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Used Cars
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Everyone buying a used car should get a CARFAX Vehicle History Reports get data from a substantial number of dealers and aftermarket repair shops. As a result, the the reports include data from nearly 5,000 sources. The issue with our visitor Debbie above could have been prevented had she used our advice. A mechanic can put the car on a lift and instantly spot previous crash damage, hidden frame damage, corrosion, and fluid leaks. Your mechanic can't tell you if the title is rebuilt, or if it's stolen, or passed through a salvage auction. Most mechanics ignore airbags. You can only tell how many owners that car had or where it's been with a history repot, not just by looking at the car. This is not the time to 2nd guess. Unfortunately there are no clear laws if you sign an "As Is" paper. Sue them for lying about merchantability. Any used car can have a bad past, Mercedes, Lexus, Honda, or Toyota. My friend ran a CARFAX Vehicle History Report on a used Mercedes and found it failed inspection. Some municipalities don't supply accident report info, that's why you still need to have a mechanic look at it. The vehicle history report is only as accurate as the data from their sources
Before you shop for a used car, get auto insurance quotes to find out how much it will cost to insure it. Progressive Auto Insurance and iNSWEB, give free online car insurance quotes.
Get an extended warranty for your used car. The best car warranty sites we have researched so far are 1SourceAutoWarranty and Warranty Direct. Read our chapter on Extended Warranty Scams & Tips, or you'll be out several hundred dollars. If you buy a 3 or 4 year old used car, that's when the manufacturer's warranty expires and all hell breaks loose. Unless you have an extended warranty, you are exposed to potentially large losses.
Beware of extended warranty scams at used car dealers. Some used car dealers will take in a 5 year old trade with an extended warranty, and have it transferred to the new owner/sucker (you) and not tell you the warranty period is from the in-service date of the original owner. You find out your warranty is about to expire when they told you the car has a 5 year extended warranty. It's so important to read the contract before you buy. Don't rely on the seller to tell you about it.
Common problems with used cars: You should be wary of prior car accidents with any used car, but don't just focus on that or you'll get blind sided by problems that your mechanic might not spot on commonly overlooked items, such as odometer rollback, missing airbags (you can't tell without removing the airbag covers), flooded cars, mismatched VINs, auto salvage yard auction sales, Gross Polluter, or stolen cars. Your mechanic does not run a vehicle title history, you must do it. Car dealers run a vehicle title history report when you trade in your car to make sure you're not ripping them off, and so should you so you don't get ripped off.
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