Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Has This Car Been Totaled

By Warren Scott

When in the used car market there are many people trying to sell bad cars to good people. They might be a used car dealership, or just someone trying to get rid of their present car. I know that in a perfect world we would all buy new cars, but this just isn't feasible for most of us. So we must be careful when we are preparing to buy that next used car. You most definitely don't want to get a lemon.

We have all seen the used car ads in the paper for a car that is really cheap. We call the seller to find out that the car has been totaled and has some major problems. Thus the cheap price!

In this case it is quite easy to see that the car is not functioning properly and will cost you a bunch of money in the future. But some cars that are lemons are not that easy to spot. How do you know that you are getting a good deal?

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.

Tell tale signs that will show if that particular car has been in a serious accident is quite easy to see. Fist thing to check is all brake lights and any type of accessories that are connected to the car but are not the color of the car. What are you looking for? Paint! That's right, many times if the car has been in a fender bender when they repaint that part there will be a little bit of over spray on the light covers or mirrors.

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.

In all your investigating don't forget to do the obvious and ask the owner about the car. Many times people selling the car are very honest and will tell you every detail. Remember that you are in control and they have to answer all of your questions. Many times you can tell if they are hiding something by asking some simple questions. If they are hesitant and a little shaky, then walk away. There is a better car just down the road with a seller that will tell you everything that you want to know.

I was in the market for an SUV last year. I had looked at a few and had started to get tired of the process. As I began looking at another one I noticed that this particular vehicle had a lot of scratches, and it didn't seem to have been taken good care of. I walked around the car and noticed paint on the taillight. I didn't tell the seller that I saw it, but I asked if there had been any fender benders that they had to repair. He replied that nothing out of the ordinary accident that we all experience. I didn't pressure him any further. I didn't like the car anyway. But if I did, he would have had to have given me a more detailed answer to his occasional accidents.

Buying a used car can be a fun experience. Even though it is not new, it is still a new car to you! But you do need to take some precautions and make sure that you get a good deal on your car. There is nothing worse then owning a car for a few months and then finding out there are serious problems. Do you homework and have fun!

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