Symptom index
What that noise, light or leak actually means
Ten symptom guides built from the faults we already document across the model library · what each one usually points at, how to check it on the forecourt, and every model where it is a known problem.
Noises & rattles
Engine noises and rattles
Noise is the cheapest early warning a used car gives you. The same rattle can be a loose heat shield or a stretched timing chain, so the useful question is when it happens · cold, warm, under load or on lock.
217 models documented
Warning lights
Dashboard warning lights on a used car
A warning light on a forecourt car is either a cheap sensor or the reason the car is on the forecourt. You cannot tell which by looking, so read the codes before you talk money.
147 models documented
DPF, EGR & emissions
DPF, EGR and emissions problems
Emissions hardware fails on short-journey diesels, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car next. The history tells you more than the car does.
137 models documented
Overheating
Overheating on a used car
Overheating is the fault most likely to turn a cheap car into a scrapped one. It is also one of the easiest to spot in ten minutes if you know where to look.
66 models documented
Leaks
Oil and fluid leaks on a used car
Almost every older car weeps somewhere. The question is whether it is a seal you can live with or the first sign of a strip-down.
92 models documented
Judder & vibration
Judder and vibration on a used car
Judder is directional: what it does and when tells you whether you are looking at a tyre balance or a gearbox out.
75 models documented
Starting problems
Starting problems on a used car
A car that has been on charge before you arrive starts perfectly. Insist on the cold start and you will learn more than any advert tells you.
9 models documented
Rust & corrosion
Rust and corrosion on a used car
Rust is the one fault that gets worse while the car sits still. Cosmetic bubbling is a haggling point; structural corrosion is a walk-away.
96 models documented
Smoke & oil use
Exhaust smoke and oil consumption
Colour tells you what is burning. A puff on start-up and a haze at every throttle opening are very different conversations.
25 models documented
Electronics & sensors
Electrical and sensor faults on a used car
Electrical faults are the modern equivalent of rust: hard to price, easy to hide, and increasingly the most expensive thing on a ten-year-old car.
232 models documented