Used car prices are finally dropping, coming down 10 percent over the last year, so if you’ve been waiting to replace your ride, now might be the time. However, not all used cars are in the advertised condition, and you want to ensure that you buy a car that can go the distance, literally as well as figuratively. When you find a used car that you want to buy, you should take it to your mechanic to have it checked out.
Are you buying a used car? Here are the important questions you should ask your mechanic before finalizing the purchase.
What is its service history?
The lack of a well-documented service history is a major red flag. A missing service history can hide ongoing problems or a past accident. Ask the seller to provide a service history or the name of the mechanic who worked on it and can give you those details and then have your mechanic review it.
How does it handle?
Ask your mechanic to test drive the car for you to identify potential problems. If you’re not an expert, doing the test drive yourself may not give you the information you need to make an informed decision about the car. You could feel something weird or hear a troubling noise, but there’s only so much you can do if you don’t know what those signs mean.
Are there known issues with this make and model?
While you can do your own research about the most reliable models, no one knows what cars have the most problems like a mechanic. Even before you start shopping around for used cars, ask your mechanic which they think you should stay well away from. Similarly, ask what cars are the best to buy used.
Will it need maintenance or repairs soon?
You don’t want to buy a car only to find that you’ll have to pour more money into it to keep it roadworthy. Have your mechanic check it out and let you know what repairs it will need soon and the estimated cost of those repairs. Armed with that information, you should be able to negotiate a lower price with the seller.
