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Buying a Used Vehicle

Are you thinking about buying a used vehicle?  If so, please be careful.  Yes there are some great used cars out there for great prices.  But buyer beware…sellers can be pretty tricky when they want to be.  I used to know a detailer that worked for used car lots…it was amazing the things he could cover up, rust spots, remove mold, and the smell…when he got done they looked like new.  So you can’t always tell a book by it’s cover.  We have seen cars that have been underwater…they only way we knew is buy find a bit of sand on the underside of the car on the frame…places you wouldn’t normally have access to.  Also, if a check engine light is on, some people will disconnect the battery so the light will go off.  Unfortunatly for the unknowing buyer, the vehicle needs to be driven a bit for the light to come back on.  So for example, let’s say the seller knows that the catalytic converter needs to be replace..cost on this vehicle $2500.00, he doesn’t want to spend the money, he turns off the check engine light, you buy the car drive it for a couple of days, the light comes back on..and look who is stuck with the repair.  We always recommend a pre-buyers inspection to anyone that is buying a pre-owned vehicle no matter who you are buying it from.  We have the ability to tell if the light has been turned off, we inspect every bit of the vehicle so that you know exactly where you stand.  Sometimes this ends up with you not buying the vehicle, sometimes it means giving you the information that you need to get a better price on the vehicle.  Sometimes the cars get a clean bill of health.  In any circumstance it give you the ability to make the decision that is right for you.  As we always say “Knowledge is Power”.

 

buyingausedvehicle Long's Car Care Center 98072