Things you should do before you purchase a car. Of course it's always great to have a mechanic look over the prospective vehicle before finalizing as well, but here is a check list to predetermining if you have a decent vehicle on your hands here. If you feel so inclined, you could print this page out before going to check out the car so you don't forget anything.
- Check under the car for leaks.
- Check for strange sounds during start up and while driving, it should sound relatively smooth.
- Look for a clean engine.
- With manuals, check to see if the clutch is riding a little high.
- Test brakes: Get some speed going on the car, then hit the brakes to a sudden stop to see how well they respond.
- Check the oil: Black oil is bad, it should have a bit of transparency in it.
- Now if at a stop the car is shaky, this is usually a motor mount problem. If its just a little shaking its probably not too much to worry about, but just know it could develop into more.
- Get a Carfax history report using the VIN number on the car.
These is just a quick checklist for checking out a car, the best way to make sure things are working well is to have a friend who is a mechanic or has good car knowledge to look at the car with you. Even better you can take the vehicle to a mechanic to get it checked out before purchasing. It should never be a problem with the seller unless he is trying to hide something.
One big things to remember is that if something doesn't feel right about the deal there is a good chance it probably not right. I always go with my gut when buying a car and check out everything thoroughly until I am satisfied, I would suggest my readers to do the same.
