What to look for in a logbook

A logbook is the car's service record. Every service should be stamped or signed with the date, the odometer reading and who did the work.

What to look for: services at the intervals the manufacturer sets (usually every 10,000–15,000 km or 12 months); odometer readings that go up steadily with no gaps or backward jumps; recent work, not a record that stops two years ago; and a stamp from a real workshop, not a blank page. A missing logbook isn't proof of a problem, but it means you're taking the seller's word for it.

Ask to see it at inspection, and ask for receipts for any major work.