Buying A Used Car In Singapore: What Should You Look Out For? | Talking Point | Full Episode
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- čas přidán 27. 07. 2024
- The value of Singapore’s booming used car industry is scheduled to grow over 20% by 2027. And with the amount of used cars sold almost tripling that of new cars registered in 2022, it’s not hard to see why.
But with recent news reports putting the used car industry in a bad light - Many are more suspicious about buying second-hand amidst the increasing number of complaints about the industry. Is it really as bad as it’s made out to be? Is a used car worth the trouble?
0:00 Used car woes
0:57 My bad experience with a used car
3:59 Inside the used car industry
8:09 Sending used cars for testing
12:40 What to check for in a used car
16:37 Protecting yourself when buying used car: Lemon Law
19:39 Did these used cars pass the test?
About the show:
Talking Point investigates a current issue or event, offering different perspectives to local stories and revealing how it all affects you.
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Sold my car to a dealer. Mileage was 130,000km+ when i handed over to them, shortly after i saw their listing of my used car and mileage was at 80,000km+ Magical....
I like how Steven just pretends to not know anything despite him being quite obviously a car enthusiast driving around in a classic Mercedes.
It's meant for the viewers who don't know about all these.
he may be an enthusiast who knows a lot. but he cant just say his point without any evidence or futher look into the situation. that wont make a good episode and people may not trust what he is saying.
Troublesome, how many transfer to first owne to 2nd to 3rd , 4th, Not worth it buying car , another expenses for high cost of living. Riding bus or mrt more safer
yes exactly, he's good
CNA has been churning out quality videos of late. Thanks for the education!!
if want to buy car must do not only PPI, but also get an estimated repair cost for parts that require replacement.
Also, try to only buy from those reputable brands like: republic auto, carro, select etc. Price is only a few thousand higher at most.
Stay away from those small dealerships who can afford to lose their reputation, they will just open another company.
Thanks for the episode CNA.
Go for Pre purchase inspection is important!
But rule of thumb also, always remember to set aside a good 10k for repairs. Not say every dealer is out to scam you, a car is a wear and tear item and things will definitely fail eventually, and many of them can be undetected.
awesome ! thanks for the video
Really love this episode as it examines why some car dealers would go through deep lengths to hide and cover faults since it’s lucrative.
See my comment above - the root cause is because car owners don't bother to maintain their vehicles properly, and stick in crappy cars into the used car markets.
The welded scrap car example however - is an outlier in it's own.
One of the things used car dealers can say are like owner 2nd car seldom driven etc.
rule of thumb if buying used car and want less head ache, buy older japanese or korean cars with lesser electronic parts inside the car, less things will go wrong. Standby a few thousands dollars minimum if buying used japanese or korean cars.
For conti cars especially BMW/AUDI/MERCS , maybe need to standby 5k or more minimum to standby to overhaul parts and change tyres plus engine oil/ ATF fluid etc. Always send for inspection at AAS (Automotive Association of Singapore) for detailed check. Some dealers wont allow you to send to AAS or your preferred workshop, if so walk away.
If buying modified or performance cars more likely than not the car has been whacked like mad before or redlined many times, so need to be prepared in case parts start to break once you take over.
Some people buy performance cars but have never tracked them. These are the good people to buy from and are people who usually take good care of their cars (therefore don’t track their cars).
There are rich people who buy performance and/or supercars not because they like to speed or “whack” then but because it was their dream since young to own one. Plus this is Singapore, how to really “whack” in a country full of speed cameras and hardworking traffic police who love to issue fines!
Love how the show video Steve Chia rolling away in his 50year old Benz for this topic 😁
$400k for new car and COE for $100k, you Singaporeans are getting ripped off. They made cars only affordable to the rich, which in contrast is affordable to middle class in every developed country.
Have you forgotten about the limited land space in your very smart calculation?
@@RetiredEmployee Have you forgotten there are other Asian countries (HK, Taiwan) and high density cities that don't overcharge like the SG government based your very dumb calculation?
Singapore is a very small island state. Basically 724km² only. With limited space it becomes clear that owning a car is a privilege instead of a necessity.
@@maxxibro SG is 2nd most population density per km2 by COUNTRY, but more accurate measure is CITY density which SG doesnt even make it the top 50. My point is the car prices are so outrageous, the real reason is to prevent middle class getting cars and some government officials are getting extremely rich from this is some way
Just walk can already, no need car
I know the feeling of second hand buyers. I had owned a Honda EX Model back in the late 1990’s. It was purchased with the intention for me to use it for work. As I have to drive long distance to different states to service my clients.
Month after month from the 1st month I had problems from faulty brakes and leaks to engine failures and engine broke down and left me in the middle of nowhere in a kampong with no cell signal to call for help.
Therefore, my experience actually taught me that I rather buy a new car then a second hand car where I do not have the headache with issues and is the mechanics can resolve. As my car knowledge is great and would want to get frustrated from a broken down car constantly.
Wow, that sounds like a really tough experience. I'm glad you were able to learn from it and avoid similar situations in the future. It's always best to be prepared and know what you're getting into before committing to something.
Can Talking Point also explore on motorbikes? In Singapore, we are not allowed to legally ride a bike before purchase as we do not have insurance on the bike. Many shops have the rights to deny us test riding. The shop or seller may do some "magic" like cars too before purchase, so viewing may not be sufficient. How do buyer stay safe in used motorbike purchase?
This industry need to be regulated and go through mandatory inspection before handing over to customer
I bought my 2nd car 5 months ago, 2nd hand of course & we don't expect the condition to be the same as a new car. 2 weeks upon driving, My troubles begin. Brake system fails, till i had to slow & stop my car by using the handbrake. Car was in the workshop for 4 days. Now upon repairing, yes I'm able to brake but it just doesn't feel right. Other than that, had suspension issues, damaged lower arm which costs me about 3k to get all of that replaced. Am still not done yet, there are some other parts that needed to be replaced which I'm putting on hold. I contacted the dealer I bought the car from but was simply brushed off & I got blocked by them. So frustrating, paid so much for the car & now have to spend even more for repairs.
how can his workshop checking the car not realise the weld marks??
Best is to pay and get the car inspected by a mechanic, they can put the car on the hoist to check the under carriage for oil,transmission leaks, suspension components ,tires , ball joints n rust. Remember, a used car is a used car,there’s imperfections to the paint,stone chips n then some.
Stressful drivers. All the best for those owning a car in singapore.
To me, things like a pre-inspection is imperative - even when buying from a main dealer. i never drove while I stayed in Singapore (didn't seem worthwhile lol), but I did get my Singapore Driving license - just in case. I am still shocked at the prices - I remember that back in 2014, the 1.6L+ COE was something like S$98,000 - given the
Don’t waste time viewing 3-4 cars, if salesman can match your price then go down view. Standard market is discount 1.5K-2.5K off the selling price of the car. Negotiate for $0 or half of the admin fee to salesman since this money goes to his pocket. Do not accept any of their in-house warranty as they will add more to the car price.
Always do a Used Car Evaluation before purchase !!!
I like the host Steven Chia on his outstanding videos and how well he explains each points in access to the topics he selects
please please please do you research , go to enthusiast forums to get better knowledge of the specific car you want to buy . So ..well.. its a BMW , they are known to eat ignition coil, not all but ( by luck ) , similar to VW 7 speed DSG gearbox failure , not all , but common ( by luck ) , VAG turbo cars tend to drink oil, it is common case, not all . Old cars risk are old electronics & wires + sockets , bad wire grounding , etc etc. fault code , can be erase , but if there's a fault code , it will appear again. Fun facts , most individual car parts on the car have date of manufacturing , so if you left and right headlights are a few years apart.. so you know. :)
Many resale car’s mileage from 2nd car dealers are altered.
Mileage is not a price factor infact, because engine idling cannot be detected via mileage, and a low mileage car could also mean part of its life time could be entering workshops. A reasonable mileage is 15k per year anything too low is skeptical unless its a supercar or like the merc example he used thats not practically driven daily.
I think everyone forgets the fact that all cars come in a "New" state from a car showroom - and then it's subjected to the car owner's maintenance regimen - before it gets pushed into the used car market when the owner decides to sell it.
Not to defend the car dealers, but all these nonsense of "odometer tampering" - what is the root cause? Is it that the car came in a very healthy, roadworthy state, and then the dealer decides to down-clock the odometer to earn more bucks? Of course there is a remote possibility, but very unlikely.
If all cars were offloaded to dealers in that good state - dealers would have NO NEED to engage in odometer tampering - or all those band-aid measures of fixing up the car just so they can sell it.
The fact is that local car owners have a very piss-poor maintenance regimen and scrimp and save on it - to the detriment of the next car owner.
And when that dealer guy takes in the car, he has to "package" it and do all sorts of nonsense just to sell it to the next unsuspecting guy.
I say again: Solve the root cause of the problem - and we will stop hearing all this nonsense of unscrupulous used car dealers.
I like you. I apply the same principle to others things in life. many things are unnecessary but because of sickening people, they make this world just so much more complicated, messy, etc.
sadly, people like us are the very very tiny minority.
Buy from reputable source, and pick a reliable model. Minimize any inconvenience unless u super unlucky.
The best way to tell is from the service records. Otherwise is just a game of poker. Playing with mileage is almost defecto and a simple indication/record of mileage by inspection center would help deter but nobody does it. Very fishy with cars in Singapore costing a fortune most used cars are advertised as low mileage, well taken care, family 2nd car, lady driver, never used as PHV. Some models are 80% likely an ex-PHV. So good luck.
Don’t you know that rich people have multiple cars and most of them sit in the garage and Singapore does have rich lady owners and cars owned by rich people indeed have low mileage most of the time because they’re rich enough to not need to go to office every Mon-Fri.
So if the car was previously owned by a rich family, there’s nothing fishy with its low mileage or maintenance.
i like this episode its more interesting.
I wonder who is the next victim of the BMW lemon"?
Car prices in australia are 20% of SG!
I only buy new cars, so had no idea. Great job CNA!
Steve should review his own car. How he maintain and upkeep his 50 year old Mercs. Very be a very good documentary
old cars are actually simpler. easier for mechanics, less electronics, less sensors, less computer systems.
Never trust mileage lah!
I sold mine off with high mileage, following week on sgc**m**t dealer selling off with mileage halved 😮
Its just crazy that cars are so expensive to own in Singapore
Most dealers say can’t see service record due to PDPA in Singapore.
What’s the stance here ? I don’t understand what service records have to do with PDPA ad they can retract owner details etc
mind you what used car, after 10year renewal is considered 'new' car. price is as good as 2 new cars in other countries.
Dont people send for pre inspection check at workshop??
T+ 10:55 ‘S$103,721 COE for small car with engine 1.5cc and below’!!!
You must be an Ant-Man to drive a miniature car with 1.5cc engine! Ha ha
Steve Standard is Dropping.
This Episode is Whole Bunch of 🐃
Lol good to see Julian from SGcarmart
My 2010 z4 e89 had no problems, lucky me.
But buyer also need to be knowledgeable about the car he or she is going to buy . If you don’t know about what you are buying then buying a lemon is highly possible
hence why, choosing a car dealership is important, check on their google review, when price offer cheaper than market selling, that's a red flag. cheap deal, doesn't mean good deal, good deal don't come cheap. super low mileage is another red flag average car mileage is 15 to 20k a year.. to plat safe send the car to STA inspection, result C & above, don't buy & when dealer do their sales talk, drop it n go else where to buy
Knowing the situation, can anyone suggest what brand of car is a good one to buy?
me, a student with no intention to get a driving license anytime soon watching this:
There should be a center database for all cars. Including accidents, inspectrion and service records.
Info retrieval can be purchased like an Acra report
The service record can be self upload to onemotoring. Motivation is no records means trade in value lower.
So if you are not bothered to upload your service record, you accept a lower value if you sell.
All accident reports should be cc electronically to LTA and stored. The only loophole are those settle ownself but those are usually minor body works.
Mandatory inspection at 3, 5, 7, 9 years etc at Viacom/STA should also be kept in this database.
Everything else in gov service is computerised. Accident reports are still hand written1!! WTF
who will pay for this new division and system?
Incorrect info by the producers its 1.6cc and below for Cat A
5:55 That is not a welded joint, a pro welder can make it seamless even better than the factory's robot welders... it is Epoxy adhesives of the worse kind. To detect this simply pay car inspector $100+ who have tools such as magnets and coating thickness.
in most first world countries, tampering with the mileage of the car is illegal. Why is it not illegal in Singapore?
Topic on air purifier?
In Malaysia, those spoiled egg are everywhere. I personally been buying used cars all the time and to choosing the healthy car indeed need some knowledge. If you don't have it, can engage some specialist to help. My focus is on the mechanical health, functionality and safety aspect, not too much on dents or scratches. Easily can paint them off. In Malaysia we have worst lemon cars around as we have some serious flood recent years. It is riskier than Singapore. The guy who bought the BMW was very old and he shall already learn his lesson. Buy cheap you get save money for the extras problems with it. Study the car and the maintenance expenses for expected potential problem that the model have. So easy nowadays by joining some car clubs, tonnes of information there.
On another note, still Steve Chia's Classic Mercedes is the best. Less feature, less issue. Still going strong despite 50 years old! Haven't listen to his full review yet. I did asked bro Steve to do a video and he replied he is working out something like this with it but no yet for shooting. Looking forward for that video .
Fault codes can be cleared, however, it will remains with the car if the system is faulty. Clearing fault code is not dodgy and fault code is an indicator that sensor isn't working or detecting point of failure.
And cars that are less than 5 years old is more than likely have nothing wrong with them. 😅
I would thoroughly check the interior cause you dont know what kind of disgusting stuff is hidden inside
How much is the inspection
Feel like no dealer will lend the car for inspection if really is fake listing
Always go for a pre purchase inspection before buying!
Not sure how you will do it but no way they will let you bring the car to your workshop😂
@@LordBagdanoff it is a common industry practice now. The moment dealer disallow it means sales is off the table.
So far, the dealers I dealt with, can allow me to send the car to AD workshops (Benz C&C, BMW P.M.) for full car evaluation and plug-in computer to check the car electronics' condition, as well any genuine, OEM or mod parts been used and it's wear & tear condition. They will also provide a proposal list for the items to be changed and the costings, and easy for me to bargain car price with dealer 😊
Republic Auto 👍
steve chia rocks
Please do one for Motorbikes! i am a car guy so i already know what to look out for, please do this same kinda video for motorbikes
40k for a beat 320i, Singapore is weird man, cool place to visit tho
Bad eggs soiling the reputation. How about this when there’s so many bad fruits there must be something wrong with the orchard.
Root of the Problem
Pathetic Weak Laws that protect Consumers
testing with low mileage cars?? Try higher mileage around 50k to 150k.. then we will know whether can pass inspections..
The purpose of the test is to confirm that the cars are in "pristine condition" as advertised by car salesman ......
@@bk71996 if you were to test newer cars, you would also find it to be in pristine condition cus its mainly maintained with AD. Its when you start going out of AD then U start seeing such cars labelled w pristine condition not being pristine at all.
If dealer needs non-refundable deposit for inspection or refused to let u send to workshop of your choice, be very careful.
My opinion: Run!
11:01 - its 1.5 liters not cc. 1.5 liters is 1500cc. LOL.
Is it just me or is that car salesman looking a bit like a younger LKY?
Agent themself pull stunts too..
I drive a 2010 1.4 scirocco.
True that maintenance is impt especially for an older car, but no regrets.
Whenever i look back at my car , it always puts a smile on my face.
Im 26, soo it’s literally a dream come true for me.
It really depends on how the car was taken care of and how u maintain it as well.
Soo far my mileage is 147k , have literally been driving my car everyday for work n fetching my family.
I love my car soo i pay much more attention to it than usual 🙂
My 20 year old E39 530i is worth few thousand pounds here in the UK, I wonder how much it's worth in Singapore?
Based on the info you provided, just to drive another 10 years we need COE, which cost about 80k Euro.
Sold it..hahah.. pass the issue to another owner..that the ex owner does it to him… just goes round & round..
Nonsense. My dealer just claimed wear and tear for oil leak from gearbox.
Could anyone recommend trustworthy car dealers. Thanks in Advance.
I'm in the States and almost all of my close co-worker have a car. I wonder what the percentage of employees at CNA have own cars?
ofc la US car how to compare to SG car LOL. most cars in sg at least 5x the price for the same model
Would you be paying USD 125,000.00 for a Toyota Altis 1.6L Elegance with TSS??? Without Insurance n Road tax. It is at this price in Singapore.
Why review car that are less than 10 years? Review cars more than 10 years la
Buying a second hand cars always poses risk for a person who don’t know much about cars. In my entire life I only bought 4 brand new cars. The rest are second handed because I’m a car guy and I have a specific taste about a particular make and model. So I’d like to think I knew a thing or two(thousand) about cars by spending so much time with mechanics while I was still in motor sports. so I always check the car by myself when I buy a second hands car. And I have seen lots of terrible cars that ended up not buying.
So if you’re not a car person, then you’re better off buying a certified pre-owned car from a reputable car dealer, look especially for a car with some sort of service inclusive package (such as BMW’s BSI) with at least 6-8 months left in their service life. If you want to buy a car from someone then bring your own trusted mechanic to inspect the car and have a private conversation with him after the inspection. At any costs, forego any car over 10 years old even with low mileage because thing will starts to breakdown even if it’s been service properly and parked in garage. Some of my beloved cars, parked in garaged, well maintained, are over a decade old with just 20,000km on odometer but plastic still cracks, rubber still decays, air suspensions still leaks.
And even if you’re a the smartest mechanic, you still missing the clue sometimes. So there’s always a risk.
Btw, my brand new Mercedes imported from Germany also had factory defects.
The guy bought 10 year old BMW what he expect?! BMWs are notorious for reliability issues after 5 years, let alone 10 years. Won’t buy these things second hand.
I bought a 2015 Bmw with 30k on the odometer not a single problem, just have to keep up with good maintenance schedule. 100k with no problems.
@@De-Marteagreed. I got 3 pre owned cars before including a 5 yr old bmw..drove for 4 yrs no problem beyond wear and tear. It’s about getting a trusted workshop for pre-purchase checks and well maintenance after. No fault code at pre purchase check is not enough
Modern German luxury cars are notorious for plastic parts. Lease these timebombs don’t buy
@nateoum1359 yes some are. So good to upgrade the plastic parts
My rule with BMW is sell it before the warranty runs out or if buying a used one it’s almost worth it to buy an extended warranty. A friend bought a 5 yrs old 750 and 1 yr later the transmission went out, he purchased the extended warranty for 5k and the transmission was 10k to replace.
Bruh u bought a “used” “BMW” what do you expect?
the same in the motorcycle industry.
Do you even need a car on Singapore??? The islands the size of my city here in the states
Singapore is a small city-state with a well-developed public transportation system, including buses, trains, and taxis. Many people in Singapore do not own cars and rely on public transportation to get around. However, some people may still find it convenient to own a car, especially if they need to travel to areas not well-served by public transportation or have specific mobility needs. The decision to own a car in Singapore ultimately depends on individual preferences and needs.
Republic Auto! Lol
Don't buy, take public transport full stop.
Scumbag dealers also increase used car prices despite these cars having lowee COEs.
ITS A BMW... 10 years old somemore... then buy a new one la...
This Anderson Ang sold his lemon to someone. Poor dude that he sold it to
That's because the buyer bought a BMW... lol. Different story if he bought a toyota or lexus...
I am grateful to the govt policies. COE is one of her best achievements. 👏👏👏
I find this video is totally misleading ~ surprisingly Steve who drive an old car seemingly knows nothing about cars.
1. Driving to assess the car mechanical/electrical conditions in the open rain??? Only raindrops falling - cannot hear engine performance. I would off aircon n wdw down to hear/feel the engine n gear shifts. I would take a stretch of long road to speed up, turn left/right to check drive shafts, wheel bearings, brakes.
2. Car in showroom ~ check headlights/taillights(difference in colour/hue) suggested replacement n accidents. Check Bonnet - most accident prone ~ screws if original paintwork. Check inseam welding along front to doors to rear boot - dwell in spare tyre well to see original welding. Pull up the rubber casket to reveal original machine “tac welding”- robotic arm with high voltage welding r neat n well spaced X2 doors as well as frames A/B/C pillars. Then engine caps for musky/dirty engine oil or head gasket leaks, main chassis frame n radiator caps for rust. Start the engine, note for engine excessive vibration due engine mountings, rev up engine for tail smoke, on the aircon for coolness, pulley tension.
3. Send car to vicom/inspection entails only checking car road worthiness ~ nothing above is checked. Some knocks n dings ~ normal for used cars.
~ some luck, eg fuel pump, starter motor/brake pumps/ABS/ sensors etc; cannot check. Do you best n set aside extra $$$ for complete servicing, best 1st done a AD.
Your point 3, does it mean that inspection center won’t be able to find out if odometer is tampered with or fault codes are erased?
@@Kadaj34
I don’t actually know ~ someone else’s may answer that. These days’ electronics r the easiest to meddle. I think mileage is the least of concern vs actual visual/guesswork’s of the car. A properly maintained car with higher mileage is better than lower mileage without proper maintenance care ~ this is my logic.
i find it barely touching the surface...
If you have family in Malaysia, I advise to buy new car from Malaysia with malaysian plate then drive in Singapore. It needs to drive back to Malaysia once a month. My family do this for save cost.
what kind of car is worth to buy there?
Singaporean cannot drive a Msia car in SG, iirc
PR and Singaporean are not allowed to drive Malaysian car , CMIIW. and isn't there a daily charge for Malaysian car while in Singapore?
Illegal leh. As long as you are a resident of Singapore you can’t drive a foreign car in Singapore. Later the 5 goondus who liked your post really take your stupid advice. You think you very smart get away with it for a few years but you just need one traffic incident and you lose everything u saved + interest and probably your work permit and your job if you are Malaysian. Or maybe someone don’t like you report you to police.
You can only do that if you're not PR or SC.
Alot of jokers in the 2nd hand car market. Prospective buyers must do full due diligence, cannot be lazy
I bought my 8 year old car 2nd hand 5 years ago... was lucky to go for a direct seller and the condition of the car was good and well maintained. That's an alternative too. Paper work I got it processed with the Sellers car agent, so just had to pay a minimal fee
This is more of a bmw problem than used car problmem😅
Why buy car when u can just use public transport or grab instead. No need go through all the hassle, costs , shady business etc
why stay HDB when you can stay landed?
why work office job when you can be a president?
why stay with a partner when you can have 20 concubines?
smlj, what you talking sia
I've transacted a few used cars previously. Usually I'd prefer just a single previous owner's car & AD car w/ servicing track records, instead going for PI car, although can save bit and get better spec maybe.
I'd also prefer with original paintworks and car condition w/o any critical aftermarket mods. The dealer must allow to send the car to AD workshop (C&C or P.M.) to do full evaluation report, check the car eletronic, wear & tear condition, any genuine, OEM or Mod parts been used, and their proposal items list to be changed, it can be used for price, servicing or repair work bargain later.😊
That's why TCJ have 2 cars, one new, one second hand 😂😂
How about just talk in your native language with English subtitles? It’s like living in a Cajun swamp, where your wife is also your cousin.
I love the insider series
Odometer Roll Back is a VERY Common Practice In Reality, no ?
lol love how all the cars with issues are european as always
BMW is over engineered crap..