Purchasing a used car is an exciting experience though a bit intimidating for the average person. Once you find the vehicle that you’d like to purchase you need to be cautious that you are not inheriting somebody else’s previous problems. Whether you are purchasing the vehicle privately or from a dealer, it is always advisable to have a professional mechanic trained to perform used vehicle inspections check it out prior to completing your purchase. This can be done for a nominal fee and can save you many headaches you may run into later on if you haven’t had the car checked out first.

Dealers sometimes claim that they have thoroughly checked the vehicle and that it is road ready. The fact of the matter is dealers are not always honest and sometimes have not done anything other than drive the car onto the lot and offered for sale.

Buying the car privately is no better as there is a reason the person is selling the car. In many cases, because they don’t want it because it has been a problem and would rather somebody else have to deal with it.

All of that being said, there are still some excellent values out there and many of the vehicles for sale will end up being reliable transportation. Your job as a consumer is to make sure you don’t get stuck with one of the problem vehicles. The best way of doing this is to have a professional used vehicle inspection service check out the vehicle before completing the purchase.

Of course once you’ve purchased the vehicle it is also an excellent idea to purchase an extended used car warranty to protect you from the inevitable failures that will occur, even on quality vehicles as time and mileage. To find out about extended auto warranty coverage find an auto warranty company that has been around at least 10 years and has a solid rating and accreditation with the Better Business Bureau. Also, make sure that the company is directly underwritten by a US insurance carrier. One such company to check would be Auto Advantage Inc. found at www.autowarranties.com. Auto Advantage can also provide a professional inspector to check out the vehicle for you prior to completing your purchase.