Liviu Marcus
The desire to buy a used car should not end at the level of desiring; a potential buyer of a used car should try to ask a few questions before investing their hard-earned money on a car whose condition they hitherto don’t know.
Find here the most important questions to ask before you buy a used car.
Does the car have a crash history?
Asking this question will let you know if the seller has been involved in an accident, (whether minor or major) with the car before. Be curious to know which part of the car sustained the damage and what degree of repairs has been done on it. If you want to buy a used car, you can check out its car history for free.
How often do you change the oil?
Regular oil change is one of the important indications that the seller has properly taken care of the car. Let your seller provide you with maintenance records or service receipts, if available.
What is the mileage of the car?
Try not to assume that the seller’s quoted mileage is correct. Check with the car’s odometer. Do a proper check as well of the information on the legal documents of the car, including vehicle ownership and VIN.
What regular or recent issues have you faced with the car?
The best way to get the right question across to the seller is to do a background check about the model of the car being offered up for sale. Each car model comes with certain problems specific and exclusive to them. Besides, ask the seller if there are recurrent, regular, or recent problems − electrical or mechanical – that need urgent fix. You may also want to if the problems can be fixed before purchase.
How long can I drive-test?
30 minutes are enough good time to assess the condition of the used car you’re buying. Some cars may require more time. How well does the car run? Does it suit your preference or lifestyle? Make sure the seller keeps an eye while you run your drive test.
What is the maintenance cost?
Don’t splash your income yet on any model of a used car if you never find the right answer to whether the seller will take trade-ins or dealership. If your budget doesn’t match the cost of maintenance, tax, and other fees, you might want to bargain for trade-in.
Final verdict
Don’t forget every seller wants to get rid of their used car. The buyer is to know what they want and how they’ll not end up in the hands of a dubious seller. The above questions are very essential to avoid this.
Also, we do recommend you to read our article about how to buy a used car ( complete guide ). It will help you to buy a used car without getting scammed.
