Shopping for your next car can be exciting and daunting at the same time. The countless hours spent searching for the perfect car. Then you finally find it and now what? So many times customers come into the shop asking for an inspection on a vehicle they JUST bought. And when a laundry list of problems turns up, that excitement quickly turns into resentment. Inspections should always be performed PRIOR to purchasing a car.
There’s no shame in admitting many of us don’t know what to look for when it comes to inspecting a used car. Which is why it is always a good idea to leave it up to a professional.
First and foremost it gives you a better understanding of who the seller is. It is a giant red flag if a seller says no to your mechanic performing an inspection on a prospective car. It won’t take cost them anything but an hour of their own time, and will definitely speed up the process of the sale. Any seller who refuses the inspection usually has something to hide.
A car can look and drive excellent, but perhaps the owner didn’t keep up with certain services that will come back and bite you in the tail. It is possible for brakes to be almost to the point of replacement and not even make a peep until a few weeks after you bought the car.
It is also a good chance to see what services, if any, the previous owner has completed. For most vehicles the major services come at or after they hit the 100,000 mile mark. Owners of vehicles with timing belts usually decide to sell prior to having them replaced because they feel buying a new car is better than dumping more money into an old one. Some sellers or buyers don’t know what a timing belt is. Even I didn’t even know what a timing belt was at one point. This goes to show you how easily things can be overlooked.
The car may also be in need of a major repair that won’t be apparent to you until the car breaks down on you. I’ve seen many customers buy cars knowing the check engine light is on, thinking it is just a minor issue and an oil change will take care of it.
A pre-purchase inspection also gives you more weapons at the negotiating table as potential problems will help lower the asking price. So why not invest a little money to potentially save you much more in the long run. And if you need help in your new car journey, the professionals at MR Auto SD are here to help. Stop by or give us a ring!
