Carfax, Kelly Book, Smog Check ... Don't Get Screwed by Not Knowing This.
3.3 Used cars for 1 new, this is what sells on average in the automotive market. The second hands have the odds, and acquiring a used vehicle is not complicated provided you know some great rules. Where to find his car, how to check his condition and what guarantees are there? The opportunity is too good not to mention it.
Look on the Internet
The sites allow you to buy your cars both at the garage and at home. Without falling into the psychosis, we recommend a certain vigilance when you move with the inhabitant: keep the good reflexes and pass your future car to the screen. After all, you are here to convey yourself, not to make you a new friend.
Transfer of ownership: the signature by the seller of the car and by you of the certificate of ownership (the "Pink Slip") implies the transfer of ownership of the vehicle.
And after ? You must then go to the DMV ("Department of Motor Vehicles Guide") to register the car in your name ("registration"), ... you are finally ready to swallow asphalt.
More than 2.6 million used and new cars are listed on this site. You can search by choosing a new used car, or certified pre-owned vehicles. Also other filters, such as the year of the car, make, model and place of delivery. The little extra? One can compare different cars, their prices, their accessories, their particularities, and thus better to choose. In short, a real digital supermarket of the automobile.
Buy or sell, new or used, we can do everything on this site. The search filters are quite accurate, and you can sometimes find a rare gem.
Craigslist
Of course, Craigslist remains the reference site, with all the negative sides we know: doubtful salesman, ads not always up to date, erroneous information ... but we can also find very good deals.
At the Dealer
You can choose to go to a dealer and trust their judgment and experience (!). You will not be able to miss them because they are in general all agglutinated in a street or a quarter, of what therefore to facilitate your windscreen-trip.
The good news: Know that they usually do the paperwork (Smog Check, registration with the DMV, payment of taxes ...), which then removes a serious nail of the tire . Be careful, the verbal flow of the car salesman is very impressive, so plan a few hours in front of you, or even in the afternoon if you plan to negotiate everything, a babysitter for the children and two aspirins.
Compare
Be popular
Autotrader.com. The KBB, as it is called in the kingdom of the adjustable wrench, informs you about the value of your car, whether new or second hand. So you can buy and know what you pay for, and what others pay for.
With or without warranty?
You can also decide by choosing a vehicle with or without warranty. Please note that if you buy it as "as is", you will have no recourse in case of defect or defect and if you take it with warranty you will have a 30 days guarantee Plus) for all engine or transmission problems.
The auction - sold, sold!
Finally, if you are more adept at adrenaline and suspense, you can still try the auctions, if you agree to buy it as is "as is". In other words, you will not be able to try Titine, make your horses roar under the hood, or even touch it.
A car in sight
The far checks
Already behind your computer screen, by reading the ad well, you can learn more about your future car.
Prefer a vehicle with:
A clean title: the car without the suitcases
This title ensures that the vehicle is not seized by any creditor or encumbered with any serious problem. So make sure your car does not have a "salvage title", which literally means that it is "recovered". The criteria differ by state, but in all cases, the car has been damaged and / or declared "total loss" by the insurance company.
In California, a vehicle is considered to be "salvaged" when it has been so damaged that the company refuses to pay to repair it. This car is therefore often deboned and the few parts still presentable are sold in spare parts.
Sometimes even the poor car is repaired and resold, and seeks a purchaser; It is there that we must not show you. If you are buying a vehicle from a private person, check whether the title is a "revived salvage" or a "salvage certificate" instead of a normal title.
A satisfactory Carfax: Titine's locker
The carfax tells the history of your vehicle, convenient to avoid buying a car, certainly bricked with elbow grease, but with a very dark past. Discover the secrets of your self on the site
You can access the locker of your vehicle by entering its VIN (identification number) or its number plate; The Carfax gives you its family tree with its previous owners, its title, its counter "odometer", its accidents, its last check-ups, its previous uses (rental vehicle, taxi ...).
The Carfax also tells you if the car has in the past been considered a "lemon", that is to say if it suffers from problems that the builder himself can not repair.
The number of attempts by the dealer to repair the car depends on the problem; Fail 2 times in brake repair is enough to qualify the vehicle as "lemon", sometimes 4 visits to the dealership are necessary to receive this name.
Close checks
You can of course get a first idea of the general state of your vehicle (if it has 3 wheels, it is already bad sign), and inside, because test the lights and the indicators between a priori in your skills.
It is advisable to contact a mechanic to help you carry out the other checks. Axles of suspension freedom, cylinder head gasket, glow plug ... so many terms that sound can be hollow in your mind but that your garage manages with grace. So, for quiet spots, let him explore in detail the carcass and the organs of your future car.
Reassured? It must be ensured
You have it ! Now it must be assured. This formality is so important that some sellers will not let you go if you do not have a certificate with you. The solution ? Purchase a provisional 3-day insurance, prove that you are already insured, or let your future acquisition at its former owner time to complete the formalities.