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Questions You Should Ask A Seller When Buying A Used Car Consumer tips for buying, selling, pricing used cars and avoiding scams By: Jeff Ostroff This form is found on CarBuyingTips.Com in the used car section. CarBuyingTips.Com is a FREE consumer advocate site and is the best of its kind with negotiating tips, revealing all the dealer scams, determining dealer cost, useful automotive links, how to buy and sell used cars, info on car financing, leases, and free Excel spreadsheets. Print out this checklist and fill in the information for each car you look at. This will then allow you have all the information you need to narrow down your selection as you shop. Give people you know this checklist to help them shop too. General Info And Features What is the year, model, and color of the car? ________________ How many miles are on the car? ________________________________ Is the car manual or automatic transmission? __________________ What options are on the car? __________________________________ Are the seats vinyl, cloth, or leather? _______________________ If the seats are electric, are they working normally? _________ Does the car have an alarm and does it work? __________________ Does the car alarm ever false trigger? How often? _____________
Ownership And History Why is the owner selling the car? ____________________________ How many owners has this car had? __________________________ Was the car driven by a person who smokes? __________________ Has the odometer ever been rolled back? _____________________ What is the 17 digit VIN# of this car? _______________________________
Does the car have an extended warranty? _________
Has the title been branded by an insurance company as junked, flooded, totaled, etc.? ______
Has the car ever been in an accident, and if so, was there frame damage, and how much was the repair? __________ Has the car ever been repainted? _______________ How often was the car waxed? __________________ Has the car been used for hire as a taxi or limousine? ________ Does the seller have the title in their posession for inspection?_____________ Is the seller acting on behalf of a dealer?_____________
Maintenance And Condition Do they have all maintenance records, proof of tune ups, and oil change receipts? ________ What are all the major problems with the car? ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ What is the condition of the paint on the car? _________________ Are there any major scratches, dents or dimples in the paint?________ Is there any rust on the car? __________________ How is the condition of the interior, seats, the dash, roof? __________________________ Are there any transmission problems such as slipping, not changing gear, etc.? ______ If manual transmission, when was the clutch last replaced? ________ Does the A/C blow cold and does the heater blow warm? ____ Is the battery, alternator, and starter in good condition? ______________ What electrical problems are there with the car? ____________________ Does the Radio work? __________________________________________ Does the car have an oil leak, transmission leak or radiator leak? ______ When was the last time the radiator was flushed? ___________________ When was the last time the A/C system was worked on? _______ Does the car burn oil or have white exhaust? ____________________ What EXACT month was the last oil change? ____________________ When was the last tune up or fuel injector cleaning? ______________ How old are the tires and when were they last replaced? __________ If the car has headlight motors do they work properly? _____ Do the power doors and power windows work? _________________ Is the dashboard cracked? _____________ Is there a CD changer or tape player and is it working? ______ Any skipping problems with the CD player? ___________________ Are all speakers working and are any of them cracked? __________ Does the water pump make any strange rattles or noises? __________ When was the battery or alternator replaced last? ________________
Does the car drive straight or does it pull to the right or left? __________ When was the last time the tires were aligned? ______________________ Any problems with excessive wear and balding on the tires? ________
Logistics How low in price is the seller willing to go? _____________________ When can the car be picked up by the buyer? ___________________ Can the car be brought to a mechanic for an inspection? ________ Does the seller have the title to the car? ________________________ Does the seller have proof that the car is theirs to sell? _____ Does the seller have a valid driver's license to prove ownership? ______ Is any money still owed to a bank for a loan on the car? ___________ How many people have looked at the car? What are the offers? _______
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Click Here To Get Started: How To Buy A New Car & Avoid Scams
| Jump to any chapter. I suggest you read each chapter in order. | |||
| Chapter 1 Get your credit report, how to get a car loan, scams, online car loans, first time car loans, budget & loan excel spreadsheets, credit repair. |
Chapter 2 Reviews of internet discount car buying sites, new car prices, find dealer's invoice cost. Get a new car quote. |
Chapter 3 What to bring to a dealership, what to say, how to act, what not to do, what to look for at the dealership, and a glossary of all dealer fees. |
Chapter 4 How to read dealer invoices, finding dealer's cost, how much to offer the dealer, buyers offer spreadsheet, examples, trade-ins. |
| Chapter 5 Negotiating tips, dealer scams & tricks to watch out for, dealing with aggressive salespeople, choosing between rebates or low APR loans. |
Chapter 6 Close the deal, avoid needless extras, scams in the business office, extended warranty scams, options, buying warranties online. |
Chapter 7 Actual misleading dealer ads, and what to do when you've been ripped off, customer satisfaction surveys, how I bought my Lexus. |
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