Buying a second hand car is always a risk. You never really know exactly what condition it is in and how much you will need to spend on it in terms of repairs etc. If you own an older car or car with high mileage there may come a time when repair work costs more than the value of the car. If this happens you will have to make the hard decision as to if you are going to fork out for the repairs or if you’re going to scrap it and start again. If you have already spent a fair bit of money on it previously then you may decide it is worthwhile getting it fixed.

It may be that you do not have the funds to buy a new car so even though you know the car is not worth repairing you may find you have little option.

If you are spending less than £2000 on a car then the chances are it will need work doing on it in the very near future. Sometimes it is worth spending money on a car and keeping it as you then know what has been replaced and what is likely to need doing.

Financing a car is another way you can get a newer one, but you will often be charged interest on this and need to factor that in.