Buying a Used Car: Inspection & Vehicle History
Written on August 24, 2009 – 6:53 pm | by admin
If you’re considering buying a car from a private owner, it’s essential to have the car thoroughly inspected and to receive a complete history on the vehicle from a third party. Even if you know and trust the seller, there is very little recourse to be had if the car ends up having significant problems after the sale, and it’s simple common sense to know as much about the vehicle as you can.
You’ll want the history of the car first, as it will probably be less expensive than the inspection to follow. If the history turns up something negative, then there’s no need to follow through with a mechanic’s inspection. If you are going to be looking at a number of different vehicles, you may want to streamline the process by getting the vehicle histories before making the visit out to the owner’s home to look at the car. There are several reliable online services to order histories from. Before making an appointment to see the vehicle, call the owner and get the VIN number, color, make, and model of the car. That should be more than enough information for most services to provide a history.
If the vehicle’s history checks out and you like the car and are considering it within your top three choices, set up an inspection with a professional mechanic. If the car is due for a yearly inspection soon, have the mechanic include that as well.