Why Is This Used Car So Cheap
Warren Scott
We have all been in the used car market trying to buy the best car for the least amount of money. We are constantly looking for a car that is under priced but is in immaculate condition. Once and a while we find that person trying to get rid of their car for an incredible price; is it to good to be true?
One of the first things that can pull a cars value down is whether or not it has been totaled or salvaged due to a severe accident. How can you tell if the used car that you want to buy has serious frame damage? Let's look more closely at this aspect of buying a used car, and hopefully you can learn a few things to help you avoid the lemons.
The most obvious place to investigate is the title. If the car has been totaled or salvaged the title of the car will have that stamped on it. Therefore always ask the owner to see the title of the car while you are test driving it. If they are hesitant or if the title is at their brothers' house this is sure warning sign so beware!
Also many times the owner will have a new title issued for their car. This is also a little fishy to me. Many times people loose the title on purpose so that they can eliminate the "Salvaged" stamp on the title, or to hide how many miles that the car actually had. If this is the case and you are unable to tell if the car has been in a serious wreck by looking at the title then proceed to the following tips.
When I was younger I can remember buying a truck that was a lemon! I didn't take the proper precautions and I lost some money in the deal. I was suspicious of the truck from the beginning. The miles were extremely low for the amount that the seller was asking for. I wanted the truck though, so I just listened to the words of the seller, "it is a little dirty, that is why it looks so used". I know, I know, I should have walked away right then. Used, really used, normally equals lots of miles. But as I said, I was fooled in the desire to have a new truck.
I was young and naive so I bought the car. I enjoyed it and it worked just fine for me. Two years later I was tired of it and wanted to buy a sportier car. So, I listed it in the paper to see if I could sell it for around what I owed on it. I had many people interested in it and in fact the first person to look at it agreed to buy it. He took the VIN and some other information and told me he would bring a check the next day.
Oh how quickly the story changed. Two hours later he called me back and informed me that he could no longer buy the truck. I was perplexed! He went on to tell me that he checked online and the vehicle with that VIN actually had over 100,000 miles. That's right a mechanic registered it online when it was just about to turn 100,000 miles and now I was stuck with a car not even worth what I owed on it. The buyer was still interested to buy the truck but for half of the asking price!
So, what did I do? I lowered the price and explained to the people that I wasn't sure about the miles. I didn't get nearly the money I was hoping for, but I did learn a lot about buying a used car.
If you are unsure about the car you are considering buying then checking it out online. This is the whole purpose of the VIN and it can be very helpful to you. Even if it costs you some money to get a report, it can save you a lot in the future.
Let's continue thinking about this topic and consider this as you go. If a deal seems to good to be true; it normally is! Now if you are buying from your uncle Henry or someone that you know you can trust that is a different story. Otherwise I would proceed with caution. I hope that you all find your dream car for the price that you want. It is possible, just keep hunting!
About the Author:
