If you buy a second hand car with no service history you’re taking a gamble on a number of things but an important thing to consider is the cam belt. The cam belt drives the cam shaft that regulates the engines inlet and outlet valves, if the belt snaps there is the potential for several components in and around the combustion chamber to be damaged. The engine will at the very least be inoperable until the belt is replaced and there could be serious repairs to be made.

Happily, many engine feature chains instead of belts, but if your car has a cam belt fitted and you don’t know whether it has been changed at the appropriate service schedule (usually around 60,000 miles) you may want to get it booked in. Though a cam belt isn’t usually that cheap due to the amount of labour required, it’s certainly cheaper and more convenient than a break down with the accompanying recovery and repair costs