Everyone who is in the market to buy a used car has sat in a car at some point or another. This usually makes people comfortable with the interior of a car. Regardless of how comfortable you are, here are nine things you need to check before you buy any used car:

1. If the car you are buying has seats that are fitted to fold down (like the back seats), make sure that they actually fold down and fold back up into place.

2. Look at the mileage on the odometer. Hopefully it matches what is being advertised. What is most important is to ensure that you are comfortable with the odometer reading.

3. Shake and bounce the corners of the car. This is a good test of the shock absorbers. You can do this by walking around the car and pushing down on the corners.

4. It is so common that it is almost a cliche, but walk around the car and kick the tires a little. Seriously.

5. How does the car look? If it looks like the car has been repainted, find out why. If the paint is covering up an old accident, you should know in case there are related mechanical issues.

6. Smell the car. If you sniff under the seats, the floor mats, and around the carpet you will be able to detect if there is mildew or anything else that might be amiss.

7. Here's another simple one: make sure the horn works.

8. Check the gauges, the steering wheel, and your view from the driver's seat. If this car does not work for you, find out before you buy it ..

9. Look at the VIN (vehicle identification number) plates and make sure they have not been altered. If they look like they have been changed, do not buy the car.

There you have nine tips for inspecting the interior of a used car. Be sure to use them when you go used car shopping!

Article originally published at Source by Michael M Thomas