How To Spot Red Flags When Buying Your Car

Let's face it, buying or selling a car can be a stressful situation.?

When you are selling or buying a car, it's always best to be as aware as possible of what the deal is really about. Red flags may still pop up that indicate your deal isn't as good as it looks on paper. Knowing the signs can help you avoid costly mistakes and save you valuable time later on in the process.

If you are looking at buying or selling your car, this guide will help you find the red flags and know what to look out for when buying or selling.

First, let’s look at the red flags to spot when buying a car.

Red Flags To Look Out for When Buying a Car

The excitement of owning our first car, or a new car, can often cloud our judgment when shopping for a car. It makes it easy for unscrupulous sellers and dealers to take advantage of you. As a car buyer, there are red flags that you should take note of before transacting with any seller. When buying a car, here are some of the red flags to avoid:

1. No documents

If the seller doesn’t provide the proper documentation for the car, do not buy that car! Never ignore document verification.?

The vehicle’s logbook should be in the seller’s name. If the logbook is in someone else’s name or the seller doesn’t have it, they may not have the legal right to sell the car. Besides the logbook, some of the documents you should ask for before buying a car include:

• Certificate of Inspection
• Import declaration form
• Auction sheet (for imported cars)

You can always do a vehicle search on the NTSA portal to ensure the logbook belongs to the seller and the details of the car are correct as captured by the NTSA.?

2. Parts were tampered with

Every car comes with a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). VIN is a unique seventeen-character serial number that includes numbers and letters. It’s the car’s fingerprints that help to identify not only the car’s place and date of manufacture but also its make, model, engine size, serial number, and other details unique to the car. VIN also helps to ensure that you get the correct spare parts when you have to replace faulty parts.?

The VIN is usually found on the lower-left corner of your dashboard or the drivers-side doorjamb. If the car’s VIN number is scratched out or covered up, that’s a very big red flag.

You should also watch out if other parts that normally have numbers or other identifying features are tampered with. It often signals that the car is stolen.

3. Strange sounds or feelings

The good thing about cars is that you don’t have to know a lot about them to know when something’s wrong. Watch out for signs such as grinding, squeaking, pulling, or shaking when doing a test drive. Not all of these may indicate a dire situation, but you should discover the source of the problem and have it rectified before completing the deal. A few problems can be expected of older cars, especially if you’re buying a used car.

Regardless, always schedule an inspection with Peach Cars before signing a car sale agreement to ensure everything’s working as it should.

4. Lacking service or repair history

Knowing a vehicle’s service and repair history can help to fairly gauge how a car will behave after you purchase it. Cars that are serviced regularly and haven’t been involved in a major accident will be more reliable and easy to maintain than one that hasn’t. If the seller doesn’t have a verifiable service history, then that’s definitely a red flag.

5. Pushy or sketchy sellers

You should also trust your gut instincts if a seller makes you uncomfortable. If the seller rushes you to complete the deal while being hesitant about providing documentation, service history, or arranging an inspection, you should walk away from the deal. It doesn’t matter how kind, friendly, or charming the seller seems. They may be appealing to your pathos, hoping to catch you off guard.?

There are many other red flags to watch out for including pricing that’s way too low below the current market value and discolourations in upholstery and paint. But these five are the major and most common ones you should watch out for.

Buying a new car? Start your search for a quality car with a seller you can trust- Peach Cars. Peach Cars can help you get the best deal for your dream car.

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