Buying a used car is a big deal. However, you can make it less of a big deal when you ask the right questions. While this might not entirely guarantee the “right” decision about the car, it will definitely help. In this article, you will be able to read about the 10 questions you should ask when you are looking at a used car. Let’s take a look at the questions:
1. How was the car maintained?
You will want to find out if the vehicle was serviced at the dealership, by an independent mechanic or a mechanic that is not affiliated with the dealership. You should also ask if the maintenance is up-to-date. Some sellers might suggest that you speak with a mechanic who worked on the vehicle, which is a great way for you to find out more about the car.
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2. Are service records available?
Hopefully, the answer to this question is “yes.” If the seller is willing to give you all the records for you to look over, you will be able to find out if the car was serviced regularly.
3. Has it been in any accidents?
In some situations, accidents are reported on the vehicle history report; however, do not assume that these reports catch everything. If the car was involved in an accident, find out how much it was damaged, as well as how it was fixed.
4. What do features not work as they should?
Almost all used cars have something wrong with them. It could, for example, be a malfunctioning CD player or the seat belt is not working properly. However, other things might come as an annoying surprise. You might get unpleasantly surprised when you find out that the car has weak air conditioning, missing pixels on display, and blown speakers.
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5. Is there any reason why you would not drive the car tomorrow?
This is an interesting question and one that sometimes throw the seller off balance. However, if the answer is “No, there is nothing wrong with this vehicle”, you can get a nice vote of confidence from the seller.
6. What is the ownership history?
If the seller does not have a lot of details about the car of if they owned it for a short period of time, that is a major warning sign. When searching for a good used car, you might want to use keywords such as “original owner”, “service records”, or even garaged. Click here if you want to learn more about how to search for used cars.
7. Why are you selling the car?
This question is quite predictable since most sellers will have a story to tell. However, you should rely on your gut feeling when it comes to deciding if you should or should not trust the seller.
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8. How did you decide on the price?
If you asked all the questions above and you are seriously thinking about buying that car, you should find out how the seller priced it. Most people just pick the figure out of the air, and if the seller says that they used a pricing guide, you can double-check and see if the price is accurate.
9. Can I take the car for an inspection?
As the question above, you should only ask it if you are serious about purchasing the vehicle. Most people will not have a problem with this, but if there is pushback or hesitation, that is a warning sign.
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10. Do you have the title in hand?
A longtime owner may not know where the title is hiding or they might not have the title if there is a loan from the bank. However, there are ways that you can work around both of these problems, but knowing the status of the title will help you decide if the car is worth the extra hassle.
Conclusion
By asking the questions from this article, you can make the whole process of buying a car easier, less overwhelming, and less time-consuming.
