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Lady Sedai · 07-29-2004, 08:05 AM

Also to protect yourself from "unscrupulous deals", you AND your friend should get the VIN numbers off any car you are considering buying and have them checked against any reported wrecks or other major vehicular flaws (such as recalls put out by the manufacturer).

You can usually use the VIN alone online to check out the specific car. If you cannot find anything that way, contact a good insurance company. You both need to check insurance quotes anyway to make sure that, once you have purchased the car, you can afford the insurance on that car and the insurance company can look the vehicle up and give you information on all the features the car should have and, usually, whether or not there has ever been a reported wreck involving the car.

Also...when taking it for a test drive, make sure to drive it a fair distance and then park somewhere where there is nothing on the ground, let it sit for about 30 minutes, then move the car to see if it's leaking any fluids.

While driving, make sure the radio is off and *listen* to the car. Does it make ANY noises in the engine or when shifting gears? Does is "shimmy" or shake when driving (indicating everything from bad tires, an alignment needed to transmission problems).

Turn on the vent (but not the A/C) and *smell* for any "odd" odors coming through the vent which could indicate an oil or radiator leak.

Look at the radiator hoses under the hood to make sure they are not "dry rotting" and needing replacement, check the battery cables for wear or corrosion, look at the engine block and manifold to see if it looks like either has any sort of build up of dirt and fluids (usually indicating an oil leak which could mean any number of things).

When it's at rest and safe to do so, check all the fluids...radiator, oil, brake, transmission.

Make sure all the lights work, A/C (if equipped), windshield wipers, and any other "extras" like radio/CD player, etc.

Crawl underneath the car and check out the muffler also. Is it rusted? Does it have any holes in it? Are all the clamps holding it in place?

Anyway...this is from much experience in buying used cars. Hope this helps. [img]smile.gif[/img]

07-29-2004, 08:05 AM	#8
Lady Sedai Banned User Join Date: May 21, 2004 Location: Hiram\'s lap Age: 55 Posts: 334	Also to protect yourself from "unscrupulous deals", you AND your friend should get the VIN numbers off any car you are considering buying and have them checked against any reported wrecks or other major vehicular flaws (such as recalls put out by the manufacturer). You can usually use the VIN alone online to check out the specific car. If you cannot find anything that way, contact a good insurance company. You both need to check insurance quotes anyway to make sure that, once you have purchased the car, you can afford the insurance on that car and the insurance company can look the vehicle up and give you information on all the features the car should have and, usually, whether or not there has ever been a reported wreck involving the car. Also...when taking it for a test drive, make sure to drive it a fair distance and then park somewhere where there is nothing on the ground, let it sit for about 30 minutes, then move the car to see if it's leaking any fluids. While driving, make sure the radio is off and listen to the car. Does it make ANY noises in the engine or when shifting gears? Does is "shimmy" or shake when driving (indicating everything from bad tires, an alignment needed to transmission problems). Turn on the vent (but not the A/C) and smell for any "odd" odors coming through the vent which could indicate an oil or radiator leak. Look at the radiator hoses under the hood to make sure they are not "dry rotting" and needing replacement, check the battery cables for wear or corrosion, look at the engine block and manifold to see if it looks like either has any sort of build up of dirt and fluids (usually indicating an oil leak which could mean any number of things). When it's at rest and safe to do so, check all the fluids...radiator, oil, brake, transmission. Make sure all the lights work, A/C (if equipped), windshield wipers, and any other "extras" like radio/CD player, etc. Crawl underneath the car and check out the muffler also. Is it rusted? Does it have any holes in it? Are all the clamps holding it in place? Anyway...this is from much experience in buying used cars. Hope this helps. [img]smile.gif[/img]