A used car's condition varies wildly with the previous owner's habits and service history. Put the checks off and they come back months later as a warning light, a breakdown, and a bigger bill.
Engine oil
Pull the dipstick and read the colour and viscosity: dark and thin means old. Change it every 5,000-10,000 km, at about 30,000-50,000 won for mineral oil or 70,000-100,000 for synthetic.
Tyres
Tread below 1.6mm fails the standard, and under 2.5-3mm you should replace early. Check the sidewall for cracks and the production date too. Per tyre runs 70,000-120,000 won for domestic sizes and 150,000-200,000 or more for imports.
Brake pads
Replace immediately once a pad drops below 3mm or starts to squeak. Front pads are 50,000-80,000 won; with discs, 150,000 and up.
Three more worth looking at
- Coolant — the colour and level in the reserve tank
- Transmission fluid — tied directly to gearbox durability, so best judged by a pro
- Cabin air filter — one you can change yourself
When the language is the worry
Use a franchise garage or a brand service centre, some of which offer multilingual help. Ask them to check the engine oil, tyres and brake pads and do a general inspection — that one sentence gets you a quote and a replace-or-not verdict on each.
Not missing the next one
When the work is done, set a phone reminder for the next service. With a used car you are not inheriting someone's service record — you are starting your own from here.
Item-by-item methods and costs are on the WeBring blog.