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When buying a used car it's usually a "buyer beware" situation. You need to know the facts on how to spot a lemon, and how to avoid being the victim of a shady fast talking sales person's scam. Before setting out to find your dream car, there are a few things you will need to do. First of all you need to do some research. Find out as much as you can on the kind of car you are looking for. The blue book value of a used car is mainly a guideline for trade in value and doesn't always indicate a good or even a fair price for a car. Look around in your local newspaper to see what others are asking for the same make model and year of car that you are looking to buy, that way you'll have an idea of what the going rate is for that specific car in your region.
One of the biggest scams out there today is the odometer rollback. A person will go in and alter the actual miles on a vehicle so it appears that the car is worth much more than it actually is. There are ways to figure this one out. If a car appears to be low mileage according to the odometer, there will be telltale signs whether it really is low mileage or not. First of all, look at the keys. Are they the original keys? If so, look to see how worn they are. A low mileage car will have keys that aren't very worn. If the keys look very worn on a low mileage car, odds are there are discrepancies in the actual mileage. Also look at the pedals and the condition of the seats and other surfaces that a driver would have to use while driving. If they look excessively worn on a low mileage car, don't buy it.
Another way people get tricked into buying junk cars is that they don't look under the hood before taking it out for a test drive. Before you even start the car, look under the hood and see if the engine feels warm. People, who have cars that are hard to start while cold, will often times take the car out and drive it to operating temperature. The car will then start up easily for the prospective buyer, when in actuality the car doesn't start right up for anyone and requires a lot of time and trouble to get the car running. A car that is hard to start on a warm morning will be next to impossible to start on a cold one.
Another trick that some will try, is if the transmission is missing the reverse gear, the seller will roll the car into a driveway backward so the test driver never has to use it. (Yes this has been done) Most people forget to test all the gears in a prospective car because they simply overlook it.
Check the fluids on the car. Make sure there are no foreign objects in the oil or the transmission fluid. The oil should be clean and free from any water or gasoline. Any of this found in the oil can indicate an internal motor problem. The transmission should appear to be reddish in color and should have no water or metal fragments in it. Water and anti-freeze in the transmission fluid will give it the appearance of being pinkish and milky. If you see even a small amount on the dipstick, don't buy it. Also look under the car for fluid leaks. A little spot of oil is one thing, but a pool of oil or any fluid under a car is a clear sign of trouble.
Having a reputable mechanic inspect the car before purchasing it can prevent you from buying a lemon. Insist on an inspection. If the seller refuses, then walk away from it no matter how good the deal looks.
Do a visual inspection of the interior and exterior of the car. If on the sides of the car the reflection seems rippled this is a sign that there was bodywork done. Most dent fillers (Bondo) will look a bit rippled no matter how professional the job is. Ask the seller if the car has been in any wrecks. If he lies about it even though there are visual signs of a wreck, then don't buy the car. If the seller will lie about one thing, he'll lie about even more. Check for uneven wear of tires too. Uneven wear on the front tired can indicate front-end problems ranging from something as minor as poor alignment to something as serious and expensive as a whole new front-end. Tie rods, idler arm center link ball joints and other parts on a front end can wear out with time and can be very costly to replace. If any of these parts fail, they can cause a serious accident from loss of steering. Another way to spot bad front-end parts is during the test drive. If there is excessive play in the steering wheel, or if the wheel pulls to the right or the left, there may be a problem. Brakes are another important thing to check. If the pedal goes to the floor, or if the pedal is too hard on power brakes or if they squeal, then there could be serious problems.
Before purchasing a car, write down the vehicle identification number (VIN) which is located on the driver side on the lowest part of the windshield. It's a metal plate that's attached to the dashboard, but is viewable through the windshield. With this number, do a title history through your local dept. of motor vehicles. They will be able to tell you if the car has been previously salvaged and placed back on the road.
These kinds of cars are very dangerous to drive because they could have hidden defects such as front-end problems that could cause a wreck. The structural integrity of the car could be compromised and if in a collision may not be able to protect the occupants of the car.
Another good reason to do a history on a car is to protect you from purchasing a stolen car. If the VIN doesn't match up to the type of car, or it just comes up as stolen; you'll want to know this before you pay the seller any money. The title history will also tell you how many people owned the car and from what part of the country. This can let you know if the car was in a flood or any other situation that can cause you problems down the road.
Little old ladies selling cars are just as apt to lie as anyone else. Don't let the person's appearance or politeness toward you lead you to drop your guard. One of the most popular lines a person selling a car will use is that "someone is coming to buy the car so you'd better decide now". This is a pressure tactic used by people who want to get you to make a snap decision. If you are undecided and the seller uses this line, this should be a warning sign that something could be up.
The way I've handled this in the past is that I'll tell the person that maybe the other person should buy it then, and then I walk away. You have to wonder what the person's motives are for telling you someone's coming to buy the car. Why would someone want to sell a good car out from under another person who is obviously going to buy it? You need to ask yourself these kinds of questions. Most people who have a buyer coming will tell you that he or she can't sell the car until the person who wants to buy it makes their decision. I never thought of this point until the day I bought a junk car because I fell for the seller's lines. The car lasted me a week and I was out the money I paid. After being taken, I made sure I learned as much as I could about what to look for when buying a used car. Knowledge is power. Before going out to buy a used car make sure you know as much as you can to avoid being scammed. Remember that if a deal is too good to be true, it probably is.
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