If you are like me then you don’t enjoy the process of buying a used car. I enjoy driving it, but the whole process of bargaining and looking at several cars isn’t enjoyable to me. I hate trying to guess whether what the seller is telling me about the car is true or not. Unfortunately we have to drive cars and we all have to buy used cars throughout our lives.
We have probably all seen those cars on the road where the back tires are not in line with the front tires. You know, it looks like the car should be veering to the left but is going perfectly straight. This happens when the frame is bent due to a serious accident that the car has been in.
In this case it is easy to see that this car is probably a lemon and has some serious frame damage. On the other hand there are several cars that are not so obvious; yet if you buy them you are getting a bad deal for sure. That is unless the seller is practically giving away the car.
The first place to look to check if the car has been totaled is the title. If a car has been totaled by an insurance agent then state law normally requires for them to stamp the title. If there is no evidence in the title, then you will have to do some more investigating! This can be quite easy and anyone can do it.
The one thing that I see all of the time is over spray on the taillights. This is a sure sign that the car has been repaired and repainted. I don’t know why the seller doesn’t scrape it off, or buy a new one. I have looked at several cars that the seller swears has never had any damage done to them, yet there is paint on the taillight cover. Do you think that it came out of the factory like that? No way! If the buyer isn’t open about a small fender bender to explain the paint then they are hiding a much more serious problem and I wouldn’t buy that car.
Another place to look is the lines where two parts of the car come together. For example, you would want to check the crack between the front fender and the hood. If one end of that line is close together and the other end is far apart then you know something is not lining up right. Something has probably been changed and isn’t fitting like the original.
Don’t forget the obvious by asking the owner. Be smart when you do this and ask more detailed questions if their answer doesn’t satisfy you. For instance if the car has had a harmless fender bender the owner will probably tell you, there is no reason to hide that bit of information. If they try to hide the fact that the car has been in an accident that normally means that the car has been in a serious accident and they don’t want you to know about it.
I recently was looking at a used car. I immediately noticed the spray paint on the brake light cover. After that I could much more easily see that this particular fender was a noticeably different color. I asked the seller if the car had been in any accidents. He said, “oh you know nothing major just the normal scrape here and there.” Hmmm, I don’t know if I believe that response. That is a easy way of not lying, but not telling the whole truth. Needless to say, I didn’t buy that car!
I hope that you will take these tips with you when you buy your next used car. Buying cars is something that we all have to do, and is most definitely a part of our life. So, be smart and enjoy the process. Do you homework so that you can drive a car that you know is in good condition and that you can be proud of.
Related posts:
- Buyer Beware! A Few Concerns to Be Aware Of Before You Buy a Used by Juble Look carefully at...
- Why Is This Used Car So Cheap by Warren Scott We have all...
- Car Rental Insurance - What You Need to Know by Guy Morris Renting a car...
- Definite Details To Consider During A Test Drive Of A Used Car. by Juble You have diligently...
- Auto Insurance, Important Things to Know Before You Buy by Juble Buying automotive...
0 Responses to “Does This Used Car Have Frame Damage?”