I purchased my first car in 2006 without knowing anything about buying a car, but I was lucky (I guess) that the former owner was honest and it's still running very well. However, I want to buy another one, but don't have the slightest idea how. What do you look for and what kind of questions do you ask? What do you have to expect from a used car? Thank you in advance.
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Can you give me some valuable tips on buying a good used car?
- Thread starter singer
- Start date
Questions to ask:
1. Where was the vehicle serviced? do you have maintenance records?
2. Has this vehcile been in an accident? if so, is it a salvage title?
3. Is this an auction vehicle?
4. Does it have a clean title?
5. HOw many owners has this car had?
First off, find a few models that fit what you need- and then look up reliability raitngs and user ratings to see how well the car will suit your needs.
After you have decided on a few models, start checking out craigslist.com, vehix.com, autotrader.com, and dealers/newspapers in your area for the cars you want, then go and look at them/test drive them.
After you lower it down to 2-3 cars, this is where you need to inspect the cars. Does the transmission shift smoothly when you drive (you shouldn't feel the tranny shifting, or hear a whining noise- if you do this is a bad sign!). Do they have maintenance records? Do all 4 tires have the same amount of tread on them (unequal tread can be a result of suspension problems).
And after you have narrowed it down to a car, have a mechanic check it out (get a CERTIFIED, trusted mechanic- if you get a cheaper mechanic, he could just lie to you to make money). The 50-100 dollars that you spend on the trusty mechanic can save you thousands in repairs. Usually a mechanic can tell you how well the engine was taken care of, how long the car will last you, what maintenance you need, if there was frame damage, etc.
carbuyingtips, like the first guy suggested, is a great place for more advice. Good luck on the job hunt!
and remmeber: If it sounds TOO good to be true, it probably is- those scams are getting really complex and harder to detect day by day
1. Where was the vehicle serviced? do you have maintenance records?
2. Has this vehcile been in an accident? if so, is it a salvage title?
3. Is this an auction vehicle?
4. Does it have a clean title?
5. HOw many owners has this car had?
First off, find a few models that fit what you need- and then look up reliability raitngs and user ratings to see how well the car will suit your needs.
After you have decided on a few models, start checking out craigslist.com, vehix.com, autotrader.com, and dealers/newspapers in your area for the cars you want, then go and look at them/test drive them.
After you lower it down to 2-3 cars, this is where you need to inspect the cars. Does the transmission shift smoothly when you drive (you shouldn't feel the tranny shifting, or hear a whining noise- if you do this is a bad sign!). Do they have maintenance records? Do all 4 tires have the same amount of tread on them (unequal tread can be a result of suspension problems).
And after you have narrowed it down to a car, have a mechanic check it out (get a CERTIFIED, trusted mechanic- if you get a cheaper mechanic, he could just lie to you to make money). The 50-100 dollars that you spend on the trusty mechanic can save you thousands in repairs. Usually a mechanic can tell you how well the engine was taken care of, how long the car will last you, what maintenance you need, if there was frame damage, etc.
carbuyingtips, like the first guy suggested, is a great place for more advice. Good luck on the job hunt!
and remmeber: If it sounds TOO good to be true, it probably is- those scams are getting really complex and harder to detect day by day
PETER GRIFFIN
New member
This is the perfect website for you:
http://www.carbuyingtips.com
http://www.carbuyingtips.com