Everyone knows the routine when it comes to buying a used car. Ask for the history report, take it for a test drive, take it to your mechanic, then negotiate the price and head home in your styling new ride.
Here’s the thing when it comes to buying a used car: You need to shop the seller just as much as the car. That’s because the seller—whether it’s a dealer or a private party—is your first, best source for information on the car you want to buy. In a perfect world, that person or company would be completely honest, telling you everything you want to know without a moment’s hesitation. The reality is that sellers don’t always have all the answers, or worse, they exaggerate the positives while flat-out hiding the negative answers they know would kill the sale.
With this in mind, here are three must-ask questions that can give you more insight into the car you want to buy, as well as the seller who wants you to buy it.
• How long have you owned the car?
For a private party transaction, this is a good question to ask because it helps establish longevity with the current vehicle owner. If it was owned a number of years, take that as a good thing. It means they trusted the car enough to hold onto it, and though it’s not a guarantee the car was maintained during that time, it’s a fairly safe bet. The other side is short-term ownership, and that should always raise a quick red flag. Is the owner trying to bail out of the car after finding a major problem?
If you’re shopping at a dealer, asking this question can help you negotiate the price. If they just got it, don’t expect them to move much. But if it’s been on the lot for a few months, odds are they will deal.
• Why are you selling the car?
A dealer is obviously selling the car to make money, but asking this question of a private seller can help catch a bad transaction before it happens. Dishonest sellers might be caught off-guard, stumbling with a generic answer like “I just want something else” when really the car is about to explode. Wanting to sell the car because it wasn’t very comfortable or fuel efficient are legitimate, valid, specific reasons that may or may not apply to your situation. Selling because “I don’t really like it” or “I just want something else” often suggests there’s indeed something else already going on, and it’s probably not good.
• What kind of verifiable maintenance history do you have on the car?
Verifiable maintenance history boils down to one word: Paperwork. Whether you’re working with a dealer or a private party, assume none of the claimed maintenance has been done unless there are receipts to back it up. Not having receipts doesn’t automatically mean it’s a bad car, but without them you’ll have no choice but to trust what the seller says—hence the need to shop the seller as much as the car. Additionally, having a stack of paperwork is physical proof the owner cared enough about the car to not just take care of it, but to keep track of such things. That’s a very encouraging sign that you’re dealing with a good seller, and most likely, a good car as well.
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