What to Look For
Well, it's almost that time of year again. School will be open very soon and there will be a lot of brand new drivers out there. With parents working and busy schedules, it's not really practical to let students drive the family car to school. If they are off to college they will need a car of their own. The obvious answer is to get another car.
"Let The Buyer Beware."
A new car would be nice, but not too many of us can afford that. So the answer is a used car. When buying a used car the catch word is "Let the buyer beware." There are a lot of unscrupulous people out there waiting to dump a clunker on an inexperienced, unknowing buyer.
Look At The Car.
Okay, you found a car in the classifieds or at a used car dealer and you like it. It looks to be in good shape and it's the color you like. The first thing to do is look at the car; I mean really look at it. Sometimes a person will do some quick bodywork and slap on a cheap paint job to get rid of a junker. Cars that have been totaled have been fixed up to be resold. You'll be able to spot this by looking closely at the sheet metal.
Look For Ripples or Creases.
That's a sign that the car has been hit and might have other damage underneath. Stand at the four corners and look down the sides of the car. This will allow you to see any ripples, waves or dents.
Look At The Paint.
Paint is hard to match and gets even harder as the car gets older. If the paint looks "different" on a fender or hood, then it was probably repaired and repainted. Again, there may be hidden damage. Other things to look for are rust and corrosion. Little spots of rust or bubbles in the paint can very quickly turn into a major repair down the road.
"FLOODED":
Has the car been in a flood? Cars that were flooded out are sometimes cleaned up and shipped to other states for resale. The insurance company will brand the vehicle title with a "FLOODED" title. If you see a "FLOODED" title, go home and forget about this car. You should keep in mind that titles can be "washed" (no pun intended) by titling in different states so the "FLOODED" brand will go away.
There are ways to determine if a car has been in a flood. Look at the engine; if there is a high water mark on the block or radiator, it's been flooded. Look at the carpet in the car. If it's been replaced, then chances are it was replaced due to flooding. When was the last time anyone you knew decided to just replace the carpeting? Smell the carpet. If it smells damp and musty, be suspicious. Look in the trunk; are the jack and tools rusty? Is the well for the spare tire wet and rusted? If it is, most likely the car was in a flood.
How many miles are on the car?
People have been known to turn back the odometer to reflect fewer miles than are actually on the vehicle. This is almost impossible to detect. The only way to determine if an odometer has been turned back is by using a used car history service like CarFax.com. In fact, you should submit the 17 digit Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of any car you're interested in to a used car history service. This will tell you if the car has been flooded or totaled out by an insurance company.