Buy a Used Car: Some Tips

If you are in a position to buy a new used car, there are many different options open to you. You will have your choice of whether to go with an independent seller or a used car dealership, whether you want to get a warranty with the car, and lots of other questions. Buying a used car can be difficult, but if you remember a few tips, it will go much more quickly and painlessly.

1. Look for your car in unusual places. Car dealerships have high overhead and can't really make enough profit to stay in business unless they have a large mark-up on each car. Private owners often offer a better deal, but they may have sentimental mark-ups. Also, private owners are often selling a car because the mechanic told them an expensive component is about to go out. Government agencies, car rental shops, and corporations turn over their car stock regularly. These cars are driven hard by their drivers because they have no sense of ownership, but on the other hand they are more regularly maintained by qualified mechanics than other types of cars. Also, the police and banks regularly confiscate and repossess cars. They don't care how much money they get for these cars, only that they liquidate them quickly. These cars are the least likely of all used cars to have serious flaws, but they're also the hardest used cars to get background information on so that you can verify if you are getting a reliable used car.

2. Once you have a car you believe to be a reliable used car in your list of possible cars to purchase, you need to ask for insurance quotes on the car. One of the biggest and most unexpected impacts on the cost of a used car is the cost of insuring the car. This is especially true if you are financing the car, as the lender will require you to have full insurance coverage on the car. It is also especially true if you do not have a perfect driving record. Sometimes a car that costs a lot more to buy will end up costing less over a couple of years because it is cheaper to insure.

3. You also should get the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and search for history on the car before making any purchase decision. This number is often found on a corner of the front dashboard and under the hood. You can use several different services online to check on the car's history of involvement in accidents. Some states will allow you to see other information through state agencies as well. If you find in the report that the car has been in an accident but the person selling the car doesn't mention this, a giant red flag should be flying in your head about whether this is a reliable used car. Often inadequate repairs are performed after accidents and the car will continue to be anything but a reliable used car indefinitely. Many times cheap parts are used to replace original parts and the car will have problems until these cheap parts are replaced.

4. Take note of the mileage on the car. Cross-reference this with the vehicle history you got with the VIN, as it may state mileage at various events in the past. If the mileage seems too good for the car you're looking at, consider having your mechanic look at the engine. A good mechanic can usually tell by looking at the wear on various parts of the engine how many miles the car has been driven or if the car has been driven too hard because it shows more wear than it should for the amount of miles showing. If the mileage has been messed with or the car has been driven hard, it is very unlikely you will be getting a reliable used car. If you are buying from a dealer, check for complaints of mileage manipulation or other dishonesty at the Better Business Bureau.

5.Get the car checked out. If you have a car that you think might suit you, get it checked out. No matter how smoothly it runs or how much you trust the used car salesman, remember that for many used car sales, you will need to sign an "as is" agreement. Your insurance will not pay out if it turns out that the car was in a prior wreck that you were unaware of, so make sure that you don't have to pay out thousands of dollars later for something a seventy-five dollar examination could have saved you from.

Keep in mind that successfully purchasing used cars hinges on several different factors, so see what you can do to improve your opportunities at cheap used vehicles