The short answer
Drive it yourself for at least twenty to thirty minutes: from a cold start, in town, on the motorway and on a rough road. Turn the radio off and listen to the engine, gearbox, brakes and suspension. Afterwards leave the engine running, look under the car for drips and read the fault memory. If the seller will not let you drive, do not buy.
The essentials
- Ask for the engine to be cold when you arrive, and drive it yourself for at least twenty minutes.
- Radio off: noises, vibrations and smoke are the information you are looking for.
- After the drive look under the car, restart it warm and read the fault memory.
Before you start the engine
Ask the seller to leave the car cold until you arrive. Touch the bonnet: if it is warm, someone has already run the engine, and a warm engine hides hard starting, noises and smoke.
- Turn the key without starting: every warning light must come on, including the airbag light. A light that never comes on may have been disconnected.
- Start the engine: it must fire straight away, and the lights must go out within a few seconds.
- Listen to the first seconds: a lasting metallic rattle can be the timing chain.
- Watch the exhaust, or ask someone to: blue or thick smoke that does not clear is not normal.
The route: five parts in thirty minutes
- In the car park: at walking pace turn the wheel fully left and right, and try reverse, the parking sensors and the camera.
- In town: pulling away and stopping, gear changes, brakes at low speed, air conditioning on cold.
- On the motorway or a dual carriageway (100 to 130 km/h, as signposted): the wheel must stay calm and the car run straight. Try the cruise control too.
- Brake hard on an empty road with nobody behind you: the car must stop straight and without shaking.
- On a rough road and uphill: suspension noises, a hill start and the handbrake.
What to listen for and what it means
Turn the radio off and close the windows for part of the route. The most common signs and their likely cause:
| Sign | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Steering wheel shakes under braking | Warped brake discs |
| Car pulls to one side | Alignment, tyres or accident damage |
| Clunks over potholes | Suspension: shock absorbers, control arms or their bushes |
| Clicking at full steering lock | Drive shaft joints |
| Hum that grows with speed | Wheel bearing |
| Revs rise, speed does not | Worn clutch |
| Black smoke when accelerating, diesel | Injectors, turbo or exhaust system |
Automatic and DSG gearboxes
An automatic gearbox repair is among the most expensive on any car, so look especially closely here:
- From P to D and R: the gear must engage quickly and smoothly, without a jolt and without a long pause.
- Pulling away at walking pace: on a DSG, judder or a jolt when moving off points to the clutch or the mechatronics unit.
- Accelerating: gears must change without a jolt. If the revs rise without the car pulling, the gearbox is slipping.
- Ask when the gearbox oil was last changed. Wet-clutch DSGs and many automatics have a fixed interval; for the dry 7-speed DSG the maker specifies none.
After the drive: the last five minutes
- Leave the engine running and look under the car: drops of oil, coolant or gearbox oil.
- A sweet smell points to coolant, a burnt smell to oil or the clutch.
- The temperature gauge belongs in the middle, and the fan must switch on.
- Switch off and restart warm: it must fire straight away again.
- Read the fault memory with a diagnostic tool. If it was just cleared, that often shows, and you should ask why.
When the seller will not let you drive
Insurance is the usual excuse. Suggest the seller drives the first part with you beside them, then you drive on a quiet road with them in the car. If they refuse that too, an undriven car is a blind purchase.
Write down everything you find on the drive. Each point is an argument with an amount when you negotiate, and if the seller will not let you drive, do not buy.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a test drive be?
At least twenty minutes, thirty is better. Many faults only show once the engine and gearbox are fully warm, and only at motorway speed.
Who pays if there is an accident during the test drive?
The car’s TPL insurance covers damage you cause to others, not damage to the car itself. Without comprehensive cover, that usually falls on whoever caused the accident. So agree on it before you set off and drive carefully. You need a valid licence: without one the insurer can claim the damage back.
Can I test drive a car with foreign plates?
Usually only with the owner in the car. According to the Interior Ministry, a Kosovo citizen may not drive a diaspora owner’s foreign-registered car without the owner present, and an authorisation is not accepted. The exception is someone who holds residence in the car’s country of registration and an authorisation from that country. The rules have been fully enforced since 15 March 2026. More in foreign plates and the Green Card.
Can I test drive a car without plates?
On public roads only with trial plates. The owner gets them at the vehicle registration centre, with TPL insurance, for up to 15 days. Without them the car is uninsured and may not go on the road.
What if the engine light comes on during the drive?
Do not buy without a diagnosis. The fault may be minor or expensive, and only reading the fault memory tells you which. The memory is often cleared before a sale, so a light that comes on after a few kilometres is a warning sign.
Should I bring a mechanic?
Yes, if you can. A mechanic hears what you do not and reads the fault memory with a diagnostic tool. Otherwise drive to a garage with a lift together after the test drive. What else to check is in the pre-purchase checklist.
Sources
Checked against the sources below. Rules can change: in individual cases the responsible authority decides.