We sometimes fear what we don’t know, especially when buying a used car. What if its been in an accident, what if it was abused, what if it had numerous problems and the owner just dumped it? These are all questions that usually keeps people away from buying a used car and rather makes them pay more money for a new one. There are ways however one can educate themselves on a particular vehicle and save themselves money.
Most of you have guessed it, the first step is the more mainstreamed one and the most famous: CARFAX. It is well known that CARFAX has set itself as the leader in automotive report but there are some things you should know about CARFAX.
- It does not know everything
- It doesn’t always know about smaller fender benders
- It wont always know about service records
- Ownership is not always accurate
Those are simply some small flaws that the system has but are no biggie, as there are other ways besides CARFAX that you can educate yourself on your next purchase. AUTO CHECK is well know for catching the small items that CARFAX sometime misses and is a good addition to your reporting.
The final steps you should take is obtaining the service records for the car by simply calling the dealership (any of the same make), giving them the VIN and understanding the previous owner’s commitment to maintaining his car. Once that has been established, simply visually inspect the vehicle to make sure no panels were repainted; look for screws and bolts having been removed and replaced around the inside of the fenders and bumper by opening the hood and trunk areas, also look for aligned doors and panels.
