I understand the need for cheap, reliable, good, safe used cars among the many used cars for sale in Las Vegas, as well as nationwide.
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However, I also get to experience first hand the process of elimination when checking these cars out online and in-person, as well as the heartbreak of explaining to a first-time buyer, teen driver or hard-working bloke, the reality of why this $1000 car is now costing $3000 to repair.
7 essential tips for finding a GOOD CHEAP used CAR in this treacherous used car market 20.11
- When searching online at AUTOTRADER.com, CARGUR
US.com, OODLE.com FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE or CRAIG’S LIST, demand to see the front and back of the title and a Carfax BEFORE driving over to see the car. (No see-no sale) - If the title says SALVAGE, REBUILT, TRUE MILEAGE UNKNOWN, RUN LIKE H-E __ ___ away from the car. This is a nightmare waiting to happen in 85% of the cases. The CARFAX or AUTOCHEK will tell you there was damage but not how much. These types of cars no longer live up to the manufacturer’s safety ratings.
- go to WWW.NHTSA.COM and check the RECALLS, SERVICE BULLETINS and COMPLAINTS sections to read up on all the BAD stuff about this car. I have found lots of nasty info. on the most expensive cars, friends were selling friends… at a great price. The “friends” never knew “anything” about these problems…which might have been true… but I wasn’t going to let MY CLIENT BUY THAT CAR, no matter how good a deal it was…among friends.
- When making an appointment, I like to arrange to meet the seller at a fire or police station parking lot, where cameras and official public servants are never more than a cry for help away. This deters thieves and scammers.
- Get underneath the car and look for rust, oil stains, dirt globs where road debris has stuck to oil and grease. Look for anything new or mismatched, including tires.
- Bring your mechanic with you, for a simple once over, if it passes first glance, then ask the seller to follow you back to the garage where the independent mechanic can put it up on a lift for a more thorough inspection. The inspection should yield a list of immediate and future expenses, which can be negotiated before the sale.
- Contact DMV to be sure there are NO OPEN LIENS on the car. In this day and age of computers, a fake title is not a surprise., and many states do not require the bank to hold the original title until the car is paid off. Never pay-off a car loan for the seller, the title is NEVER coming to you first. It goes to the seller who has to sign it over to you.
- If you have any questions about this information, feel free to contact me by using the form below. I will be happy to answer your questions as quickly as possible.
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