When you make a decision to buy a used car, you do not get
the guarantee that the car will serve you perfectly for many years given the
fact that you may never really know what the previous owner was doing with it.
This requires that you find a reliable dealer to avoid instances of being a
victim of fraud after being sold a car that does not work as perfect as you
expect it to. It would even be fundamental that you have a checklist on what to
be looking for in a second hand car to ascertain its condition, which
ultimately reduces the risk of you buying something that does not meet your
expectations.
The mileage
You can only ascertain how much the car has been in use
through checking the mileage of the used car that is on sale. This should tell
you whether the previous user was overusing it or using it at normal rate since
you can compare this with the year the vehicle was first bought while new. This
will in turn give you grounds to be inquisitive on how the car was being used
to be sure that it is still fit for use even when the owner claims to have had
it repaired regularly.
Does the car have a clean history?
You should get enough information on the car’s history to be
sure of the condition it is in otherwise you may end up buying a wreck. Ask the
owner for servicing receipts and programs to determine the frequency with which
it was serviced and what components were repaired during such times. You should
also ask whether the vehicle has had any accidents since it was purchased; this
information can readily be obtained from police reports about the vehicle hence
allowing you to inquire about the level of damage that was sustained during the
accident. You should not forget asking about whether the car has any extended
warranty and for how long the warranty is expected to last.