Find out the correct and up-to-date steps involved in purchasing a car in Kenya, from setting a budget (how much) to make a decision (what are your needs and preferences)? What do you need to know about performing due diligence checks? , How and when do you make payments? up until the car handover—where and when does the transaction take place? Finally, when is the greatest time to transfer ownership?
Here is some advice on purchasing used cars in Kenya.
1. Identify The Type Of Car You Want
The type of car to choose depends on necessities like space, business use, family use, and personal preferences on topics like car brand and model, spare parts availability, road type, car size, engine capacity (CC), sitting capacity, and desired colours.
Interior (leather or fabric seats, black, white, brown, or mahogany finish, for example) alloy or steel rims You could be looking for a vehicle with a sunroof or a roof rack. Whatever dreams you have, they are valid.
Choose the least amount of wear and tear you are ready to endure because secondhand cars won’t be perfect.
2. Plan Budget
Finding the right car that meets your demands within a realistic price range is what makes a car affordable, not how much you are ready to spend.
Ascertain your financial situation and the amount you can borrow. What kind of budget do you have for a car? A decent offer ought to be one you can quickly and easily pay off.
A secondhand car shouldn’t cost too much money. Also, avoid taking on debt to purchase a car unless you have a reliable source of income and a repayment plan.
Borrowed funds (loans), savings, or gifts from a parent, friend, spouse, or backer are the most common sources of funds for a car purchase.
Don’t spend all of your savings because buying a car entails additional costs.
3. Searching for The Car Of Your Choice
When you know what features you want in a car and how much you can spend, it’s time to search the vehicle.
![SBI Car Yard In Nairobi](https://www.kenyastatenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/images-60-300x225.jpeg)
Read reviews on the automobile models you’ve chosen to learn more about how the car operates, what kinds of issues it typically encounters, how efficient it is, and whether there have been any recalls.
first, check online to see what is available. You can access numerous websites by simply typing “cars for sale in….. (country of purchase)” and a variety of results will appear. Search the numerous websites to find vehicles that suit your preferences.
As soon as you find a car you like, contact the seller directly; most postings include phone numbers and email addresses.
View as many cars as you can, take your time, and carefully inspect the exterior and interior of each one.
4. Due Diligence
Once you’ve decided on a vehicle, have it inspected by a reputable mechanic, such as AA Kenya or Toyota Kenya. You will be informed of the vehicle’s operational status as well as the selling price.
![AA Car Valuation Company](https://www.kenyastatenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Screenshot_20220626-1946442-233x300.png)
The car’s logbook should be requested from the owner. Through a log book, ownership is established. You can prove the person selling the car is the true owner by obtaining a duplicate and showing that they are.
To confirm the information in the logbook, use the vehicle’s registration number to conduct an online logbook car search. This proves that the taxes on the car have been fully paid and that the engine and chassis numbers haven’t been altered. By doing this, you can ensure that the vehicle hasn’t been utilized for theft or unlawful purposes in the nation. For this search, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) charges 500/=.
Take a test drive
- Check the vehicle’s blind spots to see if there are any.
- Check the car’s handling to see if it can make quick turns.
- Check the gears to see if they are functioning properly.
- Check the gears to see if they quickly “catch” and apply the brakes.
- Noise: Pay attention to the cabin’s noise.
5. What to look for when estimating a car’s cost
- Make Mercedes, BMW, Mazda, Subaru, Honda, Nissan, Toyota, and so on. Toyota vehicles are typically pricey because their durability is well-known.
- Sedan, pick-up, van, bus, truck, SUV, station wagon, etc. are examples of body types.
- whether it is brand-new or used
- Mileage is the total distance a used car has travelled since the original purchaser purchased it.
- Age: The age of the vehicle as of its production and registration.
- CC: The engine’s capacity. how much fuel an automobile uses over a specific distance
- Transmission: Whether it is manual or automated
- Fuel: Whether it uses gasoline or diesel.
- 4 wheels or two-wheel drive.
6. Letter of Agreement
Create a sale agreement. You as the purchaser, a witness, and the seller of the vehicle all sign the sales contract.
7. Payment
Pay with a bank check or bank transfer to serve as payment proof.
8. Change in ownership
To begin an online transfer of ownership through the NTSA TIMS platform, obtain a copy of the seller’s PIN and identification document(ID). Here, the logbook transfer form is filled out, and your name is entered as the buyer along with other information. For the transfer of ownership to be accomplished, pay the purchase tax and transfer fee.
9. Vehicle Insurance
Last but not least, purchase car insurance coverage from a company you prefer. Compare the premium rates offered by each provider before choosing the one you can afford to pay as agreed.
However, you can opt to import a car from Japan and get it shipped to Kenya.