Motoring News

Ensuring that a used car is washed and polished can help a car dealer boost the chances of gaining a sale, but other chores may have to be carried out to increase the probability further.

As well as checking over the outside of a car, an interested motorist will also want to sample the inside of a vehicle, where they could be put off by bad smells.

And some smells may not be removed by a nice air freshener, as a failure to clean out a car’s air conditioning system could bring some nasty stenches to a passenger’s nostrils.

This problem could be particularly evident in the summer months when a motorist is more likely to switch on their air con systems and dealers would do well to take note of some research by Kwik Fit to prevent bad smells occurring in the used cars they are looking to sell.

Despite it being advised that air conditioning units should be cleaned out every two years, only 11 per cent of motorists admitted to ever having the air conditioning units of their used cars serviced in the study.

A failure to do this leads to a build up of bacteria and mould and David White, customer services director at Kwik-Fit, stated that the company is "amazed" at the amount of people that put up with offensive smells inside their cars.

He added: "You might find that nasty smells are more prevalent as the weather heats up as air conditioning units are often left untouched during damp colder periods, allowing more bacteria and mould to build up."

Alternatively, motorists may want to consider trading in their used car for a new vehicle from a car dealer that always comes with a pleasant smell courtesy of the combination of materials used on the interior.