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7 Things you Must Know Before Buying a Used Car

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Naina Awasthi
7 Things you Must Know Before Buying a Used Car

Looking for a used car, before searching, do some homework. It may save your valuable money. Consider your riding habits, what the car will be used for, and your budget. Research models, options, costs, repair records, protection tests, and mileage — online and through libraries and bookstores.


Take a Test drive the car under varied road conditions — on hills, highways, and in stop-and-go traffic.

  • Ask the owner, dealer, or repair shop for the car maintenance record.
  • Determine the value of the vehicle before you negotiate the purchase. Check the National Automobile Dealers Association's (NADA) Guides, Edmunds, Kelley Blue Book, and Consumer Reports.
  • Research the upkeep costs for models you’re interested in, including the frequency of repairs and maintenance costs.
  • Examine the car using an inspection checklist. You can find checklists in magazines, books, and on websites that deal with used cars.
  • Check whether there are any unrepaired recalls on a vehicle. Start by asking the dealer if the vehicle you’re considering has a recall. You also can check yourself by entering the VIN at safercar.gov, or by calling the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Vehicle Safety. If there is a recall, ask the dealer to fix it, or to give you information showing it was fixed. Keep in mind that federal law doesn’t require dealers to fix recalls on used cars, so you might need to get the repair done yourself. But don’t wait — according to NHTSA, all safety recalls pose safety risks and, left unrepaired, might lead to accidents.
  • Get an independent review of a vehicle's history. Check a trusted database service that gathers information from state and local authorities, salvage yards, and insurance companies. You can also search online for companies that sell vehicle history reports. If the report isn't recent or you suspect that it has missing or fabricated information, verify it with the reporting company. The information in the reports may not be complete, so you may want to get a second report from a different reporting company. Some dealer websites have links to free reports.
  • Consider hiring a mechanic to inspect the car.

 

 

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Naina Awasthi
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