Someone buying a used car are faced two major decisions. Should I buy it from a private seller or from a dealer? Then, if I buy it from a dealer, should I buy it from an independent used car dealer or from a larger franchised dealership? Should I have the car checked by a third party mechanic before buying? What should I be looking for when I test drive a car?
This is a situation where Caveat Emptor, Let the Buyer Beware, really applies. Unless you are buying a relatively new car where the warranty provided by the auto manufacturer is transferable, there are no warrantees or guarantees when buying a car from a private seller whereas even the tiniest of used car dealers, if they are reputable dealers, will give you some sort of warranty on the vehicle. Before buying a car from a private owner you should
- Insist that you be allowed to take the vehicle for a long test drive. You want to drive it on both secondary roads and on a major highway at highways speeds, preferably on an expressway where you can cruise at 55 MPH or better and hit 70 MPH or better when passing. Many alignment and suspension problems that do not show up at city street speeds will become apparent at highway speeds. Problems like toe in, caster, camber, struts, etc.
- Insist that you be allowed to have the car checked out by “your trusted” mechanic before committing to the purchase.
- After having the car checked by your mechanic, have him give you an estimate on any apparent repairs needed, such as brake pads, brake shoes, brake rotor, new tires, wiper blades, belts, hoses, etc. and ask the seller to deduct those repair costs from his asking price. If he refuses, don’t buy the car.
- Pull a Carfax Report on the car. This is recommended even if buying from a dealer but it’s especially important when buying from a private party. You can get a Carfax Report on line at this site http://www.carfax.com/cfm/general_check.cfm . A CarFax Report will tell you if the car was ever in an accident, its ownership history, title history and a great deal more.
- Insist on seeing maintenance and repair records. Has regular maintenance been performed on the vehicle or did the owner simply get the oil, oil filter, air filter, etc changed to try and confuse the buyer?
- All these purchase steps are essential unless you are buying a “Beater.” If you are buying a beater you should know that you aren’t getting a quality vehicle and you should expect problems in the very near future. You should buy it knowing that you will be sinking more and more money in it to keep it on the road as time passes.
Should I buy it from an independent used car lot or from a large, franchised dealer?
This question isn’t so easily answered. If you are buying a relatively new vehicle that is still under factory warranty, then by all means buy if from a franchised dealers handling that make vehicle because you will be able to take it back to that dealer for factory warranty services whereas if you bought it from an independent used car dealer you would have to seek out a authorized dealer for factory warranty services and repairs.If you are buying a vehicle on which the factory warranty has expired, then you may get a better deal at an independent used car dealer than you would at a major, franchise dealership. If you are buying from a used car lot, then steps 1 through 4 that I outlined above for buying from a private party applies as well. When buying from a used car dealer, get the details of the warranty that they are offering in writing.
