How to Determine if the Car You Bought is New

[VonEmma]

Here are the methods to determine if a car is new: 1. Check the nameplate on the passenger side, which shows the production date. For domestic cars, it should not exceed 3 months, and for imported cars, it should not exceed six months; otherwise, it's a stock car. 2. Look at the odometer; it should not exceed 50 kilometers. If you suspect the dealership has tampered with the odometer, feel the exhaust pipe for black residue, which indicates the car has been driven more than 50 kilometers. You can also pull out the oil dipstick to check if the oil is murky. 3. Inspect the production date of the tires. There are four consecutive numbers on the tire: the first two digits represent the week of production (i.e., the week of the year), and the last two digits represent the year, e.g., 18 for 2018. For example, 2518 means the tire was produced in the 25th week of 2018. After determining the tire's production date, check if it matches the production date on the passenger side nameplate. 4. Examine the production date of the glass. It should not be later than the car's overall production date. At the lower corner of the car glass, there are many English letters, and at the very bottom, there are small dots and numbers. The dots represent the month, and the numbers represent the year. If the dots are before the number, it indicates production in the first half of the year; subtract the number of dots from 7 to get the production month. If the dots are after the number, it indicates production in the second half of the year; subtract the number of dots from 13 to get the month.