Thinking of how to make a used car purchase ? But feeling afraid of being cheated of your hard earned money? Buying a used car is always profitable if you know what to look for in used cars for sell. They are tested against manufacturing defects and the price is always low, so you will get a good value for money. Let me give you some guidelines to follow so that you can always pick up the best second hand cars.
*Do a research and review all the old car models. Ask your friends and colleagues about it. Narrow down to two models. Look for models that have the least maintenance history for 2-3 year old cars.
*Make a phone call and negotiate with the seller. If he is offering the car at $16,000, ask him if he can get down to $14,800. Don’t go for cheap cars falling below the $15,000 margin as these will not be a good buy.
*At the dealership, without any hesitation check for the car history records through it VIN number. Check with the vehicle registration authorities that it is not a stolen car.
*Buy a car that is 2-3 years old and not more. Also check for the odometer reading. Anything less than 180,000 km is acceptable. Check that the odometer has not been rewound in the car’s history.
*Ask a knowledgeable person or a mechanic whom you trust to inspect the car, before deciding upon anything.
*Look for possible signs of damage – check for rippled body metal, misaligned doors, door color a shade different from body (accident sign), the mat on the floor as dried water stains (possible signs of flooding), check for the engine conditions and dip a stick into the oil (if it comes coated with black particles the engine oil has not been changed), if the exhaust pipe gives of black or blue smoke, then the engine is not in a good condition.
*Never hesitate to back off if at any time during your inspection you feel uncomfortable. There are a lot of cars trucks for sale with other dealers around.
