The Car Guy: 5 Essential Tips for Buying a Used Car

Walking into a car dealership, test driving a car and deciding to buy before doing a little legwork can be like walking into a live minefield. Bear with me here for a sec.

When I was 20 years old I was in the market for a fast car. I was fresh out of Marine Corps basic training and I wanted to show off. Lo and behold, I saw a beautiful late model Pontiac Firebird Formula. After a test drive I decided I would buy it.

Thank God, I didn’t.

One of my friends urged me to check the car out further before buying. A twisted frame made me steer clear from making one of the nastiest automotive decisions of my life.

From that point on, anytime I was in the market for a used car I did some homework first.

The following list should help you with your search:

• Always get the Carfax report. And, if there is anything suspicious on that report, ask questions concerning what you see. This is not foolproof, however, as sometimes accidents can be covered up or not reported at all.

• Always get the car up on a lift. As a mechanic, I’m comfortable looking underneath, so I ask the dealer to throw it up on the lift for me. If you are not qualified to check it out, ask your mechanic to do it for you. Most mechanics won’t mind.

• Always try to get a lower price. This should go without saying. When I check out a vehicle I make a mental note of everything I see. This could help later on with the pricing. For example, say the tires are bald, or have extreme dry rot. I will have to buy four new tires to even stand a chance of getting through PA inspection, and since they are going to cost a certain amount of money, you might be able to get that amount taken off the sticker price.

• Don’t pay any attention to how clean the car is. Most used cars are steam cleaned when they get to the dealer, and they are often cleaned before they are taken out on a test drive. The point here is to impress the buyer. Try to look past this. Otherwise, when you get home with the car and an oil leak springs out of nowhere, you won’t be disappointed.

• Always be prepared to walk out of a negotiation. If the dealer isn’t willing to compromise, then it wasn’t meant to be. This can be the hardest part, so don’t fall in love with the car. The truth is, used car dealers buy a lot of their inventory in bulk, at auctions. Sometimes they don’t have the time to inspect every one. So it isn’t necessarily their fault if there are huge problems. It always pays to do a little legwork before you jump into something that you could regret a little later on down the road.