Shopping for a used car can be a headache if you don’t know what to look for. To find the right used car, you should keep your eyes peeled for a few key points. You wouldn’t be saving much by purchasing a used car and having to spend more on repairs than you would if you had bought a new car. Continue reading to learn more about used car shopping.
Don’t even consider buying a used car if you can’t find out how far it has been driven. Vehicles deteriorate over time and according to how many km they have traveled, so make sure to find out. A high-mileage car isn’t a bad car, but you should pay less for a higher mileage car than a low-mileage one. Avoid a car that seems to run badly or has a lot of problems despite its mileage. A well-maintained transmission could go for nearly 500,000 km, so if you are interested in a super high-mileage car, find out how recently the transmission has been serviced, if at all.
Rust is a slow destroyer of cars. No car is exempt from the danger of rust, so look for rust. If you can’t find any, that’s a good sign, but a few rust spots shouldn’t break the deal. Avoid cars with rust holes that have removed entire parts of the body of the car or are hollowing out the wheel wells. Virtually any 10+-year-old car will have rust, just make sure it is only on the surface. Bubbling paint usually means rust is underneath.
Keep your eyes, ears, and even nose open for signs a used car might be more trouble than it’s worth. Take it for a test drive and see if you can spot any needed repairs visually. You may also feel odd vibrations, hear concerning sounds or smell distressing smells. These are usually signs the vehicle needs some maintenance.
Come to Frontier Mitsubishi and test drive any of our cars. You can avoid a lot of these troubles by shopping with us first. We sell any kind of car, truck, or SUV that gets traded in or sold to us, so check our online inventory right now to see if we have the car you’re looking for!