Wednesday 10 October 2012

Cheap used cars for sale - do your homework and avoid problems

There are many places to find cheap used cars for sale. One important thing to keep in mind is that the cheapest car used tend to be older and may have some potential mechanical problems or reliability. However, if you follow some tips, you can avoid many unexpected problems.

1. Use the Internet. The web has many resources that can help you avoid potential problems with the machine you are considering. Web sites such as Kelly Blue Book lists average prices for many vehicles in order to find out if you are getting a fair deal.

It also has lots of information about the history and repair costs for many different vehicles. In this way you can find out how reliable the vehicle was you are considering and what are the most common problems to expect. It will not necessarily tell you whether the car you are considering will have a specific problem, but help you to narrow down which brands and models you can expect to do well.


There are services like CarFax that allows you to order a report on a specific vehicle you are considering. This will show you the history of repair and if the car has been in an accident. You can find this information for all cars, but you should at least check it out.

2. Forum. The forums are a great way to get a lot of information on different cars you may be considering. There are forums that deal with a wide range of topics for car or automotive use. And many forums that specialize in certain brands or topics.

For example, if you want to learn more about Mustang, there are a number of forums discussing many aspects of the Ford Mustang including repair costs, reliability, and recommendations. The forums tend to have much more information impartially so you can get a lot of useful information on which to rely.

3. Used Car Auction Sites. Sites like eBay motors have become very popular with people looking to buy a cheap car used. Some of the rods have no minimum bid in order to have the opportunity to purchase a car at a very attractive price.

Just keep in mind that many of the lower sales prices may be based on "as is" condition. If possible, try to negotiate a clause with the seller, which allows you to inspect the vehicle first.

4. Car Auctions. There are also auctions that you can attend that sell used cars at bargain prices. However, the car here can vary widely in condition and age. If you have a good experience in the evaluation of a used car and can do many of the repairs yourself, you can often save a lot of money this way. However it is not recommended for those with little experience and skills with problem diagnosis and repair.