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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? _______________________________
(Get this info and obtain a AutoCheck Vehicle History Report)

Does the car have an extended warranty? _________
If so, is the Extended Warranty transferable to a new owner? _________

(This can only be verified in writing from the existing policy. Word of honor is not good enough).

Has the title been branded by an insurance company as junked, flooded, totaled, etc.? ______
(In some states they are required by law to disclose this in the ad).

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? ________________
Batteries last only about 2 years on average.



Drivability Issues

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? _______

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.
cars, autos, new car prices, used car prices, car buying, dealer cost, dealer invoice, car loans, auto loans, auto financing

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