Car Buying Tips

Buying a car can be super expensive, but you can cut the cost drastically by purchasing a used car. Once you find a used car you like, the best thing to do is have your mechanic look it over.

If you don't have a mechanic or you would like to inspect it yourself, here are a few tips:

Remove the oil cap and look inside. It should look clean. If you see caked oil that looks much like chocolate, it means the car has not been serviced regularly and you will most likely have problems with this car.
Check to see if the car has been in an accident. Look under the hood and in the crevice of the doors to see if the paint matches or if stickers have been replaced. If you see mismatched paint or if those stickers have been replaced, it's likely that the car has been wrecked. Another great source for this Carfax.com. Purchasing a car that has been in an accident could require costly repairs down the line to the frame or the suspension of the car.
Test drive the car for at least 30 minutes. Make sure the car doesn't over heat and that the check engine light and other dash board lights stay off.
Check all the fluids in the car to make sure they look clean: engine oil, transmission and radiator fluid.