market for a used ear, truck, van or SUV, the key to finding a good vehicle involves lookingintoits past. That’s the advice from experts who say there are a few steps people can take to be more confident that the used vehicle they buy is worth the money they pay. Try these tips: Know The Signs Check the car over for signs of damage or wear and tear. Look for excessive rust or mismatched parts. Also, check to see if there is water damageto the interior of the car. If there is, the vehicle may have beenin a flood. Get A Second Opinion Before purchasing a used car, take it to a trusted mechanic to have it checkedover. A quick inspection can tell you the kind of shape the vehicle is in and ifit’s been well maintained over the years. Check The Records Ask to see maintenance records showing oil changes, brake work, tire rotation and other maintenance. If the seller does not have the records or is unwilling to share them, you may wantto consider walking away. Get A Report You can get unlimited Carfax Vehicle History Reports for 30 days by entering the vehicle identification number (VIN)of any used car at www.carfax.com. The reports pull information from nearly 5 billion records reported by more than 20,000 sources including DMVs, auto auctions, manufacturers, dealers and repair shops. Among other things, the reports indicate: If a car has been in an accident—more than 5 million cars are considered total losses from wrecks A vehicle history report can keep used-car buyers from being takenfor a ride. each year If the car has been in a flood The number of previous owners If the odometer has been rolled back and if the mileage reported on the caris truthful If the car has ever been turned in underthe lemon law If there are open recalls on the car. The reports also tell you when a dealer took ownership of the car, making it easier to haggle over price (the longer a dealer has held a car, the less leverage he has). Additionally, they include a free Safety & Reliability Report, which provides useful information on the car you are considering—including facts about crash tests, safety recalls andreliability ratings. There’s also a service called Carfax Xpert, which elaborates on a variety of information included in the vehicle history report. The service can be a good way to avoid a number of curbside car sale scams. For more information, visit www.carfax.com.
