With salaries cut and money tight, many people are opting to buy second hand vehicles more than ever.

But there is nothing worse than finding out the vehicle you have just bought has a history of accidents and a range of serious faults that will not pass a roadworthy test.

But how do you not get caught out?

The national director at South African Motor Body Repairer’s Association (SAMBRA), Richard Green has some tips for the non-expert buyer.

Someone short of money but needing a car may overlook shoddy repairs in desperation.

“To the untrained eye, these cars may look acceptable but the moment you have them hoisted up and examined by a professional you would be shocked to find the quality of the repair job and the severity of the previous damage incurred unbelievable,” said Green.

Unfortunately there is no way for the public to check if a car has previously been written off.

According to Green, they have repeatedly appealed to the South African Insurance Association (SAIA) to make this information available for consumers and accredited and reputable dealers alike.

But there is no public register where car VIN numbers can be checked.

“These types of problems and the massive consequential damage they cause could be avoided. The information is routinely forwarded to SAIA from all insurance companies,” said Green.

Green said the entire system, including the registration process, needs a shake-up so that consumers are not landed with poorly repaired and structurally unsafe second hand vehicles.

He has the following advice:

1. If you are buying a second hand car online, ensure you get an accredited repairer or dealer to provide you with an independent assessment.

A full list of accredited SAMBRA and National Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA) members can be found on the RMI website.

If possible, never buy a used car without seeing it and physically inspecting it.

2. SAMBRA and NADA accredited members comply with strict standards and criteria to protect consumers.

3. If you are buying a car privately, ensure you also get an independent assessor to check out the car.

4. Review comments on the company’s website and social media pages and see how people rate their service and quality of product.

“Until a solution can be found and this register is made available from SAIA, we strongly suggest you get your second hand car checked out first by an accredited SAMBRA repair shop to avoid any future problems. Any reputable dealer would have no problem in allowing this.”