Buying a Used Mobility Scooter: 10 Things You Should Check First

Buying a used mobility scooter can make a lot of sense. A good quality scooter can last for years, and buying pre-owned can save you a considerable amount compared with buying the same model new.

But there are some bargains out there that aren't quite the bargains they first appear to be.

At Fen Mobility Centre, we buy, sell, service and repair mobility scooters, so we see plenty of used ones. Some come to us in fantastic condition and have barely been used. Others may look perfectly presentable but need batteries, tyres or other work before we'd be happy to sell them.

If you're thinking about buying a used mobility scooter, whether from a mobility shop or privately, here are 10 things worth checking first.

1. How old are the batteries?

This is probably the big one.

Mobility scooter batteries don't last forever. How long they last depends on the type of battery, how the scooter has been used, how often it has been charged and, importantly, how it has been stored.

A scooter can look immaculate because it has spent the last two years sitting in a garage, but that doesn't necessarily mean the batteries are in good condition.

In fact, long periods without being charged can be particularly bad for them.

Ask how old the batteries are and whether they have been replaced during the scooter's life. If the seller doesn't know, factor in the possibility that you may need a new set.

A quick trip up and down somebody's driveway isn't enough to prove that the batteries are healthy either. Weak batteries can show a full charge and then lose power surprisingly quickly once the scooter is being used properly.

2. Take it for a proper drive

Never buy a used scooter without driving it first if you can possibly avoid it.

Don't just move forwards five feet and then reverse back again.

Turn it from side to side. Try it at different speeds. Stop and start several times. Listen for unusual noises and pay attention to how the steering feels.

When you release the throttle, the scooter should stop predictably. It shouldn't feel as though it is pulling heavily to one side, making strange noises or struggling under normal acceleration.

You don't need to be a mobility scooter expert to notice when something simply doesn't feel right.

3. Look at the tyres

Tyres can tell you quite a lot about the life a scooter has had.

Check the tread and look for cracks, splits, flat spots or uneven wear.

Some mobility scooters have solid tyres while others use pneumatic tyres. Neither is necessarily better in every situation, but damaged or badly worn tyres are an additional cost to consider.

Uneven tyre wear can sometimes indicate another problem, so it's worth taking a closer look rather than assuming that a new tyre will solve everything.

4. Check for signs of damage

A few scratches on a used mobility scooter wouldn't worry us particularly. It's a used scooter, after all.

What you're looking for is anything more significant.

Check the bodywork for cracks and look underneath if you can. Pay particular attention to the frame, steering column and any folding or dismantling mechanisms.

On boot scooters, take the scooter apart and put it back together. Make sure all the sections connect properly and nothing feels excessively loose.

If it's a folding scooter, fold and unfold it yourself.

You want to know that everything works before you're standing in a supermarket car park trying to get it back into the boot.

5. Make sure the charger is correct

The scooter should come with a suitable charger, and ideally the original charger or the correct replacement recommended for tha

t model.

Plug it in and check that it actually charges.

A missing charger might sound like a small problem, but replacements cost money and you need to make sure you buy the correct one.

We'd also be cautious if a scooter is being sold completely flat and the seller says something along the lines of, "It was working perfectly the last time we used it."

Maybe it was. But until it has been charged and driven, you don't really know what you're buying.

6. Check the seat and controls

Sit on the scooter properly.

Is the seat comfortable? Does it swivel and lock correctly? Can you adjust it to a suitable position?

Check the armrests and make sure they aren't excessively loose or damaged.

Then look at the controls. The speed adjustment, horn, battery indicator, lights and indicators, where fitted, should all work as expected.

It's easy to get distracted by whether a scooter looks nice and forget that you're going to spend your time sitting on it and using those controls.

7. Find out whether it has been serviced

Ask about the scooter's history.

Has it ever been serviced? Have any parts been replaced? Has it had new batteries? Has it ever broken down?

There may not be a folder containing ten years of service invoices, particularly on an inexpensive boot scooter, so don't necessarily expect a perfect paper trail.

What you're trying to establish is whether the scooter has been looked after.

A well-maintained older scooter can be a much better buy than a newer one that has been neglected.

8. Check that parts are still available

This is particularly important with older or unusual scooters.

Mobility scooters are mechanical and electrical products. Eventually something will need replacing.

That might be a tyre, battery, potentiometer, controller, motor, brake or a much smaller component.

For established makes and models, parts are often readily available for many years. With some obscure or discontinued scooters, finding parts can be considerably harder.

Before buying a very cheap scooter you've never heard of, it's worth checking whether somebody can actually repair it if it goes wrong.

9. Make sure it's suitable for you

This sounds obvious, but it's probably the most important point on the list.

Don't buy the wrong scooter simply because it's cheap.

A small boot scooter might be ideal for shopping centres and trips away in the car, but frustrating if you expect it to tackle rough paths and long journeys.

Likewise, a large road scooter might be wonderfully comfortable but completely impractical if you have nowhere to store it.

Think about where you will use it, how far you want to travel, whether you need to transport it by car and where it will be charged.

Also check that you can comfortably operate the controls and get on and off the scooter safely.

A £500 bargain that doesn't suit you is £500 wasted.

10. Think about who you're buying it from

There is nothing wrong with buying a mobility scooter privately. There are plenty of perfectly genuine scooters sold by families after somebody has stopped using one.

You simply need to understand that you're taking on more of the risk yourself.

If you buy privately, you may not know the condition of the batteries, whether the scooter has an underlying fault or what work it might need in the near future.

Buying from a mobility retailer will usually cost more than buying privately, but a reputable dealer should have checked the scooter before selling it and be able to offer some form of after-sales support.

At Fen Mobility Centre, our pre-loved scooters are serviced & inspected before they're offered for sale. If something needs doing, we'd rather sort it before the scooter leaves us. Many retailers will only perform an inspection.

We're also here afterwards if you need servicing, repairs, batteries or simply have a question about it.

https://www.fenmobility.com/scooters

A used scooter can be excellent value

We certainly wouldn't discourage anybody from buying used.

Quite the opposite.

Some of the pre-loved scooters we see have had remarkably little use. We've had scooters that have spent most of their lives indoors and others where the original owner simply bought the wrong type for their needs.

Buying used can allow you to get a much better scooter for your budget.

Just don't judge it on shiny bodywork and the number showing on the battery gauge.

Check it properly, drive it, ask questions and make sure it's the right scooter for what you actually want to do.

And if you're not sure, come and talk to us.

Fen Mobility Centre in Ely stocks both new and pre-loved mobility scooters, and you're welcome to visit the showroom, try different models and get some advice from our team.

Sometimes a brand new scooter is the right answer. Sometimes a good used one makes far more sense.

We're happy to help you work out which.