Do a little private investigating
Cars that look great (even dealer-warranted ones) might still not be wise choices, so it behooves you to uncover a bit more information on your own.
For starters, a quick call to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Auto Safety Hotline (800-424-9393) will give you information about recalls on a model you're considering. You can also visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Web site (www.nhtsa.dot.gov) to check out crash-test results, defect investigations and manufacturers' service reports.
Ask the seller if you can see the car's maintenance records. Look for any major repairs, as well as frequent oil changes, tire rotations and other regular maintenance, which indicate that the car has been well cared for. Also, when you take the car for a test-drive, note indicators like whether or not the transmission shifts smoothly, the steering pulls to one side or the other, or the car shakes or shimmies at high speeds.
And consider investing a few dollars to delve deeper into--and get third-party verification on--the car's history. A bank won't let you buy a house without first guaranteeing that the title is clean; take it upon yourself to do the same thing before you buy the car.
Carfax Vehicle History Service has a database of reports that, the company claims, covers virtually every car on the road; the data comes from state registration and inspection records, auto auctions, salvage auctions and rental companies. The reports indicate such things as mileage discrepancies (a car that showed 70,000 miles when it was inspected in 1996 and 50,000 miles in 1997 almost certainly has a rolled-back odometer), rental-car use and accident-related damage. Reports are $19.50 when ordered and viewed on the Carfax Web site (www.carfax.com) or $29.50 over the phone (888-422-7329) or when the report is faxed or mailed. The company guarantees that if a vehicle it claims is "clean" actually has a problem in its past, it will pay up to $1,000.
The key to the Carfax history check is the unique Vehicle Identification Number found on every vehicle built since 1981. The 17-character VIN is stamped on a tag attached to the top of the dashboard, just inside the windshield on the driver's side. For a quick check on the information a seller is giving you, look at the tenth digit, which signifies the car's model year, starting with B for 1981 and skipping the letters I, 0 and Q: N means 1992, for example, and U means 1997.
Many dealers use Carfax reports to check on cars they're going to buy at auction or take as a trade-in; you can save yourself the fee by asking to see the dealer's report on file.
Go to a specialist
Your final stop should be at your mechanic's shop, where for $100 or less, you can get a complete once-over of the car's mechanical systems. If a private seller balks at that request, walk away. It's your legal right to get such an inspection on any car you buy from a dealer (under the Federal Trade Commission's "Used Car Rule," the same rule that requires the window sticker with warranty information). If the dealer has a legitimate reason, like insurance restrictions, for preventing you from taking the car, find a mobile inspection service to come to the lot, or ask the dealer to drive it himself to the garage you choose.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
