Buying a used golf cart in the UK: a checklist

Buying a used golf cart in the UK can be a smart move, but only if you inspect it properly first. A low price is only a bargain if the cart is sound, and the parts most likely to cost you later, the battery above all, are the parts least visible from a quick look round. This checklist walks through what to test and what to ask so you buy on facts rather than first impressions. If a new build might suit you better, weigh it against the range and the wider points in our guides.

The honest position is that used golf carts vary enormously. Some have been cherished on a single site with careful charging, others have been worked hard and neglected. The price rarely tells you which, so the inspection has to.

Check the battery first

The battery is the heart of an electric cart and the most expensive thing to replace, so it deserves the most attention. A cart that looks immaculate but has a tired battery is not a bargain. Do not accept that it holds charge on the basis of a few minutes parked up. Test it the way you will use it.

Mechanical and structural checks

Beyond the battery, a cart is a vehicle with moving parts that wear. None of these checks needs special tools, just a careful eye and a proper test drive on the kind of ground you will use.

• Motor and drive: smooth pull away, no grinding, whining or hesitation under load.
• Brakes: firm, even stopping with no pulling to one side; check the parking brake holds on a slope.
• Steering: tight and true, with no excessive play or knocking over bumps.
• Tires: even wear, good tread and no perishing or cracking in the sidewalls.
• Chassis and body: look underneath for rust, cracks, repairs or accident damage.
• Charger and cables: confirm the correct charger is included and works.

Take a proper test drive

A few minutes round a car park tells you very little. Insist on a test drive that resembles how you will actually use the cart, on the kind of ground it will work on, with weight aboard. Many problems only show up under load, on a slope or after the cart has been running for a while, and that is exactly when you want to find them, before money changes hands rather than after.

• Drive on similar ground to your site: grass, slopes or tracks, not just smooth tarmac.
• Carry realistic weight, ideally a couple of people, to load the motor and battery.
• Take it up an incline and check it climbs without straining or losing charge fast.
• Run it long enough to feel whether anything gets hot, noisy or weaker as you go.
• Test the brakes and parking brake on a slope, not just on the flat.

Paperwork, history and warranty

Ask the questions a careful buyer asks. Where has the cart been used, by whom and how was it stored and charged? Is there any service history, and is any warranty left or transferable? A seller with good answers and records is reassuring; vagueness is a reason to slow down, not speed up.

• Proof of ownership and the right to sell.
• Any service or repair records.
• Remaining or transferable warranty, if any.
• Honest account of where and how it was used and stored.

Price it on the whole picture

Once you have inspected it, price the cart on its true condition, not the headline figure. A cheaper cart that needs a battery, tires or repairs soon may cost more than a dearer one in good health. Our guide to what drives the cost of a golf cart helps you judge whether a used price is fair once you factor in likely near-term spend, and the buyer's guide helps you decide whether the spec even suits you.