teenager with a used car

Buying a Pre Owned Car Checklist: 4 Important Steps

If you’re planning on buying a pre owned car in the near future, you need to make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into. If you buy from a reputable used car dealer, then the vehicle itself will likely run fine and be just what you’re looking for. But knowing how to handle all the various steps of the actual car buying process is the real trick.

Here are some important things you need to do prior to purchasing pre owned vehicles:

  • Talk to the dealer about price — This one seems obvious but it is too important to leave out. The average price of a new vehicle in the U.S. is about $35,309; if the used car you’re thinking about buying is anywhere close to that cost, you might want to hold off. Make sure you are discussing the price of all the vehicles you’re thinking about buying and see if you can talk the dealer down at all, as well.
  • Inspect the vehicle yourself — A reputable car dealership will keep each vehicle functioning properly, but it’s still important to perform some mechanical checks yourself. Carefully look over the vehicle’s interior and exterior, perform a leak test, go for a test drive to make sure everything seems right, and have a professional mechanic thoroughly inspect the car. Additionally, it’s important to inspect under the car’s hood before ever driving it — a professional mechanic can give you advice, but if something doesn’t look right, you might want to keep looking.
  • Discuss your credit score — Talking about a car’s price is one thing, but if you are at all concerned about your credit score, you need to bring it up with your dealer. Thankfully, there are used car dealerships that can offer bad credit auto loans to help you purchase a quality vehicle.
  • Don’t forget auto insurance — Many used car dealerships require proof of insurance before selling the vehicle to anyone. When buying a pre owned car, make sure that you have it insured before you drive it off the lot.

Whether your credit is great or not, if you’re ready to check to some high-quality pre owned cars at a fair price, head down to Auto Sales and Service Inc. right away!

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