November 2021
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1. Do your homework.
Buying a used car is a big decision to make and tens of thousands of people have to make these decisions everyday. One of the things you never want to do is purchase a car without checking its consumer’s reviews or its car maintenance history. What you'll be looking for in the consumer reviews are the quality of the experience that the buyers are having after owning the vehicle for some time. In researching a car’s maintenance history you’ll find the various types of problems you are likely to encounter when owning that car. Also its important to check and see if there are any recalls on your ideal car that you should be aware of. You can check recalls for free by searching by the vehicle's year, make, and model in a google search. One website you can use is yourmechanic.com. This site is used to find car reviews by experienced mechanics and see conversations of how to solve common or uncommon car problems. It’s imperative that you do your homework prior to purchasing any used vehicle to help reduce all risks later.
2. Test Drive the Vehicle
You would be surprised at the number of people who miss this step. People are usually so excited about the price or the approval that they forget to properly examine the vehicle. This happens a lot among first time car buyers. No matter what happens you should always test drive a car. Even if it’s new, slightly used, or very used. Always test drive.
3. Order an Inspection Report
Did you find the car you believe is the one? Ready to do the paperwork and pay for the vehicle? Great! First things first, did you check the vehicle history report? No? You are not ready to proceed. You want to always check what the car has been through and where it came from. Are these always accurate? Let’s say roughly 92% of the time. It depends on the reporting site you use. We recommend using a more reputable company such as Vinsmart or Carfax. Just remember blemishes on a vehicle's history doesn’t mean the car won’t be a reliable one. You may have some minor repairs here and there. You may even have a major repair. Sometimes if you can't afford a perfect car upfront, it is okay to purchase a less than perfect car and save your money to fix the repairs later (preferably before the car stop running. Many times its those minor repairs that can get a customer in a great car for many years to come. Things to stay away from would be if their was an accident and the frame was damaged or any signs of rust from water/salt damage (salt from icy roads) to name a couple major red flags. It’s true this step is going to cost you an investment up front. This is why we recommend you do this when you have narrowed down your options to the one you actually want to purchase. Inspection reports averages around $100 each but the money you spend on inspection reports will be far less than the money you spend on a vehicle that keeps giving you car trouble.
4. Purchase an Extended Warranty.
An extended warranty is most valuable if you want to leave the lot with a piece of mind. Something about having that extra protection that boosts your confidence in the decisions that you make. GWC Warranty is great because they are reliable and offer protection of so many repairs that traditional warranties do not protect. Get an extended warranty if you can afford it. You will thank us later. And if you cannot get one right at the date of purchase, no worries, you can still get one after you purchase the car. Keep in mind there are minimum qualifications every Extended Warranty requires prior to committing to a protecting a person's vehicle. If interested, see if the car qualifies for the extended warranty prior to purchasing the vehicle.
5.Go to dealerships you can trust.
The salesman will say a lot about the dealership that you are working with. Is he/she pushy? Will he/she let you take the car for an inspection report? Do they get a lot of repeat buyers? How are they reviewed online? Is their office environment orderly? Are the sales team professionals? Buying a used car without any problems can be tricky. Our tip to you is to invest in a company who will be there for you after the sale of the car, not just in the beginning.
Overwhelmed? Don’t know where to start? Don’t worry.
We at Crown Motors have been helping stressed out customers achieve their used car goals for over 20 years. Serving the North Florida and South Georgia areas, our friendly office staff and knowledgeable sales team is sure to be a reliable guide to help you navigate through the used car industry and financing challenges. Come by and visit our location, call us, or you can visit us online today at crowntallahassee.com. Our great deals and long-list of financing solutions are ideal when your options are limited.
Crown Motors of Tallahassee
7291 W Tennessee Street
Tallahassee, FL 32304
850-576-6800
M-F 10am - 6pm
crowntallahassee.com
