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Used Car Shopping By Telephone Part 3
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Written by Charles N. Oliphant   
Tuesday, 17 February 2009
On the other hand, says Howe, "When you get sudden changes in weather--say, from a cool morning to a hot, wet afternoon, the car sweats inside your garage and that's not good for it either." Fortunately, most of the newer cars (no more than ten years old) have finishes that do quite well in the outdoors.

13) Has the car ever been vandalized or stolen? A stolen car could have been taken on a "joy ride" and badly abused. Fast acceleration, hard braking, and reckless off-road driving can weaken the transmission, clutch, and drive train.

Sometimes, when a door or trunk lock has been broken by a vandal, the car owner chooses to let it go rather than pay for a new one. Find out now if you'll need a new lock with a separate key.

14) What's the condition of the car's interior? A car can be beautiful on the outside and ugly on the inside. Ask about rips, scratches, or stains in the seats or carpet. Do all the mechanical things work, such as seat adjustments and head rests? What about the radio, dome light, hazard light switch, and glove compartment door?

15) If the engine is rebuilt, was it done partially or fully? How many miles are on the rebuilt engine? Sometimes, a car advertised with a rebuilt engine actually has a partially rebuilt engine. In other words, it may have had only rings and bearings replaced, whereas a fully rebuilt engine would include a complete valve job and all new mechanical moving parts.
"I tend to shy away from a car that somebody tells me has a rebuilt engine," says Howe. "Rebuilt means many things to many different people. Sometimes, an ad will say `new engine.' Quite often, that means somebody bought a used engine off a junkyard and put it in--to them, that's a new engine."

If the car has high miles, don't let a rebuilt engine sway you too much. High miles mean all the different parts of the car have been around the block. Consider the effects of age and miles on the whole vehicle.

16) For what purposes did you use the car? Was the car driven every day for a short commute to work, or only on weekend trips? Did it criss-cross the United States a few times or never get past the corner mall?

If the oil is changed regularly, long trips are generally good for a car. Short hops around town, on the other hand, don't give the engine a chance to heat up properly and clear itself out--fuel lines may become clogged with residue.

Some drivers use their vehicles for heavy towing. "If you're making it work extra hard," says Tech Auto's Al Berton, "then you're putting an extra load on the engine and wearing it down that much more."

17) How much do you want for the car? Use an impartial source to help gauge a fair cost for the car. Many used car ratings and price guides are available, including Edmund's Used Car Ratings (Edmund Publishing Corp.), 1994 Used Car Prices (Pace Publishing), and VMR Standard Auto Guide Used Car Prices (Bartlett Publishing). Consumer versions of the Blue Book (the auto industry's standard guide) are also available. They list prices for used cars and trucks up to about 15 years old.

Price guides are a good place to start, but ultimately the cost of the car should reflect the condition you find it in. 18) Who are you? You don't have to ask this question out loud, but try to answer it in your head. Do I trust the person I'm talking to? Does he seem like the kind of person who would take care of his car, or do they seem irresponsible and ignorant about car maintenance? It's true that you should shop as much for a seller as for a car.

These question will take a while to go through, but, says Howe, "If you can get someone to hang on the phone that long with these questions, they're probably pretty interested in selling you the car." If most of the questions receive favorable responses, it's likely you're onto a hot deal. Now go check it out in person--and have your mechanic do so, too--before the next buyer beats you to it.
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 17 February 2009 )