Buying a car second hand can be pretty intimidating. Aggressive sales people coupled with all of the things you need to keep in mind before you sign your final paper. But getting a second hand car that you want without paying too much for it is easier than you think if you just keep a few guidelines in mind.
Watch out for Car Cloning and Clocking
Some unscrupulous stores will give a car the identity of another by replacing the plate numbers from one vehicle to another. You could end up with a vehicle that is different than the one that you think you’re buying. Additionally, there’s a practice known as “clocking” that will reduce the number on the odometer to make it look like there are fewer miles on a car then the amount that it’s actually travelled. You can check to see if a car has taken a longer journey than what’s claimed by the odometer by looking for chips on the front of the grille or on the bumper. Stones hit on the highway can cause these chips, and if there’s a lot of them, then this could mean that the car is much more used than what is claimed. As a result, it’s important to purchase from reputable stores only.
Check for Wear Everywhere
Other places that are worth checking for wear include the following.
- Worn Pedal Rubbers
- Worn Steering Wheels
- Seats or Seat Belt Webbing Wear
If the steering wheel looks all shiny and worn down then this could mean that people have been handling the wheel for quite a long time. This could mean that car has a lot more miles on it than it appears.
Wait for Good Visibility
Avoid doing any shopping of second hand cars at night or in the rain, or at any point where you can’t see the car really well. You need to be able to confirm that the car is in good shape and it’s pretty difficult to do that if there’s a bunch of rain coming down or if it’s dark and you can’t see anything anymore.
Research Thoroughly
There are a lot of sites online for tracking cars. You should have a good sense of what you want before you even get down to the place you’re going. Additionally, it helps to try and make sure that the stores you’re going to are trustworthy and that they have good reviews online. Many sites like Yelp will help give you a sense of what customers think of particular locations.
Keeping your Second Hand Car on the Road
The most important thing when it comes to buying a second hand car is making sure that it keeps running for as long as possible after you buy it. This means that it’s a good idea to get frequent The Auto Stoppe car tune ups whenever possible, for example, or else go to whatever local shop is near you. This is particularly important for a car that has a lot of miles.
