A used car in Singapore comes with a clock attached. The COE runs out on a fixed date. The car's age shapes its road tax and its insurance. A deposit can be hard to get back once it is paid.
This checklist covers what to look at before you hand over any money. Work through it for every car on your shortlist, not just the one you like most.
Check how much COE is left
The COE is what lets a car stay on the road. Much of a used car's price is really the COE time left on it. Two cars of the same model can differ a lot in value because of this alone.
What to check:
- The COE expiry date. Confirm it on LTA's OneMotoring site, not just in the listing.
- The cost per year of COE left. Divide the asking price by the years remaining. This makes two cars easier to compare.
- Whether the COE has been renewed. A car on a renewed COE is older than its first COE period. That affects road tax and insurance, covered below.
The rules on renewing a COE, and on any rebate when a car is deregistered, are set by LTA. This guide does not give those figures. Check OneMotoring for the current rules, and see the site's COE page for more background.
Check the registration date
The original registration date sets the car's age. Age matters for two running costs: road tax and insurance.
Road tax goes up after 10 years
LTA adds a surcharge to road tax once a car passes 10 years. The site's road tax page sets it out:
- More than 10 years old: 10% on top
- More than 11 years old: 20% on top
- More than 12 years old: 30% on top
- More than 13 years old: 40% on top
- More than 14 years old: 50% on top
A car just under 10 years old may be about to cross into the surcharge. Check where the date falls before you agree a price.
Insurance changes with age too
The site's page on insuring an older car shows how prices move with age. It uses a Toyota Corolla Altis 1.6, a driver aged 40 with 10 years' driving, a 50% NCD and an authorised workshop. Prices are as of 22 Oct 2026, with GST.
- At 10 years, the lowest comprehensive price was S$569.36, from 12 insurers.
- At 11 years, it was S$608.20, from 10 insurers.
- At 15 years, it was S$718.79, from 10 insurers.
- At 16 years, it was S$872.48, from just 4 insurers.
For third party, fire and theft at 16 years, the lowest price was S$589.18, from 7 insurers. The pattern is the point: fewer insurers quote older cars online, and the price rises. Your own figures will differ with your age, NCD and car.
Ask for the papers
Paperwork shows the car is what the seller says it is. Ask to see it before any deposit.
- Ownership. The seller's name should match the registered owner. Ask how many owners the car has had.
- Vehicle details. The plate number, chassis number and engine number should match the car in front of you.
- Road tax. Check when it expires. Check OneMotoring for whether an inspection is due before renewal.
- Current insurance. The seller's policy is in the seller's name. Plan your own cover to start the day the car becomes yours.
The transfer of ownership goes through LTA. If anything does not match, stop and ask why before going further.
Read the service records
A full service history tells you how the car was looked after. A thin one leaves gaps you cannot see.
What to look for:
- Regular service dates with no long gaps.
- Mileage that rises steadily from one record to the next. Mileage that drops is a warning sign.
- Invoices for major parts, such as the gearbox, brakes or battery.
- Any record of accident repairs.
- How the car was used. Ask directly whether it was ever used for private hire.
If the seller has no records, ask why. Some owners lose them. Others have reasons not to show them.
Book an independent inspection
An inspection by someone not linked to the seller is your main protection. It finds what photos and a short look cannot.
An inspection usually covers:
- Bodywork and signs of past accident repair.
- Signs of flood damage.
- Engine, gearbox, suspension and brakes.
- Tyres and their wear.
- The battery health on a hybrid or electric car.
Ask the seller to agree, in writing, that the deposit is refundable if the inspection finds major faults. Book the inspection before you pay, not after.
Check for an outstanding loan
Many cars in Singapore are bought with a loan. If the seller still owes money, the loan has to be settled before the car can be transferred.
What to ask:
- Is there a loan on the car?
- How much is still owed?
- Who will settle it, and when?
- Can you see the lender's settlement letter?
If you are buying from a dealer, the sale agreement should say how any loan is cleared. Get it in writing. The rules on how much you can borrow for your own purchase are not covered here.
Get insurance quotes before the deposit
Insurance is a running cost you can price before you commit. Quotes can vary widely between cars of different ages and models.
Why get them first:
- Some insurers do not quote older cars online. On the site's figures, 4 insurers priced comprehensive cover for a 16-year-old car, against 12 for a 10-year-old one.
- You need valid insurance to renew road tax. It must be at least third party cover.
- Your NCD affects the price. See how the no-claim discount works.
- Workshop choice and excess change the price. Compare an authorised or any workshop and check the excess on each quote.
On an older car, think about which cover fits. Comprehensive pays for damage to your own car up to its market value. As the car's value falls, the extra cost of comprehensive can be more than the car would fetch. Many owners of older cars switch to third party, fire and theft.
You can see every insurer's price for a common model, such as the Toyota Corolla Altis, or compare quotes with your own details.
Add up the yearly cost
The asking price is only the start. Add the costs you will pay each year.
The site's road tax page gives one example for a 3-year-old Toyota Corolla Altis. Road tax was S$741.72 a year. The lowest comprehensive premium was S$642.42, for a driver aged 40 with a 50% NCD. Together, that came to S$1,384.14.
On a car past 10 years, add the road tax surcharge. Then add the costs this guide has no figures for: parking, ERP, servicing, fuel or charging, and the COE cost per year left.
Before you pay a deposit: the short list
- COE expiry date confirmed on OneMotoring.
- Cost per year of COE left worked out.
- Registration date checked against the road tax surcharge.
- Ownership and vehicle details match the papers.
- Service records read, mileage consistent.
- Independent inspection booked, with a refundable deposit agreed in writing.
- Any outstanding loan, and who settles it, in writing.
- Insurance quotes in hand for this exact car.
- Yearly running cost added up.
Car insurance through Shenton Brokers
Before you drive off or renew, get your car insurance through Shenton Brokers. See which cars cost least to insure, or look up your own model's prices from every insurer we compare. Or get a quote with your own details.