Used Car To-Do List

Don't sign on the dotted line before you have done some research into the vehicle your thinking about buying.
These are excellent websites to check before any used car purchase.
- www.carfax.com - Using the VIN number, you can ck for any collisions reported to insurance companies.
- www.iihs.org - Insurance Institute for Highway Safety - Rates vehicles on safety.
- www.Safercar.gov - Lists recalls and defects by vehicle.
- www.edmonds.com - Cost of owning a vehicle by year, make and model.
- www.kbb.com - get the blue book value of your car.
Ask a qualified mechanic you trust about the vehicle you are thinking about buying. A mechanic that works on cars everyday may have more knowledge about typical problems with specific makes and models of cars.
Buying from a major car dealer will cost you more money, but typically, you can get a car that has been thouroughly inspected for mechanical problems.
When buying from a small car dealer, never sign a "junk affidavit". This is a waver form stating that the selling agent does not need to make the car pass a state inspection. Typically, cars sold with such a waver have a problem that is too expensive to fix to make it pass an inspection, or the dealer would not ask you to sign such a document in the first place.
Always have a used vehicle inspected by an impartial 2nd party. The mechanic can usually find things such as collision damage, flood damage, major and minor mechanical defects. If the dealer won't let you take the car to an independent mechanic, DON'T BUY IT!