Buying a used car is really the best move in most cases — new cars are extremely expensive, and the moment you drive off the dealer lot, it’s value drastically depreciates. Indeed, the average vehicle will likely have three owners in its lifetime, and many a high quality car was bough from a previous owner. After a certain point, however, it does become risky to buy a car used, especially if you don’t know the previous owner. Check out these tips when looking at used cars for sale:
Miles
The more miles a car has driven, the more its parts have been eroded, and the less reliable it is likely to be. Of course, many cars drive hundreds of thousands of miles and are still in great working condition, so a high mileage doesn’t have to be a deal breaker. One thing to be particularly aware of, however, is odometer fraud. Consumers lose as much as $4 billion a year due to odometer fraud, with the average rollback being 15,000 miles. This is mostly done by dealers, so if possible try to buy used cars directly from the previous owner.
Maintenance
Neglecting vehicles costs the economy over $2 billion each year — and it will cost you a lot if you buy a car that hasn’t been well maintained. Use services like CarFax to figure out exactly what the maintenance history of car has been.
Engine
If the engine of a car you are looking at is at the end of it’s life or malfunctioning, it probably isn’t worth it to buy it. The engine is the heart and soul of a vehicle, and to repair engines is a very daunting and often cost ineffective task. Get a car with a solid engine.
If you are looking to sell your car and get a new one, make sure to consider these tips and tricks! The last thing you want is to end your car search with a lemon. Take the prospective car to a reliable mechanic so they can determine if it requires repair engines, transmission rebuilds, or other big ticket projects.
