Used-car inspection checklist
Thailand's monsoon season floods thousands of cars every year — many resurface on the used market. Use this free checklist before buying.
🌊 Flood-damage signs (รถน้ำท่วม)
- ✓Musty / mildew smell, or a strong air-freshener masking it
- ✓Water/mud lines or silt in the spare-wheel well, under carpets, inside the boot
- ✓Rust on seat rails, seatbelt bolts, door hinges, or under-dash brackets
- ✓Foggy or water-marked headlights/tail-lights; condensation inside lenses
- ✓Dirty residue in hard-to-clean spots: under seats, behind trim, fuse box
- ✓Mismatched or brand-new carpets/seats on an otherwise old car
- ✓Electrical gremlins: flickering dashboard, intermittent windows/infotainment
💥 Accident-history signs
- ✓Uneven panel gaps; paint overspray on rubber seals or trim
- ✓Bolts on fenders/bonnet that show tool marks (re-fitted panels)
- ✓Paint thickness varies (a cheap paint-depth gauge helps)
- ✓Welding marks or fresh underseal in the engine bay / chassis rails
- ✓Tyres worn unevenly (possible bent suspension/alignment)
📋 Before you pay
- ✓Check the registration book (เล่มทะเบียน) — owners count, matching VIN
- ✓Match the VIN/engine number on the car to the book
- ✓Insist on an independent inspection (ตรวจสภาพ) at a neutral garage
- ✓Test-drive cold-start, brakes, A/C, all electronics, in the rain if possible
- ✓Be wary of prices well below market — flood cars are often 'too cheap'
Educational guide. Always get a professional inspection before purchase.