Are you looking to buy a used car, but you’re not sure where to start? If you’re in a similar situation, this article will help you choose your dream car wisely.
Buying a used car seems to be the most option for a lot of people who are looking for a good car that has a budget-friendly price tag. However, if you’re not very familiar with the vehicles, and its components, you may end up losing a lot of money doing the maintenance or repairs. Also, there are quite a few things you should know before you make your decision.
Below are some of the most crucial factors recommended by Zemotor.
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Run a check on the vehicle history
Source:intelbriefing.com
This is probably the most important thing you should always do before you make the deal. This will let you know about the history of the vehicle you want to purchase. You obviously don’t want to end up with a car that was stolen, right?
If the car is registered stolen, you may even find yourself in trouble when the authority finds out. What’s even worse is that you may also have to pay the debts which the previous owner failed to pay. So, never buy a used car without knowing its history.
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Examine the car carefully
Do not make the mistake of checking out the car on a rainy day or during the night. Sometimes you may be forced to make a quick decision just because you want the car as soon as you can.
Zemotor does not recommend doing so. You need to take your time examining each and every corner of the car. Look out for dents, rusts scratches, malfunctions, and other damages. If you see any of these, you may want to look for another one.
However, if you’re going to buy it despite its flaws, you can deduct some dollars to compensate for the damages/flaws. Also, if you think you’re not that experienced with cars, be sure to have it examined by a friend who knows about cars.
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Ensure that the car has all the necessary documents
Source:scrapcarcomparison.co.uk
The registration document will tell you a bit more about the current owner, and the previous owners of that particular car. It should pretty much tell you whether you should buy the car or not.
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Make a comparison
It may be a used car, but not all used cars are cheap. If the conditions are right, the dealers may charge more. To avoid paying extra dollars, you need to do some research, find out the car’s model, and compare its price with other similar models. You can always make use of car magazines or other online platforms that deal with used cars.
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Get to know your seller
One of the safest ways to buy used cars is buying from well-reputed dealers or sellers. You do not want to buy your car from a new or unknown dealer. Who knows, the vehicle may have a bad history, it may have been stolen, or even worse.
It would be wise to ask a lot of questions about the vehicle, ask about the car’s service history, and the features. You can be sure that the sellers are up to no good if they can’t provide you with the answers.
If you’re buying the car online, make sure to find out a bit more about the sellers.
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Take a close look at the locks and windows
You may find that the car you’re looking at meets all the requirements. But there’s one little thing which will reveal its past, and this is the locks and windows. If you take a closer look, you may notice that the locks are not the same, or there may be some signs which indicate that the car was opened forcefully.
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Check the odometer
Source:wlox.com
The odometer can be tampered with, but you can detect it by comparing the appearance and the age of the car. For example, if the car is at least three years old, but the mileage is only 3000 miles or less, this means the odometer tampers. Some sellers do this to increase the car’s value, don’t fall for this trick.
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Take it out for a spin
After you’re confident that the car is good enough, you should rest it on the road. See how it runs at different speeds, ensure that the pedals are responsive, the gears and steering wheel are functioning correctly.
