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We have all been in the used car market trying to buy the best car for the least amount of money. We are constantly looking for a car that is under priced but is in immaculate condition. Once and a while we find that person trying to get rid of their car for an incredible price; is it to good to be true?

One of the first things that can pull a cars value down is whether or not it has been totaled or salvaged due to a severe accident. How can you tell if the used car that you want to buy has serious frame damage? Let’s look more closely at this aspect of buying a used car, and hopefully you can learn a few things to help you avoid the lemons.

The most obvious place to investigate is the title. If the car has been totaled or salvaged the title of the car will have that stamped on it. Therefore always ask the owner to see the title of the car while you are test driving it. If they are hesitant or if the title is at their brothers’ house this is sure warning sign so beware!

You also need to be ware if the owner tells you that he lost the title of the vehicle so he has gotten a new one. This can be done to eliminate the salvaged title, or hide a high amount of miles on the car. When the title is unclear or looks clean but you are still unsure then resort to the next step of inspection.

When I was younger I can remember buying a truck that was a lemon! I didn’t take the proper precautions and I lost some money in the deal. I was suspicious of the truck from the beginning. The miles were extremely low for the amount that the seller was asking for. I wanted the truck though, so I just listened to the words of the seller, “it is a little dirty, that is why it looks so used”. I know, I know, I should have walked away right then. Used, really used, normally equals lots of miles. But as I said, I was fooled in the desire to have a new truck.

I enjoyed it and it worked just fine for what I needed it to do. Two years time had passed and I was ready to sell it and get a sportier car. I listed the truck in the paper and hoped to get more then what I owed the bank. The first possible buyer really liked the truck and agreed to buy it. He took the VIN and told me he would bring a check within 2 days time. I was so excited!

Oh how quickly the story changed. Two hours later he called me back and informed me that he could no longer buy the truck. I was perplexed! He went on to tell me that he checked online and the vehicle with that VIN actually had over 100,000 miles. That’s right a mechanic registered it online when it was just about to turn 100,000 miles and now I was stuck with a car not even worth what I owed on it. The buyer was still interested to buy the truck but for half of the asking price!

What did I do? I took the hit. I lowered the price and told people that I wasn’t for sure if the miles were accurate or not. It took much longer to sell and I didn’t get nearly the money that I had expected. I also was a little mad at myself for not checking the VIN online myself before buying the truck. Oh well, live and learn right!

If you are unsure about the car you are considering buying then checking it out online. This is the whole purpose of the VIN and it can be very helpful to you. Even if it costs you some money to get a report, it can save you a lot in the future.

Let me leave you with this in mind, if a deal seems just to good to be true; it normally is! Unless the seller is someone you can trust and you are sure that the car is legit I would tread cautiously. Happy hunting! I hope that you find your dream car and enjoy it for many years to come.

Tags: Auto Tips

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