Is there any way to know or have an idea of how well a vehicles fluids were maintained? If you go to check a used car and the fluids are new then how can you know if someone tried to hide old/badly maintained fluids or just did regular maintenance before they sold it? (Engine oil/Trans fluid). Like I would expect a reasonable used car dealer to at least do a engine oil change for a customer before sale so I wouldn’t immediately think that was a sign of hiding something, just a courtesy really. So courtesy or rip-off?
Ask to see the maintenance records for the vehicle.
Not really.
But there are clues. Loss of cylinder compression, slipping transmission, cruddy cooling system, whining power steering , squishy brakes etc.
If there's a dipstick for both the transmission fluid and oil, you can get some idea of the current state of those fluids. That doesn't mean that they were regularly serviced though. Things like rear and front axle fluids and transfer box fluids aren't as easy to inspect. Brake fluid, power steering fluid and coolant will need to be tested to see what condition they are in. If you can get a maintenance record you'll have to decide whether or not to trust its accuracy and completeness. Probably would be best to hire a mechanic to inspect the vehicle before signing any sales documents. Kind of a hassle but it's cheaper than being stuck making payments on a lemon.
