Having a second-hand car inspected before purchase

I'm looking for a used car (station wagon) and that scares the hell out of me as I don't know much about cars...'-(
Anybody know of a repair shop that would check possible candidates? Any and all ideas very much appreciated. Sensible offers too ;-)

Karl

bump...? Anybody? How are you dealing with this?

come on, share your experience ;-)

Karl

Hi Karl,

I have an old Passat stationwagon, which I'm thinking of selling. It just passed it's TUV, which is the state inspection. It also has the "green badge" which means you can drive in the city with it. Get in touch with me via PM if you;re interested in taking a look

Ash

TÜV and DEKRA offer inspections/certificates for second-hand cars. The same organizations which also do the general inspections required by the law every 2 years.

If you buy from an official dealer affiliated with a car manufacturer you'll often get a 1 or 2 year used car warranty by the manufacturer. Than you won't need of course an extra inspection.