Many of us prefer to purchase used cars, but we could be afraid that we will be ripped off. Our fear is understandable, because not all car sellers are trustworthy. There’s a possibility that car sellers are trying to take advantage of our condition. There are credible and honest car dealerships, so we should take steps to locate and work with them. Many buyers think that they have a good deal if they can drive off with clean, nice car. To avoid being fooled, we should be able to differentiate between bad and honest car dealers. Obviously, we would likely to find cars with high mileage, especially if they are sold at reasonable prices.
We should be aware that car dealers have overheads and they seek to achieve specific profit margin. More trustworthy car dealerships usually offer warranties and financing to attract more buyers. This could cause cars in these dealers to be sold at somewhat higher prices. Regardless of the prices, we should make sure that these cars are priced properly and they are not rough around the edges. In general, we should know what we want and at least, we have an idea what car we plan to have. As an example, we may seek an SUV for the whole family or an economy car, if we have restricted budget.
We should know what the car cost and we should make sure that we get the best car model for the price. We should also consider the condition and its various features. The mileage of the car should also be reasonable, cars with nearly 200,000 miles of mileage could be priced much less than those with under 100,000 miles. It is important to inspect the car visually, by walking around it. We should make sure that there are no uneven spaces between the fender, hood and doors. Another thing to consider is to check for signs overspray and this could indicate that the car has been repainted.
Other things to check are door handles, headlights and other exterior fittings. In general, it is normal for cars above 10 years old to get repainted. In this case, we should make sure that the paint job was performed properly and the paint itself has good quality. Next, we need to check under the hood and we may need to ask friends to accompany us if we are clueless about internal components of the car. In general, the interior should be clean, without traces of mud and oil-encrusted dust. The battery cables should look clean and organized. Check all the metal parts for signs of corrosion, especially those located near the battery.
Tires can be quite expensive, so we need to check the tire treat. One way to check is by inserting a penny on the grooves and if it doesn’t go too far down, then it is probably the time to change the tires. We should inform the dealer if we are concerned with the condition of the tires.