What to check before buying a used golf cart in Los Cabos

Buying a used golf cart in Cabo is easy. Buying a good one is not. Most of them change hands between private sellers, on Facebook or by word of mouth, and almost always with the same line: “it's in good condition.” This guide is so you don't have to settle for that. Seven things. None of them require you to know mechanics.

1. The batteries, before anything else

They are the most expensive part of the cart and they decide whether you made a good deal or not. A battery set costs thousands of pesos, so a cheap cart with dead batteries ends up costing more than a pricier one with healthy batteries.

Ask three things: how old they are, whether they are lead-acid or lithium, and whether a load test was done. If the seller can't answer any of them, you already know who you're dealing with.

Quick trick: ask for the cart fully charged and take it on a long ride. If the gauge collapses in the first few minutes, the batteries are done.

2. The charger

It sounds obvious and it's always forgotten. Make sure the cart comes with its charger, that it's the correct one for that voltage, and that you see it actually charging before you pay. A replacement charger isn't cheap, and finding the right one for an older model can take weeks.

3. Brakes and tires

Get in and brake hard somewhere safe. The cart should stop straight, without pulling to one side and without strange noises. Check the tires inside and out. In Cabo they crack from the sun even with plenty of tread left: a tire can look fine on the contact patch and be split along the sidewalls.

4. Salt-air corrosion

This is the point almost nobody checks and the one people pay for later. Crouch down and look at the underside of the frame, especially near bolts and welds. Then check the battery terminals and connectors: white or green powder means moisture and salt have been working on it for months.

A cart that lived by the ocean without fresh-water rinses shows it. Don't rule it out for that, but factor it into the price.

5. Suspension and steering

Push down on each corner of the cart and let go. It should bounce once and settle.

While driving, the steering wheel shouldn't have too much play or vibrate. Cabo streets, with their speed bumps and unpaved stretches, punish suspension far more than a golf course does.

6. The paperwork

Ask what documentation comes with the cart. Not every used cart has an invoice, and that isn't always a problem, but you need to know before, not after.

If you ever want to resell it, the paperwork is part of what it's worth.

7. Who is selling it to you

This is the most useful question of all, and it has nothing to do with the cart.

Buy from a private seller and tomorrow you can't find them. Buy from a business with a workshop and, when something fails, you know where to go — and whoever sold it knows what was inspected and what was replaced.

A promise doesn't guarantee that. The business still being here next year does.

How we work

Our used carts are sold as-is, with no warranty, and we say so up front. What we do is inspect them in our workshop and publish what we found: battery condition, what was replaced and what wasn't, with real photos of that specific unit.

And if something fails after you buy it, we're here: our own workshop in Los Cabos and access to parts.