Buying a car is a huge investment and you need to be careful while doing it. Sometimes we resort to buying a used car for many reasons and it doesn’t matter what the reasons are. All that matters is for you to keep in mind the important tips you read in this article so that you don’t get fooled at the car dealership.
When you are stepping into a dealership you are nervous and excited at the same time to make such a huge investment, you’re not thinking clearly because of the excitement and it is very easy to get misled. So, the first thing you need to keep reminding yourself is to keep your eye on the price. If you want to get your hands on the car you like it’s only fair for you to pay what it’s worth and not what it would’ve been worth if it wasn’t used.
The second thing you have to do is buy the car in bright daylight and not at night time, the daylight will make it easier for you to compare the panels to each other to make sure they are uniform. And if there’s a color difference in the panels it may be the first sign that it’s rusty or that it has been in an accident.
Then get to the tires of the car. Turn the tires one way to yourself and feel them with your hands if they are uneven or weary or badly aligned then it might be the second sign that it has been in an accident or maybe it just traveled a lot. This might not be the best reason to not get the car if everything else is nice. You can just get them replaced.
Now we get to underneath the hood. You need to check your transmission fluid and see if it’s red. Smell the fluid to see whether it’s burnt. And then check your engine oil to make sure that it’s not low in any means. Check if it is nice and clear. Smell this oil too and note down that it doesn’t smell good. If it does smell good it can probably mean that there was an issue and the oil was changed beforehand.
The next thing is to check your brake reservoir, if it is full then you have a good sign that your brakes are in good shape. But if the reservoir is low on oil it means the brakes are worn so it would be better for you to get them fixed before handing down the price or maybe move onto another one.
You should also check all the belts and check if there is any sort of corrosion and rust on the exhaust and any of the aluminum parts.
When you finally get in the car for a test ride make sure to turn off the air conditioning and radio and listen if there are any noises. Any sort of ticks or knocks or squeaks is a warning sign that it is probably going to cost you money. Do not let the person in the car or whoever is selling talk to you while you are trying to do this.
And last but not least check all the basic things like the windows functioning, air conditioning, heater, horn, wipers, lights, seatbelts, turn signals.
The above-mentioned tips will hopefully keep you from buying something that will be a problem further on. Also, don’t forget to check the reviews online about the used car dealership you are visiting, and make sure to take someone along with you to help you decide when you are in a dilemma.