Buying a used car is risky because it’s hard to be certain about its running condition. But if this is the only option for you at the moment, here are some tips that help you get the best out of your money.
1. Know The Car’s Repair History First
If you don’t want to end up spending more money on car repair than you did when you bought it, check consumer reports where you’ll find detailed information on used cars. In there, you’ll have a pretty good idea how reliable the car is since it also consists of the trouble spots of the cars.
2. Double Check If It’s Not A Problem Car
It’s infuriating but there are dishonest people who try to still make money from their problem car, like flooded cars, by covering up the issue and selling it to a dealership across the country. They’ll simply take their vehicles to car grooming to make it look like it’s still in good condition. You don’t want to fall into that kind of scam. So make sure you look it up online, specifically CarFax.com and NIBC.org and you might actually track the car’s roots.
3. Have It Inspected By A Certified Mechanic Before You Decide
While it’s good to verify online, it would still be best if you have a mechanic to thoroughly inspect the car. This way you’ll be able to weed out nine out of 10 used car buying disasters. It’s best to seek the help of an expert mechanic to check these 10 crucial parts of the vehicle before you decide to buy a particular car:
· Dashboard
A car’s dashboard can tell you a lot about the car you’re buying. So it pays to check it out too aside from those that are under the hood. The odometer, speedometer, temperature gauge, and warning lights may help you discover problems so that you’ll know if it can still be fixed or it’s not even worth the trouble.
· Tires And Suspension
The suspension can be checked by pushing down on each corner and that should be enough to give you an idea about what condition the shocks are in. You shouldn’t forget about the tires too. It’s important to see whether the tires need to be realigned or you’ll need new ones.
· Fluids
Engine oil, brake fluid, coolant, power steering fluid, and windshield washer fluid should present no leaks and be at the proper level in order for each system to function properly. The mechanic will also check the reservoir tank for leaks or cracks at this time. In addition, the mechanic will check to make sure the spray nozzles work properly.
· Brakes
Brake pads are the ones that grip the rotors so that the car slows down or comes to a full stop when you hit the brakes. On the other hand, the rotors are the surface that the pads rub against. If these two are too damaged, it could not help slow or stop the car while you’re driving which can be a great risk to your life on the road. The mechanic will check the brake rotors for any scoring, uneven wear, or rust. Sometimes you must get the rotor disc resurfaced, but if the damage is too extensive, you need to replace the brake rotors.
· Engine
An engine with a poor condition means a problematic car. If you don’t want any headaches down the road, you better ensure that every aspect of the car’s engine that you’re buying, from the cooling system, belts, air filter, and ignition components, are still in reasonably good condition. The engine is another major component that the mechanic should check. The mechanic is testing to see whether the engine idles smoothly and if there is any knocking or other noises while the engine warms up to operating temperature.
· Transmission
When it comes to transmission, you want it to go into gear like it should without any delay or difficulty. So it’s important that you take the car for a test drive to check this out because it could be a real bummer to be only discovering it when you’ve already paid for it.
· Exhaust
Since the exhaust’s job is to limit the driver and the passenger’s exposure to deadly carbon monoxide fumes, it’s crucial that it’s working properly. If there’s an exhaust smell, somewhere along the exhaust manifold, catalytic converter, muffler, and tailpipe could be damaged.
· Body Of The Vehicle
Although dents and rust are minor issues compared to the rest of the car and can be easily fixed by taking the vehicle to car polishing, you still should look further if the damage is too much. Another area a mechanic needs to look at when inspecting a vehicle you want to buy is the car’s body. While minor scrapes and dents are easily fixed by a professional auto body specialist, more significant damage might mean the car was in a more extensive accident. This in turn could lead to the vehicle being out of alignment, which can cause uneven tire wear.
· Vehicle Lights
Correctly working headlights give you good visibility in dark and inclement conditions; while brake lights and turn signals to let other drivers know your intent on the road.do not underestimate the importance of these lights.
· HVAC
The car’s air-conditioning or heater doesn’t seem as vital until you experience extreme cold or heat. Then you’ll realize that your comfort while driving is just as important as how the car runs. See if you can detect bad smells coming from vents too because that could mean mildew is growing inside the AC evaporator.
4. Pre-Arrange Your Auto Loan Financing
Just like how you’re double checking potential car purchase, you also have to apply the same thing when it comes to your loan. If you can get scammed in your purchase, you might get conned into gouging on the markup of a loan. Do your homework and get pre-qualified elsewhere, then the whole situation will change in the dealership. Things may actually go your way.
5. Trading A Car You Still Owe Payments On Is A Big No-No
Be sure you’re not buying a used car with an outstanding note or vice versa. It usually doesn’t turn out well. You might end up paying for a car that is no longer in your possession.
The Cars blog 