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Let the Good Times RollJan 25 '00 Write an essay on this topic.In the market for a used car, but not sure which vehicle to get? There are many great deals to be gotten out there. You just have to know where to look and how not to get screwed. I have been working in the automotive repair business for over 15 years and have seen countless customers get screwed when they purchased a used vehicle. "But I just bought this vehicle a couple of months ago!" is the typical line that I have heard when a customer has to have some major work done on their "newly" purchased gem. If there is a vehicle that you are interested in purchasing, go to kbb.com (Kelly-blue book's web site) and see what the vehicle should be selling for. Print out a copy and take it with you. There is one simply thing that could save a lot of heartache, hard earned money and time. That one simple thing would be for that individual to take the vehicle that they are interested in purchasing to their most trusted automotive shop and have it inspected. Most shops will charge a fee to inspect your vehicle and it's well worth it. When they inspect it, ask them to check for any paint discoloration (hints of having body/paint work done) and inspect the chassis/frame for any welding or damage. Most reputable automotive technicians are able to do this. The inspection should be a "bumper-to-bumper" inspection also. If the bumper-to-bumper checks out ok, then you might want to proceed and have the engine analyzed. This whole process should not cost you anymore than $100.00. If the vehicle checks out "ok", but needs some minor work, have the repair shop write you up an estimate of what it would cost to repair the vehicle. You can then take this estimate to the selling party and ask them to lower the price of the vehicle for the price of the estimate, so that you could have it repaired. If the selling party is honest, they should not have any problem with this. Some might want to haggle a little, but that's ok. If the vehicle inspection turns up a lot of items and some internal engine problems or transmission problems, then you will know that you should return the vehicle and look around some more. If the selling party refuses to have their vehicle inspected or "claim" that they just had it inspected, walk away and look elsewhere. If you are not sure of what kind of vehicle to purchase, walk into or call your automotive repair shop and ask them what kind of vehicle you should get. That is if your repair shop has a good reputation. (Most of them do. It's the few that spoil the automotive repair services' reputation) you repair shop should ask you a few questions. Why type of driving you do, how much you have to spend and if you want American or Foreign. Okay, so the last question does not really matter much anymore. But a few questions should be asked. Buying a used vehicle can be a nerve racking and time consuming experience, but with a little guidance, patience and a little out of pocket money, you could be buying yourself a lot of piece of mind. And that's priceless. PaulyP  |
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