A used microcar can be the most sensible vehicle on the street: pennies to run, easy to park, simple enough to service on a driveway. It can also be a slow-burning money pit. Many of these cars were built in small numbers, with composite panels bolted over modest steel structures and a parts supply that ranges from fine to frustrating.
The inspection below takes about half an hour. Bring a torch, a tire pressure gauge, an old rag, and a phone with a camera. Work through the twelve checks in order, and take a friend if you can — two sets of eyes catch twice as much.
1. Rust and the Hidden Structure
Start underneath and work outwards. On most microcars the body panels are plastic or composite, which means the visible shell can look flawless while the steel underneath has been quietly dissolving for years. Panels are cheap to ignore; structure is not.
- Rust in the structure: sills, floor pans, the metal under the pedals and seat mounts, subframes, suspension mounting points, the rear axle, battery tray, jacking points and seatbelt anchorages.
- Fresh underseal: a tidy new line of it usually ends exactly where the problem starts.
Tap suspect areas with the handle of a screwdriver. Sound steel rings; filler and rot answer with a dull thud. A small magnet helps too, though it slides off curved plastic and thick filler, so treat it as a hint rather than a verdict. If you can get the car on a ramp or over a pit, do it — this is the single most valuable ten minutes of the whole inspection.
2. Panels, Glass and Water Leaks
Walk around the car in flat daylight and look along each flank. Mismatched paint, uneven shut lines, a door that sits proud of the wing, or new bolts on one side only all hint at accident repairs. Check window rubbers and panel gaps for overspray.
Then get inside and hunt for water leaks. Microcars have large glass areas, thin seals and, often, hatches that have been slammed a few thousand times. Lift the carpets where you can, press the underlay, and check behind the seats, in the boot floor and around the spare wheel well. A musty smell, misted windows on a dry day or water stains on the headlining tell you the same story. Damp interiors rot floor pans and kill electrics.
3. Battery Health and Charging
If the car is electric, the pack is the most expensive thing on it and the one item you cannot judge from a walkaround. Ask for a state of health figure, not just the state of charge. If the seller doesn't know it, a specialist can often read it in minutes, and it is worth paying for.
- How old is the pack, and is it lithium or lead-acid? Older lead-acid packs age faster and need replacing sooner.
- Has the car sat unused at low charge for long periods? That is hard on any battery.
- Does it charge properly on the cable supplied, and is that cable actually included?
Run your eyes over the charge port and connectors: scorched or discoloured pins, a melted-looking housing or cracked insulation on the cable are all reasons to walk away. Check the small 12V auxiliary battery too. It fails like any other, and a weak one causes a surprising range of electrical gremlins. Finally, drive it far enough that the range display moves — a short loop around the block tells you almost nothing.
4. Tires and Wheels
Small wheels wear quickly, bend easily and are sometimes an odd size that isn't stocked locally. Check the tires when cold.
- Tread: 1.6 mm is the legal minimum in the UK and many European countries across the central three-quarters of the tread. Anything under 3 mm is a job to budget for.
- Age: look for the four-digit date code on the sidewall — for example 2319 means the 23rd week of 2019. Rubber hardens and cracks with age, and low-mileage cars kept outdoors often have original tires with plenty of tread and no grip.
- Matching: all four should be the size shown on the car's plate, ideally the same brand and pattern.
- Wear pattern: uneven wear across a tire points to alignment or worn suspension.
- Spare or kit: many microcars carry sealant and a compressor rather than a spare. Make sure whatever should be there is there, and in date.
Look at the wheels as well. Kerb damage and flat spots from potholes are common, and a buckled rim shows up as a vibration at speed.
5. Brakes, Steering and Suspension
Press the brake pedal with the car stationary: it should feel firm and consistent, not long or spongy. Check the fluid reservoir — dark fluid usually means it hasn't been changed in a long time. Then look at the hoses and rigid lines for corrosion, and remember many microcars still run drum brakes at the back, so ask when they were last adjusted or rebuilt.
Find a quiet stretch of road and brake firmly from a moderate speed. The car should stop straight without pulling or pulsing. Over speed bumps, listen for knocks and clunks; on a flat road, check it tracks straight without constant correction. With
Photo: Gustavo Fring / Pexels
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