If you are looking to buy a used car anywhere in the United States, this article will show you what you need to pay attention to and how to check that the vehicle you want is in good condition.
These guidelines apply whether you are buying from a dealership or a private party.
What to check before buying a used car
Here are five things to check before buying a used car.
Body and tires
Compare the different panels on the car’s body to ensure that they all look uniform.
New paint or bodywork may be a warning sign that the vehicle has been involved in an accident or that the car is rusty.
Look out for worn-out tires. Feathered or cupped tires indicate that the car was involved in an accident. It may also signal a bad alignment or that the car has other issues that will cost you more money to fix.
Under the hood
Check the transmission fluid. It should be reddish and should not smell like it is burnt. The engine oil, antifreeze, and brake fluid cannot tell you a lot about the car because it can be changed and topped off anytime.
Look at the belts and check the general condition of the parts. Ensure that there is not too much corrosion and rust on the exhaust and aluminum parts.
Interior
Turn on the ignition and listen to the car. Anything that sounds out of place is a warning sign saying you’d spend some extra bucks on repairs.
You should also take a look at the upholstery. If it has a musty smell or too many water stains in weird patterns, it might be a flooded vehicle.
Look through the electronic parts of the car. Check if the emergency flashers still work. Try the windshield wiper. Check the braking and accelerator pads. Are the dashboard warning lights looking good? How are the air conditioner and heater doing? What is the odometer saying?
Get a second opinion
Check online reviews. Read up on people’s experiences with the car, or watch video reviews on YouTube and check the comments from viewers who have used the vehicle.
You should also call parts stores and ask if there have been a lot of parts ordered for the type of car you want to buy. If many people are ordering a particular replacement part for the car, it might mean that the car has an inherent problem.
Invite an independent mechanic to help you look at the vehicle you are about to purchase. You want to avoid getting a car with too many problems.
Check the title and documents of the car
The title of the car is proof of ownership. You need to pay special attention to the title of a car if you are buying from a private party, but it is just as necessary to take a closer look at the title if you are buying from a dealership.
You have to be cautious about getting the wrong paperwork. The title should bear the name of the person selling the car to you. There have been cases of private sellers passing on a void, counterfeit, or stolen title.
Try to avoid these problems by going over every inch of the paperwork.
A physical inspection of a car might give you a clue as to the condition of a used car. It is, however, not always enough to determine if a car is safe and roadworthy.
The easiest way to check a used car before buying
With a little bodywork and paint, a totaled car can look perfect on the outside. This is why a physical inspection of a car alone is not enough. You need to consider the history of the car before deciding to settle for a car.
One way of getting a car’s history is by running a VIN check. You can check any vehicle’s history using a free online license plate lookup tool like EpicVin.
A VIN check will give insight into how the title has passed, whether it is a clean title, and how long each owner has held the title.
From the car history, you will also be able to check the true mileage on the car and confirm that it is not a stolen car. You can see if the vehicle has been in an accident. You will also be able to tell what the car has been used for and how many times the car has been repaired.
EpicVin will be able to reveal the past of the car by accessing the information encoded in the VIN of the vehicle.
Where you don’t have access to the VIN, you can still check the car’s history using the vehicle’s license plate number. EpicVin will also run the license plate number through various databases to gather all the details relating to the car in question.
To avoid legal issues, use the EpicVin tool to check and analyze all the hidden details regarding the car you intend to purchase.
You can run both a VIN check and a license plate number check to verify that the VIN on the vehicle is authentic.