Top Tips for Buying a Used Car
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Buying an automobile for the first time might seem to be a formidable task, but armed with a basic understanding of what's involved, a buyer can make informed decisions even if he or she has never bought one before. It starts with deciding whether to shop for a new car or a used car, since either type of purchase carries along with it slightly differing sets of considerations.
There are several places where one might find used vehicles being offered for sale besides a regular used car lot. There are also used car superstores, such as Hertz and CarMax; in addition, many dealers of new cars will usually have a few used cars for sale on the side. There are internet websites that specialize in used cars, and then there are always used cars being offered for sale in classified newspaper listings, either by private owners or professional dealers. Some private sellers simply put a sign with a telephone number in their car and drive around in it, or park it in a prominent location.
When shopping for a used car, there are several important factors to consider, primarily related to road safety, since every year some two million vehicles are involved in crashes. The buyer looking at a prospective used car for purchase should make an effort to find out how many previous owners the car had, whether the vehicle has ever been in any type of accident, whether it has had a history of any serious mechanical problems, and whether it has followed a proper schedule for maintenance.
If possible, the buyer should have a mechanic put the car in consideration onto a lift for a complete inspection. He should also use Carfax.com or similar source to obtain a Vehicle History Report on the specific car. This useful tool allows users to see if a given vehicle has ever been stolen, how many owners it had, if it ever failed an inspection, and more. Another tip for buyers is that they refuse to buy any used car if it is sold "as is". They should read everything they are asked to sign carefully to ensure that it does not say "as is". What this means is that anything wrong with the car automatically becomes the buyer's problem, rather than the seller's, as soon as it changes hands. Instead, the buyer should have a thirty day timeframe after purchase to verify that the car is in proper working condition.
Finally, a car buyer should research the make and model of the car in a used car pricing guide, of which there are several titles available, for instance, the Kelley Blue Book Used Car Guide. These books will list rough guidelines for values of used cars that are in reasonable condition and have reasonable odometer mileages, which is around 12,000 miles for every year since the car was built. The expected sale price should be much lower than the guideline price if the car has a much higher mileage, or if its condition is poor.
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