You are probably stressed out, worried that you’re going to make a bad decision. You may not know where to start or how to begin. Luckily, we’ve created this comprehensive guide on the steps you need to take and the questions you need to ask before purchasing a used car.
Step 1: Look at the Positive
The fact that you’re looking to buy a used car is a step in the right direction. Many people forget about used cars in chicago and only look for new ones, but with gas prices going up and up, it makes sense to buy a car that doesn’t break the bank. Think about all of the money you’ll save on gas alone.
Step 2: Check the Car Cams
There are a number of helpful tools that you can use to check the car’s history online. You can find this information in site that has many used cars for sale listed on their website for easy viewing.
Step 3: Test Drive It
Don’t rely solely on what you find online. Next time you’re in the market for a used car, stop by one of your local dealerships and test drive it yourself. Only do this if it’s the dealership for the car you’re looking for.
Step 4: Check for Signs of Scams
It takes a certain amount of stupidity to buy a used car without checking for signs of scams. The easiest scam to spot is a car that has been reported as stolen. The dealer will save money by not paying for insurance and keeping title fees low, but they still face charges from the DMV when you have problems with it.
Step 5: Research the Dealership
Go on to the National Auto Dealers Association website and look at their Consumer Protection Center. The NADA will have reports written by members of the public about a particular dealerships business practices. For example, you can look at how a dealership treats customers with complaints or how they handle consumer fraud issues.
Step 6: Read Used Car Rankings
Check out online sources such as Consumer Reports and Edmunds to see what other consumers think about these dealers and models. If a dealership is ranked poorly, it could be an indicator of bad business practices and you may want to consider avoiding it.
Step 7: Ask the Dealer Questions
Even if the dealer is doing everything correctly and has no history of complaints, you should still ask questions. The biggest question deals with their honesty. To work as a used car dealer, dealers will have to put on a salesperson’s mask. Unfortunately, there are some dealers that will conveniently lie about certain information and try to deceive you into thinking something that may not be true.