How to Avoid a Lemon When Buying a Car

This article will give you tips and advice on how check out a vehicle and avoid buying a lemon when buying a car.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. 
   test drive the vehicle

   TEST DRIVE - The first thing to do would be to take the car for a test drive. When doing this, i would recommend both driving in town and on the highway. You should pay attention to how the vehicle handles while driving such as starting and stopping to make sure the brakes are good and also, getting the vehicle up to the speed limit on the highway to make sure there is no shimmy, shaking, or vibration while driving is a good idea because if there is, the vehicle could be out of line or may have been wrecked.

2. 
   check the fluids such as oil, anti-freeze, and transmission

   CHECK THE FLUIDS - Always open the hood and perform a check of the fluids such as oil, anti freeze, transmission, and power steering fluids. Make sure they are at the proper levels and it is also a great idea to get down and look under the vehicle for any puddles or signs of leaking fluids.

3. 
   check the car body carefully for any damage

   CHECK THE BODY - Closely do a visual check of the body, both the exterior and under the vehicle, as well as in the doors, inside the trunk, and under the hood for any sign of damage such as rust, dents, mismatched paint, etc. If any of these are present, it could be a sign that the vehicle has not been well maintained or may have been wrecked at some point.

4. 
   obtain a vehicle report

   CAR FAX/VEHICLE REPORT - It is a great idea to obtain a car fax or vehicle identification number report. A lot of car dealers offer these of you can obtain a report yourself by getting the vehicle number and going to carfax.com where you can then enter the information. Doing this will provide information on repairs and wrecks that the vehicle may have been involved in.

5. 
   research the value of the vehicle

   VEHICLE VALUE/COST - Research and familiarize yourself with the value of the vehicle. If you are going to finance a vehicle, banks and finance companies usually will not loan more than what the vehicle's value is and if you're not financing and planning to just buy, you also don't want to pay more than what the vehicle's value actually is. Also, if you're planning to trade a vehicle, this can also be helpful in knowing the value of your vehicle.
   
   The best and most widely used and recognized sources for finding the value of a vehicle is Kelley blue book and nada. These are the resources most banks, finance companies, and car lots use when determining a loan or buying, selling, or trading a car or truck. This is a fast and simple process that can be done online right from your home by going to kbb.com which is Kelley blue book or nada.com which will give you the nada value. Once you get to the site, all you have to do is type and click the information about the vehicle such as the year, make, model, and condition, and you will be provided with the current value. This is free and easy to do and will help you make an informed decision when buying, selling, or trading a vehicle.

6. 
   check your state lemon laws if you have a problem

   LEMON LAWS - If after following all of the steps above, you purchase a vehicle and it turns out to be a lemon for what ever reason, you should check to see what your state's lemon laws are. Lemon laws are in place to protect the consumer from fraudulent dealings. You can do this by performing an online search by simply entering the name of your state and the words lemon law. This will tell you what the laws are in your state and may provide you with some options of recourse.

[jenicoe2001]

on 9/9/2009 great article! I am looking for a car now! 5*R