13 Questions To Ask When Buying A Used Car

Buying a used car is more than just deciding to make an offer on a vehicle with a “for sale” sign in the window.

To make a smart purchase, especially when it comes to acquiring a used car, you need to do your homework and thus protect your investment. That is why we share these 13 questions you should ask about the previous life of a used car.

How Many Kilometers Does It Have?

If you’re looking for a low-mileage vehicle, finding out that the car has 85,000 miles (136,793.9 kilometers) on the odometer will help you remove that vehicle from your list. Mileage is a key factor in used car transactions, be sure to ask this question first.

Why Is The Vehicle For Sale?

Many used car buyers fail to ask an obvious question: why are you selling this vehicle? Maybe the seller needs the money, is trying to get rid of a second car, wants to buy a newer or newer car, is moving out of state, obtained a company vehicle and does not need to own another, are some of the reasons or different reasons they can give.

To get a good idea of ​​what the real reason is, have a small talk that breaks the ice and opens the way to promote dialogue about the potential transaction. It’s easy to do this while walking around the vehicle to visually inspect it or sitting in the driver’s seat taking a look inside.

How Much Are You Asking For The Car?

Any price negotiation has to start somewhere, so the best way to get this process going is to ask openly what the seller is asking for the car. If it’s too loud, it’s the end of the talk. If the sale price is in a reasonable range, you can move on to the next question.

What Are You Willing To Give Up To Sell The Car?

If the seller seems willing to negotiate, that’s a good sign. There may be items that need to be changed or fixed; such as the need to replace four tires, which is another expense that the seller must consider and lower the sale price.

Where Did You Buy The Vehicle?

You should notice absolutely no doubt in the seller’s voice when you ask this question. The answer will be very informative, not only for the city and state in which the purchase was made, but also for knowing which person sold it.

• Was it a dealer?
• Was he the original owner of the car?
• Was it from an auction?
• Was it in a state where floods or hurricanes are common?
• Was it a police chase vehicle or taxi in your previous life?
• Was it a rental car or an off-lease car?

Here are some questions you can ask to find out how the seller obtained the vehicle.

Do You Have The Invoice In Hand?

There is no point in wasting your time with a salesperson who has to go through a thousand things to get the invoice. If he or she has the document in hand, the whole process will be much easier. It just depends on how much you want that vehicle and how long you are willing to wait for the delivery of the documents. Having your papers in order also protects you against scams.

How Long For A Driving Test Can I Take?

No seller in their right mind would deny a potential buyer a test drive, but how long are they willing to let you be behind the wheel? If they say less than 30 minutes, this is probably a time you want to increase.

There may be some weird sound or a problem that only arises after a certain amount of time on the road. On the other hand, don’t expect to have the car for an hour or more. You are likely to make the salesperson very nervous, and they cannot be blamed for that. He doesn’t know you, either.

Can I See The Car’s Maintenance Records?

This is a great selling point for smart marketers. If they are able to produce accurate and regular maintenance records for the vehicle, you will be more convinced that the car was well cared for. Another way to get there is to ask the seller what type of oil is used in the car brand. If you change the oil yourself, you will know the answer. If you say you have to review your logs, chances are you have the data, which is another good sign. If you don’t know and you don’t have records, that’s not a good sign.

Would You Mind If I Bring My Mechanic (Or Another Independent Professional) To Inspect The Vehicle?

Nobody wants to buy unforeseen difficulties. An honest seller should have no problem allowing the car to be professionally inspected by an independent entity, mechanic, or otherwise. If the seller resists, they may have something to hide, in which case you should leave soon.

Is It The Original Color Of The Car?

Finding out if a vehicle has been repainted will tell you a lot about its history. A rare color is certainly not from the factory, but a new paint job could be the result of an accident, negligent driving, or careless maintenance – or it could be all three.

Has The Car Suffered An Accident?

Don’t be embarrassed to ask this question. You will be able to verify the answer with a vehicle history report, but why not ask the seller? If yes, ask to see repair records to make sure the car was fixed by a reputable mechanic and/or repair shop. If you want nothing to do with a Carzaty car that has been in an accident, this is the time to take the recall.

Are There Any Recent Fines Or Notices On That Vehicle?

Although they are not that uncommon, it is important that you make sure that the notices or violations about the vehicle you are seeing have been handled correctly. If the seller doesn’t know, stay away from that car. You could have unattended fines or surcharges that could put the unit at risk.

Check The Serial Number

There is nothing wrong with asking the seller to show you the serial number. Find out if it doesn’t have any reports or problems and if it corresponds to the vehicle they are showing you.

These are some recommendations that you should consider when deciding to buy a used car.