that you have to have genuine car parts fitted in order not to invalidate the warranty.

If your car is older and you need to get the repair done as cheaply as possible, then non genuine parts are the way to go. You can often research non genuine individual parts to find reviews on them and some garages will tell you the experiences they have had with both.

When your car goes in for an MOT one of the items they check comprehensively is the brakes. The brakes are one of the most important safety features on a car and if they fail or are worn too low, you could end up in a serious collision.

Although the brakes are checked during the MOT process, you should still ensure that you check your brakes regularly as they could require attention before your next MOT is due. Simply pressing your brakes hard (when safe to do so) and checking that you stop in a safe distance is one way to check them but you should take the car to a car repair garage to have them assessed accurately.

Many car garages offer free brake checks, so there is really no excuse not to have this done. Some cars have different braking systems using discs and pads. The pads often wear down quicker and you may find that you need them replacing a number of times before you need to replace the disc.

When your car goes in to a MOT test station it will be checked against the strict MOT laws that have been set out by Vehicle Inspectorate. Any vehicle that is over three years old will be checked to ensure that it meets at least the minimum road safety and environmental standard. Any vehicle over three years old will require a new MOT to be carried out every 12 months.

If your car passes an MOT you may be given a list of advisories. This is a list of work that may require attention over the next twelve months and if they are not done the car is likely to fail when it comes to its MOT. Sometimes there are also advisories to state that they could not check a specific MOT standard such as not able to check the sills on a vehicle due the there being a cover on them.

Once you have a list of the advisories, you could speak to the mechanic at the MOT test station to discuss each one and he should be able to advise you of how soon he believes it will need to be addressed.

Don’t necessarily be put off by a long list of advisories as many of the items may be small and relatively cheap to fix.

We’ve all heard of getting our cars ready for the winter die to poor weather conditions that can make driving hazardous and can cause damage to our vehicles but what most people don’t realise is you need to also be aware of the effects the summer weather can have on your vehicle and how you can look after it to ensure that you’re not left high and dry this summer.

Most modern cars are now fitted with air conditioning and as it’s unlikely that this feature has been used much over the winter months you may want to check its working efficiently. If you notice that the unit is not producing very cool air as quickly as it had in previous times then you may need it re-gassing. This can be done at most car garages and shouldn’t be too costly to do.

Checking fluid levels in your car is particularly important during the summer months as with warmer weather engine temperature can be increased and fluid can evaporate more quickly.

Tyre condition and correct pressures are also a must for your summer check list as increased temperature can make tyres more vulnerable to damage.