Used-car purchase agreement: what to put in it

What always goes in

• Name and address of buyer and seller, date and signatures.
• Plate, VIN, make, model and colour.
• The odometer reading at delivery.
• The price, and whether it is fixed.
• How and when you pay. With a business a deposit is at most 50% of the price; ask for proof of payment.
• The delivery date, and whether it is fixed or an estimate.
• What comes with it: keys, service book, accessories, agreements such as a tow bar.
• Conditions, as precisely as possible: for example that the sale only goes ahead after a passed pre-purchase inspection or if your financing comes through.
• The business’s general terms (such as BOVAG terms): read them before you sign.

From your CarXray report

The used-car report prepares these points for your car, under ‘Buying this car?’.

• APK valid until [date]; if it is nearly or already expired, agree that the seller arranges a new APK before delivery.
• An open recall is carried out before delivery, with proof from the dealer.
• An A-problem from the last APK has been repaired; the invoice comes with the sale.
• The seller states what they know about the model’s weak spots (for example when the suspension or brakes were replaced).
• Known damage and defects are on paper.

With a private seller

You have no consumer guarantee. If something turns out to be wrong later, you must prove the defect was already there or that the seller knew. What is on paper helps. A line such as ‘sold as seen’ limits your options: read carefully what you sign. Dealer or private seller: the differences