Used car Mesa - Tips for car check
There is a reasonable series of steps one can take to protect oneself from fraud, negligence, or lack of disclosure on the part of the used car seller, which if followed should substantially diminish the chance of getting a lemon. And you don’t want to get a lemon whether its from a dealer or an independent seller because recovery of costs is going to take away your valuable time.
Tips.
1. Most important tip - Get the opinion of an independent mechanic. But not only that, get the opinion of a mechanic you trust. Don’t have one? Find a friend who knows a mechanic he or she trusts. Can’t think of one? Ask around. You’re bound to find one person amongst your friends who goes to a mechanic regularly and gets a good vibe from them. After all, a third party mechanic is a disinterested person who can give an honest opinion if you can put up with a little fee for checking out the used car Mesa.
2. Do a physical check on the outside of the car, looking at the paint, rust. Check the tires and make sure they’re firm, level.
3. Check the driver and passenger interior, looking for irregularities, tears, rips or stains in the mats, seats. The stains in the seats will be hard to remove, a good point for you to use to negotiate down the price.
4. Check the trunk for problems such as stains, rust, or evidence of water having flooded the trunk interior.
5. Check under the hood to make sure the engine looks good on the exterior. Take a look at the oil cap and make sure the gasket (the rubber seal) isn’t leaking. Check out the engine oil and ensure that it’s a healthy brown color. Make sure hoses are not cracked.
6. Look at the fenders, ensure they are tightly on the car. Look for the vehicle identification number (VIN) to ensure that the fenders were never replaced. Compare it to the VIN on the side of the rear door (when it’s opened) or the front windshield.
7. Divide the number of miles on the odometer by the car age. You should retrieve a value between 7000-12000. Much over that or under that indicates the car was driven too much or not enough, both of which can potentially signify a problem. Why is low mileage a problem? Well, not generally, but a very old car with low mileage isn’t necessarily a good buy either.
8. Ask for the service history of the vehicle, i.e. when brought into the shop, what sorts of repairs were done to it. You can obtain this from the shop. If the owner doesn’t have any service records, you’re taking a risk then.
9. Transmission fluid (see on the dipstick) should be a healthy pinkish color, whereas old fluid is usually very dark brown with speckles. Check the engine belts, which should not be cracked or stiff from age. This can be high priced.
10. Get a CarFax.com report, for free if possible. This dealer or seller has to shown other buyers anyway. Try to get it from them for free. The accident history should be helpful in deciding to hold off on buying.
11. Consider buying a certified pre-owned vehicle. Certainly not worth it if the car is very new, 1 year old cars of certain makes can cost almost as much as new ones. Consider buying