You have finally decided that it is time for a new vehicle and you are now officially on the market. But where should you look and what do you look for? Do not worry; you are not the only person that has this question.
You are also not alone in the marketplace either because many people are looking for a new vehicle as well. In the United States alone, 14,722 vehicles are purchased every day!
So you are not alone out there! So let’s look deeper into this together, and see how we can make sure how not to get scammed when buying a used vehicle.
Finding a used vehicle online
I know when I am looking for a used car to purchase, there are a few places that I watch. I have discovered many vehicles on Let go and Offer up. But the Facebook marketplace is on the rise and is becoming one of the best places to find a car and many other things.
Many sellers that are selling their vehicle go to Facebook marketplace because many people are already on Facebook. According to Facebook, one billion people use Facebook every day, so this will be a great place to find your new vehicle.
With the options to set where you are selling your vehicle and the details of it, you can know a lot about the car before you see it in person. I purchase multiple vehicles on Facebook for my car flipping business and have been lied to about them on numerous occasions.
So you need to make sure you cover all of your bases before meeting the seller about the vehicle. Look at the options you have, then write down everything you need in your new car.
If you are using it as your daily driver, then make sure the fuel economy is good and meets the requirements you have. How many people do you need to fit in your vehicle? Do you carry a lot of stuff with you, if so you need a nice size trunk.
What is your budget? How far are you willing to travel to get the vehicle? These questions will not only increase the options you have.
But they will also prevent buyers’ remorse when you purchase something just because you wanted it, but it does not have an actual use then buyers remorse can kick in.
A great example would be that you purchased a two-seater convertible, but you needed to fit your spouse and three children in the vehicle too.
When purchasing a used vehicle, most sales are final and as is. So making sure your purchase meets your needs is vital.
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What questions to ask about the vehicle
Does the vehicle need repairs? Is the Carfax clean? Do you have a clean title? Is the price negotiable? Has the car been in any accidents?
Has any work been done on the vehicle in the last 12 months? Has the maintenance been kept up to date? These questions will get you the information you need to know more about the vehicle.
There are people out there that are like me, and all we do is flip the vehicles. So if someone says I do not know about the vehicle’s history, it doesn’t mean they stole the car, but you should follow up with another question.
How long has the vehicle been in your possession? If they haven’t had it long, then you need to make sure the vehicle’s maintenance looks good in person when you see the car. We will go over that in a later section.
If the vehicle you are looking at meets all the needs you have, then it is now time to find out where you can meet the seller.
Where should you meet the seller
It is never a good idea to meet a seller at your home, especially with the world we live in now. So the best place would be a public place, like a grocery store, auto parts store, the DMV, someplace very open so if you need help, there are other people around to assist you.
A great place to meet if you do not have a code reader yourself is the auto parts store. This way, you can have them put the code reader on the vehicle and let you know if there are any engine codes on the car.
Remember, not everyone that is selling their vehicle does this regularly. That means the seller can be just as cautious as you and to keep a calm and collective mindset will keep the conversation productive.
You are there to purchase a vehicle, and this is a business transaction between two parties. So do the business and get out of there.
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What to look for on the vehicle
Making sure you look over everything on a car can be overwhelming if you know nothing about cars. So let’s break it down into sections, I have found this to be the best way and has helped if I lose track of where I was.
We want to break the vehicle down to 4 sections exterior, interior, engine, and subframe.
Exterior
Starting on the surface, you are wanting to look for any scrapes, dents, chipped paint, and orange peel. These things will tell you not only the condition of the paint but if the vehicle has been in a traffic accident.
Not all paint shops care about their quality of work. So if you look at an angle down the side of the vehicle. Look at the paint reflection and if it looks hazy and a little bumpy like the skin peel of an orange.
Then by seeing this, you can tell that part of the vehicle has been repainted and someone did not wet sand the paint like they were supposed to. Make sure you ask the seller about this.
Next, we are looking for any loose or damaged glass. If it has a sunroof, then make sure the black covering around the outside is still there; if it isn’t then, you will have a leaky sunroof when it rains or goes through the car wash.
Look for any loose or broken exterior parts like the spoiler if it has one, the front grille, side steps, and the mirrors. Do not make exceptions to your safety; no vehicle is worth that.
Check the tires for dry rot cracks and tread wear and tread pattern. If the vehicle has been sitting awhile and was low on air pressure, the car will have cracks in the sidewall of the tires.
Low tire pressure decreases the durability of the tires and could cause you to replace them soon after purchasing the vehicle, so consider that. You are also looking for an even tread pattern. In the case that the tire is worn on the inside of the tire but not the outside. That is a sign of a suspension problem and needs to be looked into to be repaired.
If the tread is worn on the outside but not the inside, this is not what you are wanting. Next, you are going to move to the rear of the vehicle. Ask the seller to assist you with testing the lights. You are checking for the turn signals, brake lights, hazard four-way lights, running lights, and license plate lights.
After checking the rear then go to the front of the vehicle and check your headlights and turn signals. As long as everything still looks good, then we will continue at the rear of the car.
Make sure the exhaust is not hot before you touch it, but you want to give it 
a little shake, by doing this you can tell if all the exhaust hangers are in place.
You can even take a look under the vehicle and see the condition the exhaust hangars are. If they are cracked and looking terrible, then they will need to be replaced soon. Lastly, go to the front of the vehicle and check the suspension.
We are looking at all the rubber boots and bushings in the suspension, the ball joints, upper and lower control arms, and so on. Look at everything rubber you see. If it is cracked, then it will need to be replaced soon. While you are on the ground is also a great time to look for any leaks that could be puddling up under the vehicle, so stay vigilant.
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Interior
The interior we will be checking the gauge cluster for any codes or warning lights that could be on at the time. We are also reviewing the condition of the seats, carpet, and headliner as well.
The vehicle should be clean and looking good for you if the seller wants the best price they can get out of the car. In the case that the vehicle is not clean inside remember this for the price negotiation at the end. Check the radio to see if it works and listen to all of the speakers in the vehicle.
Does the sound come through clean and clear, or is it crackly and distorted? If it is crackly change the radio station to confirm it isn’t just a bad signal for that station.
If the sound is still coming through broken, distorted, and you hear some crackling, that means whichever speaker is making the noise is broken and needs to be replaced.
You might have to put your ear close to each one to find out which one is broken. Next, make sure the glove box and control console all work correctly and are not broken.
While you are in the driver seat is also the time you need to check all the switch operation in the vehicle for proper operation. Check all of your power windows if they roll up and down correct.
Do the seats work correctly? Does the steering wheel adjust? Also does your air conditioner and heat work? No one wants to be stuck in the hot summer without any fresh air. You are halfway there, so don’t ease up yet!
Engine
With the engine, you need to open the hood and look for anything out of place. Does it look immaculate? Are there aftermarket parts installed? Is there oil and dirt-caked up around any parts?
If you have a part that has oil or dirt caked up around it, this is a sign of a leak and should be taken into consideration. Check your fluid levels starting with your engine oil.
Look at the level of the fluid then unscrew the engine oil cap. Take the oil fill cap off and look under it, does it look like the oil you just saw on the dipstick, or does it look different? Under the oil fill cap is where you will be able to see if the oil is oil or is it frothy with hints of white in it.
If it does have white in the oil, you have water in your engine. It could be from a blown head gasket, or they drove the vehicle through high water, and some got in the engine.
If you live in a place that gets a significant amount of rain it could be from driving through high water. If this is the case, I will walk away from the vehicle, unless you are mechanically inclined and don’t mind replacing a head gasket or whatever else it needs.
Next look at the coolant, not only at the level of the coolant but how clean the fluid looks as well. If the vehicle is a bit older, then a deteriorating coolant system is not uncommon to see.
Your transmission fluid in most vehicles will be on the right side of your engine. If it isn’t, then look at the left side of the engine near the firewall. It could also be on the side of the engine that is closest to the window. Newer vehicles the transmission is a self-contained unit, and you cannot check the fluid level.
So if you do have a transmission fluid dipstick then start the vehicle and put the car into neutral. This is how you properly check your transmission fluid level.
Transmission fluid is supposed to be reddish, so if you have brown fluid, it means the liquid has not been changed in forever, and it is now burning due to it being old. Last but never least is your brake fluid and power steering fluid; both are very easy to check.
For your brake fluid look at the outside of the container, and it will show you if it is in between minimum and maximum if it is then you are good.
For the power steering fluid unscrew the cap, and there is a dipstick attached to it. Look at the level and as long as it is in between the two lines you are good. Remember that leaks flow downward hints the whole gravity thing.
So if you saw a puddle under the vehicle, follow it upward now to see what it is coming from. I always put my finger in the pool to see which color it is.
If it is not oily and it is clear that means it is coming from the air compressor which is fine, especially on a hot day. So this wraps up your engine, and we only have one more section to check.
Subframe
The subframe is one area you will need to check, especially if you saw orange peel in your paint. You are looking at the frame to see if it was in an accident, so let’s start at the front of the vehicle.
Every vehicle, when it leaves the auto manufacturers factory, has even lines and how the body part panels should line up. So go to the front of the car and look down both sides of the hood. See if it has an even gap between the hood and the fenders.
Next, go to each side and look for the even gap between the doors and the quarter panels. You will do the same with the rear of the vehicle.
Next, you need to go under the vehicle and look at the frame for any damage or bends. If you do not see any, then we are good to go and can move to the next section in our vehicle purchase, which is the test drive.
Things to make sure you do before buying the vehicle
One of the biggest things when it comes to purchasing a car is the test drive. I tell people and never buy a car that you have never test drove. There are so many things that you find out when you test drive a vehicle.
So when you are test driving the vehicle drive like you usually do. Unless you drive erratic and speed all over the place, do not do that. You are looking anything out of the ordinary.
Is the steering wheel shaking? Is there a vibration in the foot pedals? Does the vehicle pull to either side? You are not going on a road trip but more of a short distance of 2 to 3 miles. This will give you a great idea of the drivability of the vehicle.
When you get back from the test drive, you need to put your code reader on the vehicle to see if any codes come up. If you do not have a code reader, then this is when meeting at an auto parts store comes in handy, borrow theirs.
As long as the vehicle passes all of your checks and you are interested in finalizing the sale. The last thing you want to do is to check the title. When someone asks if a title is clean they want to know if the title has a lien on it or if a title is a salvage title. You want to have a clean title, and some states 
make the process of changing a salvage title to a clean title quite tricky.
But a salvage title means that the vehicle was totaled before by some event. The car could have restrictions on the drivability of the vehicle until it is changed to a clean title. So make sure you look out for that. So did the vehicle pass all of your checks? If so, it is time to purchase the car and start price negotiation.
Purchasing the used vehicle
If the vehicle has passed all of your checks and you are ready to buy the car, it is now time to start price negotiation. If the seller said, they are open to negotiation before you even met, then now is that time. If the seller said they are not open to price negotiation, then do not start trying to negotiate the price that would be an insult.
If you are not comfortable with the price they have on the vehicle, let them know what you saw that is wrong on the vehicle and tell them the amount you are satisfied with paying for the car.
This will start the price negotiation, and you usually will meet up in the middle, so do not give your highest offer in the beginning.
What to do after you purchase the vehicle
After you have agreed with the seller and you have signed the title as per your state’s regulations. It is now time to take the car to a mechanic if you did not bring one with you.
I will take the vehicle to two different mechanics if one is stating the vehicle needs high dollar repairs made to it. A second opinion is never wrong and is a very responsible decision, especially with the price of repairs in auto repair shops.
In conclusion
I know it is a long process when it comes to purchasing a vehicle. But as long as you cover all of the bases, you will never have to worry about buyer’s remorse in the entire purchasing process. If you do not feel comfortable with checking all of these things on the vehicle, I would suggest you take a mechanic or a mechanically inclined friend with you to look at the car.
This will give you the best opportunity to see any repairs that are needing to be made to the vehicle before you purchase the car. The last thing you want is to buy a car and find out after that the engine is on its way out and will need to be replaced.
That does not make the vehicle buying purchase process easy for anyone. There are people out there that want to take advantage of those that are not mechanically inclined.
So please take these tips with you to your next vehicle purchase and make sure that the vehicle you are looking at is the best one for you. So enjoy your new car, and I hope you have many miles and adventures with it!
I hope you enjoyed my article! Thank you for reading it, and I hope it helped you with the problem you are experiencing! Subscribe to my YouTube channel for how-to video guides. Thank you again, and I hope you enjoy my next piece!
