It is very reassuring that now the used car buyer can look for used cars that have been certified and can easily shop for a good used car or extended warranty. There are still, however, some basic “rules of the road” to keep in mind when shopping for a used car.

• Do Check a used car history report This does not give you a 100% warranty that the car is OK, but may save you some money if it will show you some bad records, for example, if the car was written off after an accident or has had an odometer rolled back.
• Do ask someone knowledgeable to inspect the car for you; it may save you a lot of money.
• Don’t buy a car after a serious accident – especially following a frontal collision. You wouldn’t believe how many possible problems may arise later as a result of an accident.
• Don’t buy a car as soon as you see it. Take your time, test drive the car as long as you can. For example, some problems may only be caught when the engine is cold while other problems may only be discovered when cruising at highway speeds, etc.
• Don’t base your decision on what you have been told. “One Owner, highway driven” in fact, may be an ex-rental, heavily abused vehicle.
• Don’t buy a car if you have reservations or hesitate for one reason or another…if you don’t have a good ‘gut’ feeling about it. If the engine seems too noisy or works as if it is in rough shape and sounds heavy, the transmission shifts harshly, some works needs to be done, something seems to be wrong with the papers, etc. – move on.
• Don’t buy a car if it needs some “minor” repairs. Often this results in spending big bucks for repairs that never seem to end.
• Don’t buy a flooded car; it may look good and still be drivable but later a flooded car may develop many expensive to fix problems: corrosion, electrical, electronics, wheel bearings, transmission, etc.
• Don’t be rude to a salesperson at the dealership. Regardless of the many stereotypes we share, many salespersons are genuinely nice people. Be persistent but not rude; treat them well and they will be willing to help you…

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