Buying a car is always an exciting experience, and whether it’s new or used, there are many different great value buys on the market today. Having said that, there is something you should be aware of if buying used cars, and that’s the risk of gearbox problems. Indeed, the used car costs less in the first place, but when you have gearbox problems to deal with, you’re inevitably going to find it costs a lot more.

New cars on the other hand are always going to stand a better chance of working efficiently without the need for too many repairs. If they are hot off the production line then there shouldn’t really be an issue with anything as serious as the gearbox. Another popular choice is to buy nearly new cars that are considered to be ‘run in’ and tested to make sure they work fine. Realistically, a new car could have problems as nothing is set in stone, but there is definitely only a small chance of this. Naturally, used cars will have a higher mileage and that means the car has been put through the mill a bit more so there’s a greater risk.

The basic principle here is that the more you use something, the likelier it is to break. As much as you love your 10 year old car, you have to bear in mind that gearbox problems are going to be likely. Look out for signs like sounds that might indicate the gearbox is faulty. Don’t leave the suspected gearbox problem. You could find that you end up paying a lot more if you don’t get the gearbox sorted ASAP.

Gearbox problems can be costly to repair, so the best advice is to make sure you do a test drive of the car before you buy it. Make sure there isn’t anything untoward with the gearbox, the main functioning part of the car. Have a chat with the salesman to get his expert opinion too.