I suggest that anyone buying a used car ask to see the owner’s manual.
If you are handed the original owner’s manual, good, but if you are handed an original owner’s manual with a few oily finger prints all over it, better. It means they have been taking care of their car.
I would be very worried about a car that the owner did not have a owner’s manual and even more worried if they could not understand why you would care.
That’s excellent advice, Joseph. Thank you.
In addition, I suggest asking to see maintenance records, if the owner has them. Most don’t, but some do. I’m always more interested in a used car that comes with records of past maintenance.
I wouldn’t buy a used car that didn’t come with an owner’s manual. I always read my car’s manual, cover to cover, when I acquire a car, and then get it out and read it again every few years, because I forget things.
Sadly, most vehicle owners never read the owner’s manual. If they did, we wouldn’t have to answer so many questions.
That Is One Of Many Things I Check When Buying A Used Car. It Helps “Paint A Picture”.
I don’t care for the oily fingerprints, though. I usually only handle my car’s manual with clean hands. I keep an additional copy in the house with the Factory Service manual. I like to see that the spare tyre and jack have never left the trunk (boot?), also.
I wish cars laws were more like airplanes (aeroplanes) which are required to have an operator’s manual and an engine and airframe service log book on board.
From the olden days when odometer resets were more common look at the wear on the brake pedal as that will indicate weather it was a lot of stop and go or highway miles, my second is to rub my finger on the inside of the tailpipe when cool, tan and no smell is good, black and oil or gas smell is not good, be aware of how tight the vehicle is, sloppy stopping, steering, in and out of gear performance are good indicators of trouble to come, lastly pay for an analysis of conditions by a reputable mechanic, it is a small investment compared to the potential rewards.