Vans are versatile vehicles that are suitable for a wide range of utilities in commercial, personal, and public applications. To save costs , many individuals and businesses choose not to purchase new vans ; instead, they opt for used and well-maintained ones and negotiate favorable prices with the dealers. While opting for a pre-owned van can be a cost-effective option, making certain common mistakes may incur financial losses in the long run.

Not inspecting the van thoroughly
Checking a used van for defects, dents, scratches, and other issues is a key part of its pre-purchase phase. One needs to have a good look around, especially for signs of rust on the vehicle. Auto buyers can either do the inspection by themselves or delegate the task to professionals. Even while certain used van faults are difficult to identify, they can cause significant problems to the owners after the purchase. For example, if a prospective used van buyer presses any panel or component of the vehicle and hears faint cracking sounds, the van’s overall build quality and integrity might not be as good as anticipated.

Thorough inspections are useful to find signs of accident damage or repairs on used vans. Additionally, buyers can verify that the van’s tires and wheels are in optimal functioning condition and that the threading or wear patterns on the front and rear wheels are equal. If these things are not visible or constant, there may be an issue with the suspension or wheel alignment . Also, the lights of a vehicle provide a reliable indicator of its electrical health. So, if certain lights are dimming or flickering unevenly, there is a high chance that something is amiss with the used van’s electrical wiring.

It is nearly a given that a used vehicle will eventually develop issues if an examination is not done before its purchase.

Ignoring a malfunctioned transmission
The two most vital elements of any vehicle are its engine and gearbox. The gearbox of a van is utilized to accelerate a packing and moving job that the van is being used for, or pass other vehicles on the road. If a used van has a malfunctioning transmission, the new buyers will have to shell out anywhere between $3,000 and $5,000 to repair it. Buyers need to ensure that the transmission of a used van has the right color and fluid levels in order to prevent incurring such heavy losses. Usually, the fluid is not particularly clean when it has recently been replenished.

A test drive on the highway can also be used to test a used van’s transmission. If it goes between 2,800 rpm and 3,000 rpm, a sensation of running over a rumble strip or shaking of the engine will be clear indicators of a dysfunctional transmission. Before buying a used van, one can even check whether the gear shifts are working.

Not checking the van for carbon leaks
Carbon leakage from the engine areas of a vehicle will require about $1,000 to $1,500 in repairs. The repairs may include pulling fuel injectors, cleaning threads, and installing new copper washers, among other things. Testing the van for carbon leaks is easy. All one needs to do is unscrew the bolts on the engine cover and inspect the area around the fuel injectors. A hard carbon buildup can be easily noticeable as it will show itself as a hard coal-type substance. Essentially, if a van has carbon leaks, it is quite dangerous for the sustainability of the environment as well as the reliability of the vehicle itself. This is why , if possible, buyers must stay away from used vans that come with carbon leakage-related issues.

Not checking the van for blown head gaskets
Blown head gaskets in vans take anywhere between $3,000 and $10,000 to repair. Buyers who overlook this issue before purchasing a used van may end up paying about $250 to $450 for the gasket itself and the remaining exorbitant amount for the labor involved in the process .

One can detect this issue by checking for coolant leaks on a used van. Weakened coolant hoses, water pump leaks, or damaged radiators are the source of coolant leaks. Additionally, coolant leaks are among the most common symptoms of poorly maintained vans.

Not taking a test drive
Needless to say, this is a universal mistake that any used vehicle owner can make. Buyers who are in a hurry or are just disinterested in the exhausting buying process proceed with purchasing used vehicles before opting for a test drive session. This is generally a bad practice as it can result in buyers not knowing the salient features and, more importantly, the damaged or dysfunctional parts of the used van. Test drives provide buyers with relevant information on how well-maintained a used vehicle is and how well it can handle different driving terrains. During a test drive, one can check the performance of a vehicle’s engine, how well its air-conditioning system is working, how maintained or damaged the used van’s brakes are, how smoothly its doors function, and also the optimal functioning of the infotainment system, if there are any and similar other details.