8 Tips for Buying a Used Car

If you have never bought a used car before, but you are thinking about doing it for the first time, you might be a little nervous. That is particularly true if you do not know very much about cars. You may have heard some horror stories about pushy or unscrupulous used car dealers.

Nevada dealerships often have plenty of helpful salespeople with excellent reputations. However, it can be helpful to check a dealership or used car lot’s reviews before you go there. If you see a lot of one or two-star reviews and read about individuals who had bad experiences at a particular dealership, you will probably want to go somewhere else instead.

We have listed some additional tips that are worth considering. Buying a used car does not have to be a frightening or difficult ordeal as long as you approach the situation cautiously.  

Know What You Want Before You Arrive

First, it’s useful to know what you want and to look at the inventory a used car lot has before you visit it. A vehicle should not be an impulse buy, though some people might treat it that way.

Instead, you should have an idea of the make, model, and year of car that you want. If you need a family sedan, then getting a sports car won’t make much sense.

Look at each used car lot’s website and decide what vehicles you want to see before you get there. It’s also helpful to call the dealership or car lot beforehand. That way, you can be sure they still have the particular vehicle or vehicles you most want to see.

Check the VIN

The VIN, or vehicle identification number, is different for each car. This unique ID can give you a great deal of information about a vehicle before you ever see it in person.

The listing for every car on a used car lot’s website should include the VIN. Look up the car using that number. There are sites where you can see whether it has been in any crashes and that can give you all the additional information you need.

See How Much This Car is Worth on Sites Like Edmunds and Kelley Blue Book

In the past, it was often difficult to negotiate with used car dealers. Unless you knew a lot about vehicles, you might have had no way of knowing what a car was actually worth.

However, things are very different since the advent of the internet and websites like Edmunds and Kelley Blue Book. Either one of those can give you a rough estimate of how much a car should be worth based on the make, model, year, etc.

Take advantage of those sites. Doing so lets you know the ballpark estimate that a used car lot should try to charge you. You can go elsewhere if they want way more than what Edmunds or KBB tells you.

Bring Someone Along Who Knows About Cars

If you don’t know about cars, or if you have never bought a used vehicle before, it’s always a good idea to bring along someone who knows about them. Maybe there is someone in your family who is knowledgeable about vehicles. Perhaps you have a friend who is into them.

They can tell you if there’s anything noteworthy about the car that could indicate it’s a lemon. That’s always a much more distinct possibility with a used car than if you buy a brand-new one that presumably has no accident history or problems with it.

Never Buy a Car Without Taking a Test Drive

Under no circumstances should you ever buy a used car without taking it for a test drive. If, for some reason, a salesperson will not let you test drive the car, that is the largest possible red flag you might run into.

You should try driving the vehicle on local roads and the highway, assuming there’s one nearby. Some car-related problems will only reveal themselves if you accelerate the vehicle.

Consider the Warranty

The cost of a used car might seem ideal for your price range, but you may want to reconsider if the used car lot or dealership will not give you at least a decent warranty on it. You can’t expect the 2-3 year warranty you might get with a brand-new car, but you still want more than the 30 days some dealerships are willing to give you.

Many dealerships can give you a better warranty on a used car if you pay a little more. You may be reluctant to give up any more money, but that warranty can be a lifesaver if anything goes wrong with your used vehicle a couple of months after you buy it.

Don’t Let the Dealer Rush You

You should also never let a salesperson rush you during the car-buying process. They might try to say that if you don’t buy the vehicle right at that moment, they have someone else waiting to snatch it up.

If you’re ready to buy, then go ahead and do it, but don’t fall for high-pressure sales tactics. You can always find another car to buy. If your instincts tell you to wait a couple of days to make your decision, then don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. 

Don’t Be Afraid to Walk Away

This last tip is related to the previous one. You don’t need to make the salesperson happy or satisfy them by buying a vehicle when you visit a used car lot if you don’t want to. If you find the car you want, you can move forward, but if you’re not seeing what you need, it should be your prerogative to back out a deal that doesn’t seem right for you.

If you remember all this, your used car-buying experience should go well.