DRIVERS are being encouraged to perform a little-known check before purchasing a used car.
A video posted on Instagram showed potential buyers a subtle sign that suggests all may not be as it seems when picking up a second-hand vehicle.
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Car expert Tonggeshuoche, known for his short videos highlighting driving skills and hacks, recently revealed that car buyers must check the bottom of the car’s seat belt, which displays the production date.
Then, it’s a matter of ensuring it matches the vehicle production date on the nameplate, located on the inside of the door.
If they don’t match, it means that the car’s airbag has been triggered and the seat belts replaced.
“Never buy it!” he adds.
This comes as a driver recent defied disaster on the road after a mechanic spotted a scary reason for a weird clunking noise.
The mechanic hoisted a otherwise solid-looking Ford Focus up in his workshop and quickly discovered a hidden rust problem.
Chris – dubbed “the car guy” – shared a surprising video of his encounter with the vehicle on Instagram.
The mechanic asked fellow car enthusiasts: “Have you ever seen a car this rusty?”
The camera showed the silver Focus hoisted up in his workshop to check its condition beneath the vehicle.
Chris then said: “Alright, customer states car clunks under acceleration.”
He is filmed surveying the car’s base for the source of the clunking sound.
Chris discovered that the Ford was so rusted out, that the bottom of the car was practically split in two.
He showed how bad the rust was by pulling on one half of the metal panel, which made the front wheels jolt and bounce around uncontrollably.
According to vehicle removal specialists Carmula, states within the Salt Belt — mainly in the Northeast and Midwest — plus coastal areas with salty sea air top the list for rusty cars.
It warned that regularly driving in these areas can “expose vehicles to harsh conditions that significantly accelerate rust, impacting vehicle safety and integrity.”
Elsewhere, a woman whose sunroof spontaneously shattered has warned others of the potentially dangerous design flaw.
Countless car models that come with a sunroof could run the risk of the bizarre phenomenon – which has left investigators baffled.
At the time, she said she believed someone had attacked her vehicle while she was driving.
She added: “I was so thankful that the sunroof guard was closed because, had it not been, the glass would have just started raining down on us.”
“But I want others to be aware because, had that vehicle shade been open, we could have been hurt in the process.”
She said that she later called the manufacturer and took the SUV back to the dealer.
However, they would not cover the damage and she was forced to turn to her insurance provider.
According to reports, this is not a rare occurrence and has been investigated by federal investigators in the past.
