There are many benefits to buying a used car. Regardless of your reasons though, after finding one you like and checking it over, there are some questions you should ask so you know what you are getting before you buy the used car or truck.
Do you have a CARFAX report?
CARFAX is a company that provides reports on used vehicles and includes information such as significant accidents, prior ownership, mileage, and title information.
What type of title does this vehicle have?
When you are in the market for a used vehicle, it is important to ask about the title status. You want to be sure you buy a car or truck with a clean title. Avoid salvage titles or reconstructed titles also known as R titles.
Salvage titles mean the car was involved in an accident and was deemed a total loss. Afterward the insurance company sold the vehicle to a licensed body shop to rebuild. These vehicles cannot be driven on public roads. Reconstructed titles describe vehicles that were rebuilt after a total loss and then underwent and passed an inspection stating they are safe to drive on the road.
Where did you get the car?
Used car lots get vehicles either through trade ins or at used car auctions. If they got it at auction, they weren’t able to talk to the previous owner - which is okay. This is an additional reason why the CARFAX report is so important when buying a used vehicle.
What are the options for financing?
Ready to buy but not sure if financing will work out? Check out what options they offer. Often times, used car dealers have strong relationships with local banks and credit unions in addition to having options for no credit and bad credit customers.
What type of inspection did this car undergo?
When used car dealerships purchase cars and trucks from local auctions, they know some details on the history and condition of the vehicle, but not everything Any used vehicle bought through an auction should go through a three-step inspection process.
When a dealership buys a car, they can opt to have a detailed inspection completed by the auction house at an additional cost before finalizing the purchase.
Once the dealer takes the car or truck, they should also have an additional inspection completed by a mechanic they trust. At Nevin’s Automotive Sales, we use a third-party mechanic that gets paid to find what is wrong. So there is no conflict of interest during the inspection and you can be sure the used car is safe for you to drive off the lot.
If anything is significantly wrong with the used vehicle, we return it to the auction so we can continue to deliver only quality vehicles to our customers.
Are there any current recalls on the car, truck, or SUV?
These days, recalls are common no matter what manufacturer you research. When you buy a used car or truck, it makes sense to ask if there are any known recalls on the car. You can also research potential recalls online using this website: https://www.recalls.gov/nhtsa.html.
If there is a recall, you can expect to receive a letter in the mail explaining the steps to take to get the recall taken care of at a local dealership’s service center.