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PURCHASING YOUR VEHICLE

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Here are some tips and advice if you are making a purchase of a new vehicle, or a second hand car. Read on to learn more about the risks, problems, and advantages that diferent cars offer different people.

New or Second Hand?

By purchasing a used car you can save a lot of money. A new car depreciates quickly in the first few years and after 3 years it is worth only about two thirds of the original price. In fact, as soon as you leave the dealership, your vehicle is suddenly worth €1000-€2000 less. Regardless of the risks of buying second hand, getting a new car does not always mean the buyer will get perfection. A new car may come with problems associated with manufacturing defects that may have been already repaired during the warranty coverage period if it's a used car.

Buying a used car is still a risk - there is no guarantee that the car has never been in an accident, has real mileage, and was properly maintained, among other problems.

Buying A Used Car

First, be prepared. Do as much research as you can. Read reviews, consumer reports, ask colleagues and friends, compare options, gather fuel consumption data on the make and model you're interested in. Try to determine maintenance costs and upkeep. Your goal should be to narrow your search to one or two models.

Second, without a doubt, you should check a car's history records. This will help you to eliminate half of the vehicles from your list with potential problems.

Third, Don't buy based on what you've been told because it may not always be the truth. Check out the car yourself very carefully. Take a knowledgeable person who knows about cars with you or bring the car to the mechanic you trust for an inspection. A word of caution, NEVER give a deposit before the car is inspected.

Fourth, Be extremely careful when doing the paperwork. For example, if you buy from a private owner, make sure there are no registered liens against the vehicle and that the person who signs the Bill of Sale is the actual owner of the car. Check with the Vehicle Registration Authorities to make sure the car has not been stolen. If buying from a dealer, read the warranty policy and all the papers including the fine print very carefully. If it's a "Certified" used car, you'd be wise to check exactly what items were checked off and approved because sometimes the car might have a history of an accident in the past, come with a poorly maintained engine and still be Certifiable. It is a good idea to have everything put in writing.

If you choosing between relatively cheap car that might have an accident in the past or was poorly maintained, needs some repair, etc. and more expensive one that is in excellent condition, I'd without a doubt choose the more expensive one. You will simply save on repairs and will have less troubles driving it. Don't think they sell it cheap because they don't know the price or they simply want to clear their inventory.

Do's and Don'ts of Buying A Used Car

Do Check a used car history report: How to check history records This does not give you a 100% warranty that the car is OK, but may save you some money if it will show you some bad records, for example, if the car was written off after an accident or has had an odometer rolled back.

Do ask someone knowledgeable to inspect the car for you; it may save you a lot of money.

Don't buy a car after a serious accident - especially following a frontal collision. You wouldn't believe how many possible problems may arise later as a result of an accident.

Don't buy a car as soon as you see it. Take your time, test drive the car as long as you can. For example, some problems may only be caught when the engine is cold while other problems may only be discovered when cruising at highway speeds, etc.

Don't buy based on what you have been told. "One Owner, Old lady driven" better: "One owner, one grandmother drove it". In fact, this may have been a car that was an ex-rental that was heavily abused.

Don't buy a car if you have reservations or hesitate for one reason or another…if you don't have a good 'gut' feeling about it. If the engine seems too noisy or works as if it is in rough shape and sounds heavy, the transmission shifts harshly, some works needs to be done, something seems to be wrong with the papers, etc. - move on.

Don't buy a car if it needs some "minor" repairs. Often this results in spending big bucks for repairs that never seem to end.

Don't be rude to a salesperson at the dealership. Regardless of the many stereotypes we share, many salespersons are genuinely nice people. Be persistent but not rude; treat them well and they will be willing to help you...

For the documentation needed for a change of ownership information, click here.