Inspecting a used car

Inspecting a used car A careful evaluation will help you steer clear of hidden problems Finding a trouble-free used car has nothing to do with luck and everything to do with applying good research and investigative skills. Knowing how to spot potential problems and determining how reliable a used vehicle is can save you from expensive automotive headaches down the road. The following advice can help you to avoid a lemon and find a good value. Homework To reduce the risk of purchasing a trouble-prone vehicle, identify models with a good reliability record before you begin shopping. Consumer Reports' annual subscriber survey provides exclusive real-world reliability information that can help you narrow your selections. See our list of the best and worst used cars. Also read the reliability-history charts that accompany most of the car model pages to get a more detailed view at how specific vehicles have held up in 17 trouble areas Car Diagnostic Tool, as well as overall. If the car you're interested in is known to have certain trouble spots, you know to pay special attention to those components during inspection. Read the window sticker The Federal Trade Commission requires dealers to post a Buyer's Guide in every used vehicle offered for sale. Usually attached to a window, it must contain certain information, including whether the vehicle is being sold "as is" or with a warranty, and what percentage of repair costs (if any) the dealer is obligated to pay. The Guide information overrides any contrary provisions in your sales contract. In other words, if the Guide says that the vehicle is covered by a warranty, the dealer must honor that warranty. If any changes in coverage are negotiated, the Guide must be altered to reflect them before the sale.If the shock absorbers are in good shape, the car should rebound just once; it shouldn't keep moving up and down. Grab the top of each front tire and tug it back and forth. If you feel play in it or hear a clunking or ticking sound, the wheel bearings or suspension joints may be shot. Lights and lenses. Have a friend confirm that all lights are working. Make sure all light lenses and reflectors are intact and not cracked, fogged with moisture, or missing. Tires. You can tell a lot from the tires. A car with less than, say, 20,000 miles on the odometer should probably still have its original tires. Be wary of a low-mileage car with new tires; the vehicle's odometer may have been rolled back. Also check that all four tires are the same. Any different tires may show that they have been replaced. Tread wear should be even across the width of the tread and the same on the left and right sides of the car. Ask if the tires have been regularly rotated. If not, the wear is usually more severe on the drive wheels. Aggressive drivers tend to put heavy wear on the outside shoulder of the front tires, at the edge of the sidewall. Assume that the car has been driven hard if that area shows heavier wear OBD Tool. Tires that have been driven while overinflated tend to wear more in the middle than on the sides. Chronically underinflated tires show more wear on the sides. Cupped tires, those that are worn unevenly along the tread's circumference, may be a sign of a problem with the steering, suspension, or brakes. Tires must have at least 1/16 inch of tread to be legal. Check the tread depth with a tread-depth tool (available at auto-parts stores) or a quarter. Insert the quarter into the tread groove, with Washington's head down. If you can see the top of his head, the tire should be replaced. Examine the sidewalls for scuffing, cracks, or bulges, and look on the edge of each rim for dents or cracks. And be sure to check that the spare is in good shape and that the proper jack and lug wrench are present.If you don't know of a repair shop with which you feel comfortable, try to get a referral from some-one you trust. You can also ask for the name of a good shop at a local auto-parts store. If you can't get referrals, you can find shops on the Yellow Pages website or at the Car Care Council's website (www.carcare.org). This is an organization supported by the auto aftermarket industry, but there are no performance criteria for shops listed on the site. To check for complaints about any shops you aren't familiar with, research them at the Better Business Bureau's website. Members of the American Auto-mobile Association (AAA) can use one of its recommended facilities. If you're visiting a shop for the first time, look for certificates or window decals from AAA or the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). AAA-certified garages must meet certain quality standards. The ASE grants certificates to mechanics who pass exams in any of eight areas of expertise. The institute does not certify shops as a whole, but if 75 percent of the employees are ASE-certified, the shop can carry the seal.
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2 Sep 2015