What to do when buying a used car

Iowa's Attorney General Tom Miller advises us:

When you find a car you like, take your time, ask questions, and check it out.

• Test-drive the vehicle, and take it to your mechanic for inspection.
  

• Never buy a car without test-driving it first, and never buy a car from someone who won’t let you take it to a mechanic for a pre-sale inspection.
  

• Research the car’s history. For a fee, private services like Carfax and Autocheck may be able to tell you whether the vehicle has ever been titled as salvage, flood-damaged, or rebuilt, or if it has ever had an odometer mileage discrepancy.
  

• If you have a trade-in, consider selling the vehicle yourself. You likely will get more for the trade-in, simplify your purchase contract, and reduce the chances of confusion, fraud, or other problems resulting from your negotiations and purchase.
  

• Check the paperwork on the car before signing a purchase contract. Examine the odometer and damage disclosure statements.
  

• Offer a fair price, and focus on the total purchase price. (If you focus only on the monthly payment amount, you may end up paying more than the car is worth.)
  

• Watch what you sign -- once you sign a contract to buy, there generally is no three-day right to cancel. [Note: this may vary from state to state!] Put any disputes or other important issues in writing. Be ready to walk away if you aren’t satisfied with a deal. Be comfortable with your purchase.

This is sound advice. Learn to do more than just kick the tires and you may save yourself - and your wallet - a lot of heartache.

Tags: consumers, automobiles