What they DON’T want you to know about buying used cars!

This post is a sponsored post and contains affiliate/sponsored links.  However my opinions are my own. Always.

Finding a new previously loved vehicle can be a pain.  Especially if you are buying out of necessity and need to get one quickly!  We recently had that experience and I can give you a pretty decent list of things I should have done differently.

Humorously, with the knowledge I’m sharing with you below, I could have saved a lot of time and troubles.  Go figure.  On the bright side, I shouldn’t make the same mistake again.  Well, we will probably make the buying out of necessity mistake again, but not the rest!

Here’s Some Great Things to Know BEFORE You Buy:

The statute of limitations on vehicle, according to the NHTSA is ten years to have it fixed at no charge.  You can find any vehicle recall on Cars Dot Com.    If the vehicle is less than ten years old, dealerships will repair it a recall within this limit at no charge.

You can get a fair price estimate for repairs from nearby service centers in just a few seconds!  No more overpaying for work to be done!

Make sure the dealer has the title on hand!  I recently purchased a used car and it has been 4 months.  I still don’t have a title.  Fortunately, I could get a tag with a letter from the dealer but it has been unpleasant.  It still makes me nervous not having the title.

Do your research!  Knowledge is an ever powerful thing in all situations.  Get the VIN number from the seller and run it.  You need to know the history.  Has it been wrecked? Sold repeatedly? If the seller won’t give you that information, move on to another lot.  Trust me, you won’t regret NOT buying it but you may regret doing it without knowing anything about the vehicle.

Take it to a mechanic you trust and have them check it out.  You can also run by auto zone and have them hook their diagnostics tool up, something is better than nothing!

Even if you know nothing about cars, check under the hood for any dents, rust, corrosion, or other damage.  You don’t have to know what something is to be able to tell that there is a problem with it.  Even if the seller says it’s not important, get a second opinion.  It could be nothing, or it could be something that is huge just waiting to happen.

Check the mileage.  High mileage is obviously not good, especially if it is a newer vehicle.  Of course, regardless of mileage the most important thing is how well the vehicle was maintained previously.

I hope these help you out before you buy your next vehicle.  Remember, most of this can apply to most things with an engine!  Boats and motorcycles aren’t much different in this regard!

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