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I've never bought a used car before, usually when buying a new car, papers are signed with the dealer, but it's usually a few days before the dealer has the car ready. When buying a used car, can I take the car home the same day? Also what tips can you give me to look out for when buying a used car?

Thanks

2007-01-29 20:24:40 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Cars & Transportation Other - Cars & Transportation

4 answers

often times yes, the vehicle can go the same day.
things to watch out for is the dealer themself, do they seem trustworthy,whats the dealership look like,and is there anycomplaints against said dealership on the better business bureau website, or with the police/court.
the vehicle should be checked bumper to bumper,inside and out. questiona fresh oil change,maybe theyre trying to hide a problem,same goes for a freshly flushed radiator core.fresh fluid can hide rust,or a more serious problem inside the engine.press down on the bumper and listen for squeaks.visually inspect the shocks for leaking.

2007-01-30 07:38:09 · answer #1 · answered by yankeegray_99 5 · 0 0

Depends on where you live, here in Australia NSW, there is a notice of disposal that the owner and the new driver fill out and sign, which is on the back of the rego papers.

You then take a peice of the rego papers with you along with the car.
You have 10 days to give the notice to the road authorities, which you then pay a % of the sale price as a fee.
The owner also gives their peice to the authorities to say the car no longer belongs to them.

If neither of you hand in the papers, and you get a driving offence, the owner cops the fine as the car is still in their name.

As for the inspection, I highly recommend you take someone with you who knows what they are looking at, and also to back you up, as a seller will tell you what you want to hear to get rid of the car.
Check that all the things the seller has told you are true.

look for things like signs of repair (miss matched paint, dents, scratches, miss matched panels etc).
Inspect the tyres, look for uneven wear (this could be an indication of a major problem, $$$), check all the tyres are the same tyre, and if they are retreads (a retread will have a distinct seam just below the tread, the tyre should also have retread written on it, retreads can shred at any moment).

cheak that all electricals work , air con, heater, power windows, lights etc.
Have a through look under the bonnet at the engine, check the dip stick for clean oil, check all belts arent worn or cracked, that all fluid levels are ok etc.
Then start it up and take it for a good testdrive, testing breaks, stearing, motor running smoothly etc. Listen to the engine running.

if you can, arrange drive it around to a mechanic to have a look at it,also before hand have a REVS check done on the vehicle, this will tell you if the car is stolen, If there is any moneys owing on it,who the owner is, if it has had any insurance claims, been written off, and a general description of what the car should look like.

be sure to take your time, and try not to seem too keen untill you are satisfied with the inspection, if the owner knows your keen they may try to take advantage of you.

I bought a used car (just a cheapie so it wasnt a big deal) 2 years ago from a person who described it as being excellent condition, new tyres, just serviced, new belts, and 20,000 kms less then it actually had.
It ended up that it hadnt been washed, cleaned or serviced in 4 years, it had 3 different types of tyres on it, 2 were retreads.
The inside was a pig sty, the outside was stained with black soot, I needed a full service (twice) to remove the oil stains, new belts, new tyres, it had much more severe body damage then stated, and was just a mess really.

Luckily for me, i had saved the cash for it, so no money was owing, and i loved it anyway so i took it, even when it was clear i had been lied too.
I have greatly improved its performance and condition since then and now its worth more then I paid for it.

Sorry that was soooo long, but once you sign for the car you are buying is 'as is', so if anything goes wrong its your problem now.
Be smart about it, question everything and go over previous info prior discussed with the owner.

Good Luck!

2007-01-29 23:01:12 · answer #2 · answered by Krystle 4 · 0 0

Check with the better business burl to make sure they don't have any bad reports. It's well worth the money to take it to a mechanic and have it checked,it could save you a lot of money.Used car dealers have ways of rigging cars.
Its always best to go to a bigger dealer like Car Max.
I don't know what dealers are in your state,but stay away from those littel side street dealers most of them give you junk.

2007-01-29 20:51:30 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

Actually, every NEW car I've bought I drove home that day, but yeah, a used car you should be able to leave the lot with it.

2007-01-30 02:02:28 · answer #4 · answered by strech 7 · 0 0

Here's some tips:
http://www.samarins.com/buying/index.html

2007-01-29 20:34:02 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

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