Step #6

Step #6) Complete the sale, get an extended warranty
Once the seller agrees to your offer, discuss payment options. Use our bill of sale that itemizes the car, and it's VIN#, with any known failures on the car. Sometimes the seller may promise to fix something for you after the car is bought, but this is a dangerous deal to enter. Tell them to fix it first or put it in writing. If you want any kind of traceability, get a bank draft, with the seller listed as payee. Cash is dangerous to carry around. With a bank draft, you have a record that you paid the seller money in case there are problems down the road. If the car turns out to be stolen, you can cancel the bank draft. But you can't cancel cash. Some people don't want a paper trail, but be aware of the risks.
Auto Warranties On Used Cars
Many used car dealers sell cars with no warranty, or "As Is", which is not what you want. So here's our first used car lesson:

NEVER EVER sign an "As Is" paper at a car dealer. You want at least a 30-90 day warranty or DO NOT buy the car! The minute they stick an "AS Is" paper in front of you, get up and walk out. Verbal promises mean absolutely nothing. "Buying a car "as is" disclaims all warranties. You should not expect any legal protection if the car is a "lemon." If they claim there is a warranty, get it in writing, and READ it.

Older high mileage "beater" used cars might be impossible to get a warranty for as dealers can't find companies to provide coverage for those cars. In that case, it's even more important to have a mechanic check out that used car first. You don't want to inherit any surprise problems.

If you buy from a private seller, it's "As Is", you have no choice, so get an extended warranty. Have a good mechanic perform an inspection of the car. Why should you spend money on a mechanic? I'd rather spend a few dollars on a mechanic now, than $3000 on repairs later when the axle falls off. The mechanic is a great investment if it alerts you to a costly engine repair that even the seller was unaware of.

We've seen news stories of people suckered by scam artists selling cars by the side of the road. They do this so you can't find out where they live. Their selling price is very low to reel you in, but the ad says cash only. It's an awesome deal, the guy priced it to sell, so he wants cash. Morons just go to their bank, withdraw $8500 and hand it over to a complete stranger with no title. Then he takes your money, gives you the car, but you go to get the vehicle registered and the state tells you it's a stolen car. Then you lose all of your money. And foolish you paid in cash. The state will take the car from you because it's stolen property, and you are left with NOTHING! No money, no car, nothing. One victim lost $8500 buying a pickup truck. He did not receive the title from the "seller" so he got taken. Their brains were doped by a low selling price. Why didn't they check the guy's drivers license?

If the seller does not have the title, they are not the owner of the vehicle.

Don't Forget Sales Tax!
Check out the laws and procedures of transferring title in your state. Next, fill out the back of the title to register the car in your name with the state. There is also a box to enter the selling price. People like to write in a much smaller amount for the car than they actually paid in an effort to avoid paying a high tax bill. I advise against this, your state is not stupid. Their computer tells them the blue book value of the car. If you paid $7000 for a car then claimed you paid only $2000, the computer flags down the Department of Revenue, and they'll send you a nasty letter stating that they know the car is worth $7000, time to pay up!

Drive Home With Your New Car
Before you drive away from the seller's house, make sure you have the title, a signed copy of the bill of sale, the maintenance records, and don't forget to ask if there is a special wheel lug key or you cannot change a flat tire, and a repair shop cannot replace your tires. Make sure you have all sets of keys, owners manuals, repair manuals, and spare parts that the seller may have, like extra lamps, headlights, wiper blades that they forgot about. Be sure the car has a spare tire and jack. Make sure all brake lights and other lamps work, and check the fuse box for blown fuses, replacing any as necessary. You don't want to get pulled over by the cops for no brake lights on your way home. Ask the seller if they have a car cover, or if the car has T-Tops, ask for the storage pouches. If the car does not have jumper cables, go buy some on the way home, without delay. You never want to be without jumper cables. Don't skimp on the cost either, go to Sears, and buy the thickest gauge, costliest cable you can afford. The decent cables start at $20, the $10 ones are useless and you might as well not buy them at all. You may want to have a Mobil 1 oil change done. Ask the seller for receipts for the battery or alternator. Many auto parts stores have lifetime warranties on alternators, or will prorate a failed battery ONLY if you have the original receipt. I keep mine in an index card box, and anytime I have to replace the alternator or battery I know where they are.

About 30 days after you buy your used car, run another Vehicle History Report to catch any last minute title issues that could have popped up days before you bought the car. Some states can take over a month to propagate their info to the AutoCheck databases. The seller could have rebuilt the title a week before you bought it so it might not show up in a title check for a month.

Step #5

Use Our Free Used Car Bill Of Sale Form
This useful Excel spreadsheet is actually 2 forms in one. The first spreadsheet is a Used Car Bill Of Sale, which takes the guesswork out of what information you need when transferring title of a car from the seller to the buyer. The second form is a Deposit Slip Form, similar to the Bill Of Sale. The deposit slip is used as a written confirmation between the buyer and seller itemizing the selling price of the car, the buyer's deposit, and how much the buyer still owes on the used car. The deposit buys you time while you go to the bank to get a bank draft. This form is from our free spreadsheet download area.

Step #4

Step #4) Negotiate tough with a used car dealer or private seller.

Negotiating tips on a used car for sale at a dealership:
"Certified Used Cars" at Car Dealers
The word "certified" is over used marketing for "reconditioning" tasks that some car dealers do to a trade in before they resell it. Some dealers lie and don't do a thing, some spray black paint on engine wires to make them look newer. For others it's a hot air excuse charge you more money. In fact, several of our readers have reported running vehicle history reports on "certified" cars and found they had been in prior accidents. Not what you would expect from a certified Lexus. If you can get a 90 day warranty, then you're somewhat protected. Ignore verbal promises and read the exclusions list. But if you get a 90 warranty, it does not mean you're covered for everything. Don't let "certified used car" make you complacent and fail to perform due diligence on that used car!

Many 90 day dealer warranties only cover the power train, and nothing else.
If the engine blows next week, does the warranty cover it, or will the dealer blame you and tell you to go fly a kite? Tell them to put all verbal promises in writing.

Federal Law Requires the "Buyers Guide" On All Dealer Used Cars
Dealers MUST attach a federal "Buyer's Guide" sticker on the window of each used car, that tells you if the car is sold "As Is", or has a warranty and what obligations the dealer has. If the salesperson says the car has a warranty but the Buyers Guide sticker says "As Is", the sticker overrides the salesperson's lie. Unless there is time left on the 3 year manufacturer's warranty, you truly have no warranty if "As Is" is checked. Our number one complaint from consumers buying used cars from dealers, is the salesperson lied and told them the dealer will repair any failures, all the while the "As Is" box was checked. The dealers then refused the repairs. The Buyers Guide tells you to have the car inspected by an independent mechanic before you buy, and to get all promises in writing. If the deal was conducted in Spanish, you are entitled to a Spanish language version of the Buyer's Guide. Look for weasel clauses in their warranty, don't just glance at the warranty form. If a used car dealer does not have Buyers Guide stickers on their cars, leave immediately!

When negotiating the used car selling price at the dealer, remind them that they paid $3000-$4000 less than market value for the car so they can afford to charge less than market value. True market value is not just a price in a book, it's whatever the market will bear. Tell them the market's not bearing, that car will sit there costing them money, and they are passing up their chance to unload it, and pay the bills and feed their family. They'll say you're crazy, the internet sites for car pricing are wrong. If they try to justify their price by bringing up the warranty, tell them you should not have to pay extra for the car to be reliable for 90 days. It does not matter how much they "claimed" they paid for the car or how long it's been sitting there, the car is worth only what it's worth, what you are willing to spend, not what they write on the sticker. If you tell the dealer you have Kelley Blue Book pricing, they will laugh and say they use NADA pricing. NADA pricing is higher because it shows dealer cost to recondition the cars, and NADA is based on retail pricing at dealers, not so much on market pricing. Typical dealer prices on a used car can be $2,000 over market value.

We all buy stocks and when the price drops, we have to take less than what we paid for it, and cars are the same way, like an hourglass of value that keeps dropping. They should have dumped that car like a bad stock. Use this analogy when you haggle. They need to cut their losses now. The point is that it does not matter how much money was dumped into the car, it's only worth what the buyer is willing to pay for it.

Negotiating a used car purchase with a private seller

How To Transfer A Title From Seller To Buyer If The Seller Owes Money To The Bank
Capital One Auto Finance can provide you with a used car loan just for this scenario. This is probably the best solution for you, as they take care of paying off the existing loan, and paying the seller. A "liened vehicle" has an outstanding loan obligation. The Certificate of Title for the vehicle lists the registered owner with the lender listed as the lien holder. The lender will not release the title until you pay off the loan, so they might act as a title agent, or they may work with a title agent. Sometimes they might mail out the title to the buyer a few weeks after you pay off the car. You must contact the seller's lender, NOT ME, and find what they need so you'll be ready. This is why I recommend the Capital One Auto Finance solution to complete the sale.

Don't shop for a used car hoping to hammer them down from the asking price, negotiating on the fly, and not knowing the true value of the car. That shotgun approach is unsuccessful. When you finish reading this section, you'll know more about the seller's car than the seller does, giving you the upper hand in negotiations. You must know every option that is on the car, then check the used car pricing sites to determine what the car is worth. When you call a seller to look at their car, ask for all the options, mileage, etc., then look up the prices before you go. Get the 17 digit VIN# from them and run the car title search using Experian AutoCheck Vehicle History Reports on it before you visit the seller. Then when you get there, you'll already know the value of the car, as well as if the odometer was reset, or if the title was ever negatively branded. Expect sellers to advertise grossly inflated "Hail Mary" asking prices, to "allow for negotiations". This is why you show up with the used car value printouts to instantly let the air out of their balloon and catch them off guard. They are unprepared as they are relying on that higher price to provide them margin to negotiate down in price with you, and you just took that away from them. Things like mileage, bad tires, cracked dash, faded paint, rust, seat stains, missing mats, and torn ceiling will greatly reduce the value of the car. You must use that to your advantage in negotiating the price down.

Call the seller, ask lots of questions
There's a lot of data you need before you can properly negotiate the price of the car, so when you call the seller, ask these basic questions if you don't want to print out our full list of questions mentioned above:

1) Why are you selling the car? Put them in a defensive position and they must answer quick. If they hesitate, they have something to hide. Why do most people sell their car? Maybe they lost their job, or there's too many things wrong with it and they don't want to fix it, they'd rather sell it to you. Maybe they bought a better new car and are selling it themselves. If you have a car that you love, you're not going to sell it.

2) How many miles are on it? The moment of truth for most sellers. This can really reduce the selling price if there's too much mileage. The standard is 12000 miles per year. If they have more than that, the pricing sites shown above have charts that deduct off the market value of the car.

3) Do they have all the maintenance records, proof of tune ups, and oil change receipts? You just nailed them with 3 defensive questions in a row. I'll bet no one will have this. I preach it to no end that everyone should. I had it for my Trans Am, and I sold it to the first person that came to look at it. The seller might say "No one keeps that stuff". Your reply will be "I do, everyone I know does", and without it, I have no validation that you properly maintained the your car, and now you want me to pay all this money for it?" Tell them no one does their oil changes on time. How many people change the oil every 3-6 months?

4) Have them describe the condition of the interior, the seats, make sure the dash is not cracked, find out about the paint, tires, A/C compressor, ask if the A/C runs cool. Is there any other known issues or needed repairs that you should know about?

Go check out the seller's used car
Make an appointment to see the car during the day. At night you can't see all that's wrong with it. If you make an appointment with a seller, show up 15 minutes after the agreed time. Once the agreed time has passed, the seller is now going through total hell, thinking you are not going to show. He's had a few no shows, believe me, I can personally testify to that. By time you show up, his confidence has been knocked down a notch. You are using psychological tactics and, legitimate methods of pricing a car. Always show up with at least one other person, and make sure you have your license with you, most sellers won't allow anyone without a valid license to drive their car. It's harder for a seller to say no and challenge 2 or more people than just one person, so always show up with an aggressive companion.

Scam Alert: If you visit a seller to test drive the car and they don't let you drive it, leave immediately. There's no reason to stay because you are not buying that car. I cannot believe how many morons pay a deposit or write a check for the entire amount without even driving it, or worse, without any receipt! The seller may tell you someone has a deposit on it so they can't let you drive it. Then they'll call you back later and say "the deal fell through". Here's where Darwinism or the natural selection process hits high gear, because many people foolishly return to see the seller and buy the car without driving it first! Once you sign, your rights are gone. The police or the state attorney's office don't give a damn about you because you signed an "as is" form, or more foolishly, a power of attorney form, or even more foolishly, have no paperwork signed by the seller at all stating that you bought a car from them. Lawyers won't help, your $5000 lawsuit is not worth their time.

Check the driveway or garage floor for signs of fluid leaks. Rust colored stains indicate a leaking radiator. Black or Brown puddles and stains indicate an oil or transmission fluid leak, and purple puddles indicate transmission fluid leaks. The seller will lie about his car not having leaks, but a driveway never lies. Make sure the seller sees you bending over to scrutinize the driveway and garage for signs of leaks.

Evidence of a previous accident or rebuilt Junkers
Check the tires and windows carefully for evidence of paint over spray. Sellers put a cheap paint job on the car and lie about it being in a wreck. The cheaper the paint job, the sloppier the body shop gets. They get over spray all over the place, and that's your singing telegram that the car was in a wreck or rebuilt.

Start Working On The Seller
Have your partner be negative, pointing out every little item that erodes away at the seller's asking price, and confidence. A great tactic with huge psychological impact is to rub your finger over every major scratch or dimple, and shake your head no in disappointment. The car dealers use this all the time, so learn from the best. You don't have to say a word, the seller reads it right off your face, and you've set him up for the low ball offer. Have your partner write down all damage.

Ask for the maintenance records. Bet he'll have nothing at all. This is why I tell you to save every record, and oil change receipt in a notebook. Just add each new one to the end, and you have a nice history record. Now buyers of your car years later can't say you did not take good care of your car. Ask if the car has been in a wreck, staring them right in the eyes waiting for their answer. If the answer is yes, inspect the area that was repaired, and point out every tiny little flaw in that repair.

Test Drive The Seller's Used Car
Take the seller with you and ask questions when noises pop up. Listen for noises, rattles, or grinding sounds. If you hear rattling in the quarter panels, the car may have been in a wreck. If the car is a manual transmission, see if the shifting is smooth. Ask the seller if the clutch has been replaced, clutches fail after 4-5 years. This sets up the seller for a low ball offer. Most people are unaware that manual transmission vehicles have lower market values than automatic. Check the heater and the A/C, drive it in the daylight when the sun is hottest, to see how the A/C performs. Listen for grinding noises when the A/C kicks in, the bearings in the compressor are worn.

If the car has a voltmeter, make sure the voltage stays at 13.6 volts when the A/C is on. Bring a portable volt meter with you. Not everyone has one, many people do. You can get them for $20. Measure the voltage across the battery terminals with the engine running, and the meter set to DC Voltage. The voltage should be at least 13.6 Volts with the engine running, and no more than 14.8 volts. If it's not, there is a problem with the charging circuit, most likely the alternator, which is a costly component, usually about $150 rebuilt. If the battery is not at least 13.6V with the engine on, the 12V battery will not remain charged, and will die soon.

Drive with the radio on and off. Test the speakers to see if they are cracked. Make sure the CD player works. Take the car on a highway, main streets, and side streets, see if the car loses alignment, or bears to the left or right. See how good the car brakes, drive sharply around some corners, and your companion is writing everything down. Make sure all the seat belts work, that electric seats work, look for missing or burned out bulbs inside and out. If the car has retractable headlights, make sure they pop up and turn on. Make sure the brake lights, reverse lights and directional lights work. Ask the seller when the brake pads were last replaced.

Tip: Check for leaks in the car!
Spend $4.00 to $5.00 and get a automatic high pressure car wash BEFORE buying the car. After one of our visitors bought their car they did just that and discovered that the new windshield leaked.

Check All The Fluids
Check under the hood to see how clean the engine is. Is the radiator fluid green? If not, it's been a while since the radiator was maintained and the fluid has turned brown. Is there any windshield fluid? If it's low, you should be getting bad vibes, a sign that you're dealing with a lazy owner, who couldn't spare a few seconds to add a few ounces of windshield fluid when he's about to sell. Think he did his oil changes on time? Check the transmission fluid, it should be purple if it's fresh, slightly brown if it's older. It should NOT be black. Check the air pressure in the tires and check for uneven wear on the tread. Ask the seller when the tires were replaced last.

Ask the seller to point out all known defects, problems, issues, etc. with the car. If there are any subsystems, alarms, or computer indicators that are not functioning, have them point it out to you. Ask if there is an extended warranty with the vehicle, and if it is transferable to you. Verify this with the warranty company. Ask to bring the car to your mechanic to check it out. If they say no, you have to wonder what they are hiding.

Negotiating the Price With The Seller
You can start negotiating price, or go home, study all the data you collected, then when you have all your ducks in a row, go back to the seller to negotiate. Don't just try to chisel down their price, that's old school negotiating. Your offer will be based on sound research yielding the fairest price possible, ignoring the asking price altogether. Offer what the car is worth based on market values given by car pricing sites. They will all have varying values, so get an average figure, and print out from all the sites. Don't forget to subtract for over mileage, and add for options. Many used car pricing sites have three categories of condition of the car which they report the market value of. The condition will be listed as bad, fair, good, and each has it's own dollar value listed, similar to the blue books in the stores.

Research selling prices at sites such as UsedCars.com, Cars.com, CarsDirect.com and Car.com. Choose ads that are lower priced than the seller's car, to prove he is asking more than others. This will burst their bubble, when you can show them several cars of the same model and year as his, that are far cheaper. The seller might tell you "OK, so you found a cheaper price, maybe they have problems with their cars". You'll just reply "You mean every one of these cars has problems?"

Most sellers don't know how to price a car, so when you give your offer, it may be far less than the seller's "Hail Mary" price. They'll get all insulted, and tell you you're crazy, that's way below their asking price. You must then educate the seller that his asking price was wrong to begin with. That's when you show him the printouts from all the pricing sites. The seller may show you other cars in the newspaper and say "See, they are asking the same amount". Just tell the seller that very few sellers get their asking price when they sell a car, so those newspaper prices he's showing you are inflated.

"What kind of research did you do to determine what your car is worth?
Show me your research printouts, I have all mine right here, where's yours?"
I bet the seller has no research may be arrogant and indignant over your offer. They are unaware their asking price is off base, they get infuriated with your "low ball offer", and may refuse to deal with you. They probably need the money, the car is taking up space in their driveway, their wife complains every day as he lets offers slip through his fingers. His pride won't let him sell the car at your price. He'll say, "why don't you buy one of those other cars if they are cheaper? If my car is not worth it, why do you want it at all?" It's their last ditch futile effort to justify their price. He's trying to divert you from the fact that he cannot justify his selling price. Any seller using this strategy has just told you he has no valid research on the value of the car. A seller who knows the market value would say "Here's my printouts from the car pricing sites, my price is in line with accepted standards". Tell him "We like your car, but the research we have shows that it is not worth your asking price", point out all the defects, lack of maintenance records, etc. Tell him the printouts specify a car in good condition. Point out scratches, dings, rust, carpet stains, cracked dash, justification to offer even less than the car pricing printouts. Keep hammering him for his research and justification until you are the clear victor of that debate.

Tell the seller if his car was really worth what he is asking for it, then it would have sold already.
Tell the seller "You'll have your garage back, you'll have this cash which I'm sure you can use, no more no shows, no wife nagging you about getting the car sold, no more renewing your ads." Just because he did not get his asking price does not mean he lost. Your suggestion that he's a winner puts him at ease..

Then your buddy chimes in, heads for car, motioning to leave. Your buddy says "he's not going to lower the price, you are just wasting your time, and you should go back to the other seller who was flexible". Your buddy reminds you the "other car" had lower mileage. The seller is listening to this exchange and panics. He knows you're on your way out the door, his sales tactics have failed him. You must always be prepared to walk. There will be other cars. If his car was so great, it would have been sold already. Make your ultimatum to the seller. There is no way you will pay more for any car than fair market value. Right after you say this to the seller, turn to your buddy and ask him where the next stop on your list it. Your buddy pulls other ads out of the folder, and reads off the info. Head to your car to leave. Hopefully this will make the seller hop into action and accept your offer.

This is what gets you a good deal. Your strategy is to keep the seller on the defense. Whoever asks the questions is in control of the conversation. Continue firing difficult questions at the seller, but be polite. Let your printouts be the "bad guy", not you. Don't say "You're crazy, I don't think your car is worth this". Instead tell the seller "the research I have here shows that your car is only worth this". Now your friendly relationship with the seller is still intact, and you are a messenger relaying information. How can the seller argue with data from car sites who are experts at pricing cars? Skillful treatment of the seller gets your deal signed for you. You can let them know their deal is lousy without hurting their feelings.

Step #3

Step #3) Get a used car loan (from dealer or person to person).
Most banks will NOT lend you money for a used car that is older than 4 or 5 years old. Banks charge at least 2% higher APR on used car loans, than they do for new car loans. But online lenders are much cheaper, and used car loan rates are closer to new car loan rates.
Used car loans and used car financingIf you are buying a car from a private person, use the Capital One Auto Finance person-to-person loan They are the only company who finances person to person used car loans. They also provide used car loans for buying from a car dealer as well. Apply online, and get a response in 15 minutes during business hours. They FedEx you a Blank Check® so you can buy any used car from a private party without paperwork hassles. In 2004 I used Capital One Auto Finance for my Lexus GX470 car loan, and got my check the next day by FedEx. Make sure your credit score is at least 680, then as a prime borrower, and you can choose the lowest APR.
Never pay cash for a deposit on a car. If the deal goes falls through, you'll never get your cash back, but you can always dispute a credit transaction. If your credit is so bad and If you're in too deep, maybe now is not the time to buy a car.
How Much Used Car Loan Can You Afford?Before looking for a used car, you better know how much you can afford. Banks will only lend you money to buy a used car up to 5 years old. This is why you are at a disadvantage when you trade in a used car over 4 years old at a dealer, because the car is worthless to them. The banks won't lend money to buy these older used cars, so they are harder to resell. Read our Auto Finance Help Section for tips on getting your credit report, credit score and repairing bad marks in your credit report.

Step #2

6 Steps To Used Car Buying SuccessGet a 60 day unlimited Autocheck Vehicle History Report.
Best Advice On This Entire Page:DO NOT buy a used car without running a used car history search like the Autocheck 60 Day Unlimited Vehicle History Report on the VIN# first. The Autocheck Report on a used car verifies that there was no previous branding of the title, flooding of the car, odometer rollback, salvaged title, or that it was reported stolen, and gives a good VIN decode. Sign up with them now before you forget, get the Autocheck 60 Day Unlimited Vehicle History Report option instead of the single report. Don't have a VIN to run yet? Yes you do, run your own car first. It's instantaneous, then run your parents' car to get a feel for reading the reports. Get the VIN off used cars you look at and it's an all you can eat Autocheck 60 day buffet. You'll look at 10 used cars before you buy.
Clever use of your vehicle history report to get a lower price on the car:
One nice feature of the Autocheck Report that our visitors have made clever use of is the leasing and ownership history of the car. You'll find the car was sitting on the lot for 6 months. Use this ammunition to knock the price of the car down. If it's been on their lot for 6 months, no one wants it, name your price.
Most people tell us they liked that it shows the state it was driven in, and when it was bought. This is useful data, a 2004 car could have been bought in 2003, so it's really older than the other 2002 models you are looking at.
If the car went through an auction, it shows up in the used car history report. This is a great way for you to catch insurance companies who skirt the law. They resell a totaled car through a salvage auction, evading your state's minimum threshold of damage disclosure laws on the title. They are only required to brand the title if the damage exceeds a percentage of the value of the car. If they can get enough for the car at an auction, they won't have to brand the title even though the car should be totaled. In many states the Autocheck Report lists the police case number for car accidents it was in, and a description of the accident.

No VINs for cars made before 1981...No one has car title reports for cars before 1981, when the 17 digit VIN became. Every car maker had their own format, and each state had unique formats, so you're out of luck Why the heck are you buying a car that old anyway?
Every VIN# Tells A StoryThe 17 digit VIN# (Vehicle Identification Number) appears on all cars, in the dashboard on a metal strip. You can find the VIN# inside the driver side door on a factory sticker, the passenger door, the trunk, the hood, and sometimes the engine and other major parts have one, or it's engraved. My Lexus SC300 has stickers on most of the major panels. Car makers place VIN stickers on the major accident parts like doors, engines, and quarter panels, which are broken down from a car when it's stolen. If they show up on another car, something is wrong, the car was stolen, or junked and rebuilt. Check, doors and panels make sure all VIN#s match.
Where to get a VIN decoderMany people ask this. The VIN decoder software is expensive. Some car fan pages decode a VIN only on one particular car. But one benefit of the Autocheck Report is it includes a VIN decode including the model, options, year, engine size and type, drive train info, country of manufacture, gas mileage, etc.
Watch out for used car airbag fraud! They can be over $800 to replace them yourselfEach year 2.5 million cars are wrecked, and 1 million end up back on the road. Airbag fraud is a huge scam. When cars are wrecked, the insurance companies pay for damages including airbag replacement. But unscrupulous repair people keep the money without replacing the $800 airbag, often stuffing the space with everything from crushed beer cans to peanut bags. Many companies sell fake airbag covers so that you think you have an airbag but you really don't. Many people, maybe even you, are driving around in a used car with no airbag, even though you think there is one there. You can't see through the airbag cover. That's why you need to know if the car was wrecked. In some states, Autocheck can tell you if the airbag was deployed in an accident, if police investigators check it off in the accident report.
Where Autocheck gets the data for your vehicle history reportsEnter the VIN# of the car and they search millions of vehicle records for rolled back odometers, junked cars, and accidents. Autocheck gets data from auctions, police car accident reports, DMV records, car rental agencies, leases, & inspection stations where odometer readings are collected. It can tell if the car was totaled in a wreck, returned as a lemon, flooded, or if the title was laundered from "junk" back to "used" status. Credit unions and dealers use these reports religiously, so should you and I. Enter the VIN#, the report appears online, with title and registration data, certified odometer readings, liens and more.
Don't ever say "It can't happen to me". You are the ideal target market for the schemers, who sneak right past your arrogance and into your wallet.
Smart buyers like you and me say "yes that can happen to me". This is true with exotic cars too. Read about one Ferrari buyer's used car dilemma in the New Times: If God Gives You Lemons, Make Millions. Too bad he did not visit us here before buying his used car, he would not have been taken.
The DMV processes and approves 350 "rebuilt" or "laundered" titles every monthChances are good that you'll buy a car that was wrecked or stolen, and had the title "branded" as totaled, but it was laundered back to "used car" status by making a few minor repairs in a highly unsupervised and non regulated industry. You cannot guarantee your safety in a wreck. How do you know if the airbag still works, or the ABS? There is no safety data on rebuilt cars, don't risk the lives of your kids on a rebuilt car. Always run the car title.

Step #1

Step #1) Search online used car classifieds and papers

Online used car classifieds and used car pricesNewspaper automotive classifieds are narrowly focused with limited market area. You want used car sites such as UsedCars.com, Cars.com, CarsDirect.com and Car.com. With thousands of cars listed. Savvy consumers sell used cars online on cheaper and heavily traveled auto classified web sites. Many services keep your ad online until your car sells, which newspapers don't do. This is an advantage of used car classified sites, many have 200,000 or more cars listed. Many cars list the VIN numbers online so you can run a VIN search. I've found many VINs to be false, and you have no recourse as you are buying the car "As Is", so find out problems before you buy, not after.

Car Buying In Canada

Car Buying In Canada And Finding Canadian Dealer Cost
In This Section:
Tips for our Canadian car buying friends. If you're buying a car from Ford Canada, Toyota Canada, Honda Canada, GM Canada, or the others, you're in the right place. Here we review the best auto sites for Canadian car prices, car dealer cost, other sites that can help you run car history reports on used Canadian cars. This section will save Canadians money. Also, be sure to view the "Canadian new car buyer's checklist" and use Canadian sites like CarCost Canada, to help you with dealer pricing.

Useful Web Sites For Canadian Car Buyers
These are the best sites for Canadian car buyers to use. These sites can save you a lot of money, while arming you to defend yourself against car dealer scams pulled on Canadian car buyers every day. You're a fool to not have the information from these sites in your folder when you visit a car dealer.

Please note: Many of the U.S. based loan sites such as E-Loan, Capital One Auto Finance, and extended warranty companies do not service Canada. Please do not email me asking who does, because I don't know. If we find any, we'll post it here.

TheCarMagazine.com If you're a Canadian looking for the best info, this Canadian automotive magazine online has road tests, car reviews, car builders, car recalls, new and used car info, leasing tips and advice, in both French and English. This is the site to use.

Lease Busters You can take over a lease and get hundreds or even thousands of dollars in CASH in your pocket. There's big money in getting people out of a lease in Canada.

Quotes are different for each one, so get a consensus. Spend a few minutes now and save a few thousand dollars later.

It's very hard for Canadians to get good pricing data on cars, because most of the auto related web sites only list cars in U.S. Dollars. We don't know if the pricing can be simply converted to Canadian dollars or not, as we believe Canada has it's own type of pricing.

Knowing this pricing in advance can be very advantageous for you. Here's an email I got from a Canadian car buyer:
As of February 2007 WarrantyDirect is now selling car extended warranties in Canada

This is good news for our friends to the north, as many had been asking me for years when WarrantyDirect would be selling extended warranties in Canada.

WarrantyDirect.com is currently available in Manitoba, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, NW Territories, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island and Yukon provinces. Will be available in others in 90-120 days. Here's some of their warranty coverages:

LuxuryCare+ - This is Warranty Direct’s top-of-the-line bumper-to-bumper coverage designed for vehicles with high end luxury options. Coverage includes your vehicle’s Emissions System, Airbag Electronics, GPS/Navigation System, DVD/Video System, Telephone/Bluetooth System and Internet Access system. It includes coverage for wear-and-tear failures as well as mechanical breakdowns. LuxuryCare+ also includes deluxe Roadside Assistance membership. Available for vehicles as many as 4 model years old with as many as 80,000 kilometers on the odometer.

SecureCare+ - SecureCare+ is a bumper-to-bumper coverage for vehicles without GPS/Navigation System, DVD/Video System, Telephone/Bluetooth System and Internet Access systems. Emissions system coverage is standard and you can add optional coverage for the Airbag Electronics. It includes coverage for wear-and-tear failures as well as mechanical breakdowns. SecureCare+ also includes deluxe Roadside Assistance membership. Available for vehicles as many as 4 model years old with as many as 80,000 kilometers on the odometer.

PowerWrap+ - A specialized bumper-to-bumper coverage for vehicles with powertrain warranties that run longer than the factory bumper-to-bumper warranty. This eliminates the duplication of coverage of your powertrain and makes coverage more affordable. Emissions system coverage is standard and you can add optional coverage for the Airbag Electronics. It includes coverage for wear-and-tear failures as well as mechanical breakdowns. PowerWrap+ also includes deluxe Roadside Assistance membership. Available for select vehicles that are still under the original factory bumper-to-bumper warranty.

XtraCare+ - Warranty Direct’s best level of named component coverage providing coverage for all 16 major systems of your vehicle. It includes coverage for wear-and-tear failures as well as mechanical breakdowns. XtraCare+ also includes deluxe Roadside Assistance membership. Available for vehicles more than 4 model years old and with as many as 160,000 kilometers on the odometer.

MajorCare - Warranty Direct’s mid level named component coverage providing coverage for 12 major systems of your vehicle. Coverage was designed to cover the most likely to fail items. It includes coverage for wear-and-tear failures as well as mechanical breakdowns. MajorCare also includes deluxe Roadside Assistance membership. Available for vehicles as many as 7 model years old with as many as 160,000 kilometers on the odometer.

PowerShield – Warranty Direct calls it major Medical Coverage for Older, High Mileage vehicles. PowerShield is a low-cost, major component coverage for vehicles with up to 240,000 kilometers on the odometer. PowerShield covers mechanical breakdowns for items such as the Engine, Transmission, Drive Axle, Timing Belt, Water Pump, Fuel Pump and more. PowerShield also includes Roadside Assistance membership.

Why We Recommend Warranty Direct:

26 years in business (been through several full claims paying cycles)
Not an Internet only company, one of the largest brick-and-mortar warranty providers to car dealers, banks and credit unions.
Financially stable
Over $200 million in assets
Solid insurance backing
A Forbes magazine Top 200 Company – three times
Paid out over $500,000,000 in claims
Dun & Bradstreet verified
Actuarially sound – we saw the letters!
Licensed to sell in both California and Florida, the 2 most stringent states when it comes to regulatory issues. Both states audit them periodically and take the guess work out of your research.
The best Better Business Bureau report we have ever seen in the industry. Only 2 complains in the past 3 years (as of May 2006). To put that into perspective, they handle over 7,000 claims every month.
Over 100 verified customer testimonials at WebAssured.com
All coverages include wear-and-tear (except high mileage PowerShield)
Canadians also have a tough time getting a good deal on a car, and we get numerous email complaints from Canada about some really nasty car dealer scams. Most of these scams occur because previously in Canada, you had no where to turn to for good pricing data, so dealers can take advantage of you. You had no way to tell if you got a good deal.

Our tips here on CarBuyingTips.com apply to Canadian car buyers as well, but only a few of the sites are usable for Canadians. We review many sites for Americans to use that either sell cars directly to you or use their volume of users to bargain down prices for you. But many of these sites are only usable in the U.S.

So we made this page for our Canadian visitors that lists just the Canadian sites. Be sure to use these sites reviewed below before reading the rest of our chapters on car buying so you don't waste your time at sites that don't cater to Canadians.