BuyingAdvice for a Used Car

I can remember the first time that I walked on to a car lot to purchase a car. I foolishly went alone. I walked right up to a cherry red Mitsubishi Eclipse and fell in love. Without any price negotiation or anything, I told the sales man that I wanted it right now, and within thirty minutes, I drove off the lot with my brand new used car. I was lucky that I did not pick a lemon, but in 1997, the 13% interest rate that I was stuck paying was not fun. I cannot help with price negotiations but over the years, I have learned a few things about making sure that you do not pick a lemon when you choose your next used car.

One of the first things that you want to do when checking out a used car is to check under the hood. Even if you had never looked under the hood of a car before, a quick look would give you some indication as to the condition of the car. If a there is a bunch of dried oil caked on the engine or at the hose connections, it is a sign that there may be trouble. It usually means that there is a major leak and if you purchase this ride, you are going to be sinking a large chuck of change into the engine to get it fixed.

After you have checked under the car’s hood, you what to walk around to the rear of the vehicle. While you are making your trek to the back of the car, take a quick jaunt around the entire car before you end in the rear. Visually inspect the car, making sure that you take a mental note of any dents that you may see or places where the paint is peeling off. Here is where rust could develop. Once at the back of the car, you want to get on your knees and run your finger just inside the tailpipe. If your finger comes back dirty, it could the sign of a faulty exhaust.

After the exhaust, you want to check the tires. You want to make sure that it has enough tread on them so that you will not go slipping off the road the next time that it rains. One way to measure, the tread of a tire is to use a penny. Take a penny out of your pocket and place Lincoln’s head inside of the tread. If you can see the top of his head that means that, the tread is too worn.