Top Tips When Buying a Used Vehicle

Having been in the used car business for 18 years, i get asked a lot for advice from customers and friends when they are purchasing a used vehicle. In my opinion, these are the top tips i can offer below to anyone in the used market (specifically for vehicle priced between $2,500-$12,000 in price range). However, like anything, nothing is Guaranteed especially in the car business and the way vehicle are built today.

For example: Computers have changed a lot of how cars are built, repaired and warrantied. Everything also costs more today then even 5 or 10 years ago just to get the same apples to apples years ago we were able to buy. Inventory challenges are every where versus back years ago. However, we are in the information era and there is an overload of good and bad to help in buying the right used car in your budget. So, the tips below are far from full proof. I feel with the right guidance and following these tips, you can make the process of purchasing a used vehicle much more successful and swing the odds into you and your family's favor. So, here they are:

1. Always have an outside mechanic take a look at the vehicle before purchasing. If the dealership says you are not allowed, then get out while you can. There is no reason to not allow you to have someone look at the vehicle. However, be realistic too. If you live an hour or more away and expect most dealerships to let you travel back to your hometown with a dealer plate to have it looked at, you got another thing coming too. Bring a mechanic with you, or research mechanics in the area of the dealership you are going to and set up an appointment to take it to them when test driving the vehicle. Make sure they scan the vehicle and put it on a lift for you to get a reliable inspection.
2. Make sure the vehicle has current inspection and/or emissions on it depending on where you reside. If it is due within the next 3 months or less, make sure you know what it is going to need to pass inspection and/or emissions. ONE NOTE on emissions if you have it in your area: It is perfectly normal if the car needs to be driven to pass emissions. It is hooked up to a computer and happens quite often with the way computers are today.
3. Run a CARFAX or AutoCheck report to see the vehicle history. Now, a little more thought on this and i did a video on this before too fyi (see here: https://www.facebook.com/ReliableAutoConsultantsInc/videos/459690974521565/). Don't treat this as the Bible! USE this as a guide. Just cause a vehicle had an accident 5 years ago probably means absolutely nothing now especially if the vehicle has been driven since then on a regular basis. So, take a look at my video for more information on my thoughts here.
4. Check the value of the vehicle in relation to the condition it is in on either NADA or KBB. Many people i have talked to in the past, will tell me what something is worth and i look up what it is worth and they are not even in the same ball park. AGAIN, this is only a guide, not 100% but make sure you are putting the information in properly on the source you are using. Keep in mind for example that some cars hold more value than other ones based on region you live, reputation, availability and other variables. So again, this is just a guide to help you on your journey.
5. Purchase a Vehicle Service Contract IF the vehicle qualifies (which most vehicles do). Similar to a warranty but you pay for this and it is not included into the deal itself. Remember, you are buying something that in some cases may have been driven by 5 or more people on an every day basis. The CARFAX or AutoCheck can't tell you everything neither. You can have your mechanic check a vehicle today and he says all is perfect. Then 3 or 4 months passes, and BOOM! Your transmission starts slipping. If you have a Vehicle Service Contract already you will be covered other than a usual deductible when that transmission finally goes. Don't take the gamble. Now, there are exceptions to this rule. If you are a mechanic, i can see taking the risk on a vehicle you just bought for $8000 or less lets say. Makes sense. Again, look at all options and evaluate based on miles, price, affordability of the vehicle service contract, make, model, CARFAX , etc.
6. Be realistic with what you can get based on your budget! In this day and age, there are not as many vehicles out there that are good like in the 1990s for $1500-2000 price range. So, if that is your budget, don't expect much overall. Don't look for something with low miles but only have say $3000 to spend altogether and then also want it to be a foreign car if you are buying from a dealership, very rare. Figure out your budget in advance, do your research and go from there. Keep in mind, you will have sales tax, registration and plate fees, and doc and title fees on top of the price you and the dealer negotiate. So, if you want a vehicle and your budget is $5000 altogether and you want at least a 6 month warranty thrown into the package. Then, you will need to be somewhere around $3900-4100 for price of the car ITSELF.
7. Last but not least....check on how much insurance is going to be for that new used vehicle. I am an insurance agent too so there are a lot of factors that many people forget that goes into this. Such as: Zip code, make, model, color, liability or full coverage is obviously a huge factor in pricing, limited or full tort raises premium, 2 or 4 door, stick or automatic, etc. etc. Get at least 3 quotes to compare if you are a new driver. This will give you a good idea of where you will be every month.

Final thoughts: Buying a used car is not an easy process. Moreover, there are a lot of variables and things to consider when doing so. If you are not sure of something, seek a professional that can at the least be honest and guide you in the right direction. At Reliable Auto Consultants Inc., we are striving to help make the car buying process smoother and be honest with consumers in order to help them understand how it all works and get them the most bang for their buck. Have a great week!

Feel free to text and/or call me at anytime: 610-984-4764.