Purchasing a car is one of the most important decisions of your life, no matter if it is a semi-new car; it will always be an investment that will need years of your own savings. So making a decision on one will take time and research.
So here we are giving your answer:” questions to ask when buying a used car?”
Since it will need special attention to detail, since buying a used car has its benefits such as saving a lot of money but in contrast one of the disadvantages are that you will not be able to know exactly the mechanical failures that it has had over time or for how many owners have passed.
To make the best buying decision, it is recommended that you take into account expert advice such as the following:
The first thing to take into account is to consider what you need the car for, that is, what use will you give it, whether it will be for private use, transfer of merchandise or for personal transport. This way you can narrow your search to a type of car, be it a compact car, utility vehicle or truck, and you can focus on the makes and models.
Once you have decided on the type of car, model and brand, it is recommended that you compare the costs in different places, it is not the same to buy from an agency or an individual. For example, the amounts in the workshops or distribution networks of the brands can be higher, however, they always offer greater guarantees in case of hidden mechanical damage. In contrast, buying from an individual may be cheaper, but even if there is a contract involved, claiming is more difficult, expensive and complicated.
Prices in these places may be cheaper, but you run the risk of running into the famous "coyotes" who are people who offer you cars regardless of the state in which they are. They will hardly be honest with you and will hide vehicle damage. Identifying these people is very simple, when you arrive at the car market they immediately approach you asking if you sell or buy, they also offer you a large number of cars.
Many times the desire to find the ideal used car, such as the sportiest car or the one with the most power, can lead you to spend all the money you allocated for the purchase, however, it is recommended that you leave a mattress in case need to repair an automotive breakdown in a short term. You should also take into account that if you need to change a piece, sometimes its costs can be high.
Check that the pieces such as the doors should observe for example that they have a correct alignment, if they are not straight it is likely that they have suffered a blow.
From the front, do a headlight check. If one looks newer, it may have been replaced as a result of a crash. Also, check the joint between the windshield and the roof to make sure it is completely straight and there are no ripples.
On the sides, in addition to inspecting the alignment of the doors, make sure that they close perfectly and that the hinges do not have recent welds or change in tone in the paint, because this may mean that they have suffered an accident. On the other hand, if they look worn, they may have spent a lot of time in the open.
From the rear, pay attention to strange welds on the spare tire. Also be careful with the trunk is an area that is not in sight and if there are failures in it it is very likely that the repairs will be expensive. You must lift the carpet and tires to see if the car has been repainted.
Knowing how many kilometres a car has travelled in its useful life is very important because this will give you an idea of the wear that its engine, its internal parts and other components could have.
At this point you must be very careful since many times people sell second-hand cars with altered mileage, passing them off as relatively new cars. The way you can avoid being cheated is by observing the odometer (it is the mechanism that measures the distance travelled by car). This is located on the front dash near the steering wheel, if it has torn at the edges it has probably been removed.
Also if it is an analogue odometer, focus your attention on the alignment of the numbers, on the digit on the left. If these present a slight unevenness that can be a clear sign that it has been modified.
When the odometer is digital it becomes more difficult to know the truth, in most cases, you will have to rely on an expert. In some models, the distance traveled is stored in a system called the vehicle's ECU, it is enough for the mechanic to pass a scanner to see if what the device marks are real.
Another tip in terms of mileage is that you start to take accounts, the car dealers consider that in normal use a car travels an average of 10 to 20 thousand kilometers in a year.
So if they sell you a 10-year-old vehicle and they tell you that it has traveled 40 thousand km, and it is supposed to travel approximately 15 thousand kilometers per year, be careful! they are probably teasing you.
Contrast what they tell you by looking at the year of the car, which appears on the circulation card and on the invoice. You must also verify that the invoice is original from the agency and not from an insurance company.
It should be noted that car agencies are more reliable in terms of mileage, they usually sell almost all new cars.
Finally, to have this aspect completely under control, it is pertinent to know that it is recommended that your used vehicle has a distance of between 60 thousand and 90 thousand kilometers.
To check the automotive mechanisms of a car you must try it, it is recommended that you turn it on and look first at:
To avoid future problems or being a victim of a scam, it is extremely important that you obtain the vehicle papers such as the original car invoice and the original car policy. You must make sure that the engine number corresponds to the number that appears in the documents. It also asks that they provide you with proof of the last tuning, the last four verifications and the status of the payment of the tenure.
Also find out if the vehicle has a history of fines, if it is repossessed, is in any legal process or has a theft report. This can be consulted on the Internet portal of the Public Vehicle Registry of the federal government (REPUVE). It is very important that you take your time to make your purchase and do not rush because they can show you a document without a theft report; however, these reports are updated 24 hours after a complaint.
The previous tips will lead you to realize if the car you want to buy is the right one. The more information you have about it and the more time you invest in researching, the greater your chances of making a successful purchase.
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