Three Tips For Researching a Used Vehicle

Car buyers often face the daunting task of determining whether a particular car is worth the price. Naturally, dealers and private sellers, hoping to get the highest possible price for their car.

Prudent buyers have a few options, short of giving up and buying a car new, where presumably no such problems exist. But then buyers are shelling out 25 or 30 percent extra on top of the car's value just for that new-car smell.

Some car buyers believe they can determine the quality of a used car by close inspection. Unless they are mechanics, however, they are likely to fall prey to a number of tactics used by used-car sellers. Sellers will frequently steam-clean the car's interior and engine compartment, making it look good-as-new, in spite of having been through many years of service. So, the buyer may be tricked and overpay for a lemon

There are three steps a buyer can take to ensure the quality of their used-car purchases.

1. Get a CarFax report, based on the car's VIN number. This report will indicate any obvious flaws in the car's maintenance history, including accidents and number of visits to the shop. It also can assist in verifying that the car's odometer reading is accurate.

2. Have a trained mechanic look at the car. This includes buying a "certified pre-owned" vehicle, where the dealer does the inspection and warrants the work. You should choose a mechanic with whom you have a good relationship. Frequently doing such an inspection costs only $50 or $100, which is worth it to avoid buying a bad car.

3. Use a public discussion site to determine any problems or background on the car. One such site is licenseplategenie.com (http://licenseplategenie.com) -- where users have posted thousands of comments on cars based on their license plate. This free website can be an invaluable investigative tool in tracking down the true condition of a car. Also, you can post a request on the site regarding the car and see if anyone responds with some information.

Tyler Stanford works as a consumer advocate in the used automobile sector. He has consulted with licenseplategenie.com to make the site more useful for consumers.

50D Canon Deals
Best Buy SD990 Canon
40D Best Buy