subject: Check To See If That Used Car To Die For Is A Lemon Before You Buy It [print this page] Have you ever heard the expression, 'there are no guarantees in life'? This holds true everywhere, including vehicles of any type. But car manufacturers cannot remain in business in this day and age if they do not produce perfectly reliable automobiles. Of course, there are those exceptions - they are not the rule.
Sometimes the person selling the car has made it a lemon. Vehicle manufacturers place easy-to-read manuals in cars coming off the assembly line for a reason. If the average person maintains their car according to the manual, the vehicle should last a very long time. Every day you hear of an owner who has put 150,000 miles or more on his vehicle. Most cars are made to exceed the 100,000 mile mark.
Every car ad you see on TV squawks about the necessity to get a Carfax or some report like it on any used car you are interested in buying. Such reports cost around $10.00 each and you should consider buying at least five of them. We are not endorsing Carfax either, just solid advice on obtaining the VIN number and at least one maintenance report on that used car before you buy it.
Vehicle history reports investigate the car for major accidents, mileage turnbacks, multiple owners, frame damage, and flood and tornado damage, whether it was branded a lemon and even more informative facts. The car you are looking at is in your town now, but where did it originate? If it came from a hurricane, flood or tornado prone area was it there when the disaster occurred?
Always take someone with you who knows more about cars than you do. I am not saying that you lack mechanical ability, but not everyone can know everything and you are a smart shopper.
Things you and your friend can do before your test drive are: check the oil - is it clean? If not, ask the owner when was the last time he had it changed. Maybe this owner did not take care of the car. You want to check what fluids you can.
Look at the tires: are they wearing evenly? If not, ask the owner when was the last time the tires were rotated?
Check everything on the dashboard that you can. See if the brake lights work, turn signals, the heater, air conditioner, windshield wipers, radio and CD player.
The experts advise that you evaluate the acceleration from a complete stop when you do your test drive. Check for sluggishness and chugging, engine noise and any rattling under the hood when you accelerate.
How does the car handle turns? If it doesn't do that well, there may be some suspension problems. Of course you will check the brakes. Also, ask the seller when was the last time brake shoes were installed particularly if the car has some mileage on it.
It's always a good idea to make arrangements with a trusted mechanic and make a deal with him to hook up the vehicle in contention to his diagnostics to uncover any possible issues.
Ask the seller if he minds if you take the car to your mechanic for a once-over. If he disagrees with this plan, you have your answer.
by: Ryan Letterman
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