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Buying any car is a delicate dance, and buying a used car is usually made more difficult by an added layer of uncertainty. There are, however, some things a customer can do to make sure he is really getting what he’s paying for when buying used cars in Shakopee. It represents a major investment, so it’s important to get it right. Company Reputation Some people are lucky enough to have a trusted friend or relative selling a car and can just buy from them, but most people go through a used car dealer. For that, often the most useful tool is word of mouth. Potential customers can ask people they know about car dealers they’ve used in the past and find out which have turned out to be honest during their sales. Whether a customer can find acquaintances to share their experiences, he can research the company online to find reviews about a company’s reliability. If information is scarce on a company, it may be best to steer clear. Vehicle Origin After checking up on the company, it’s time to find out as much as possible about the actual car. Although it is possible to be lied to, it is best to at least ask about the previous owner and that owner’s reason for selling the vehicle. (The seller should also have the title on hand. If the title is listed in someone else’s name, the car is usually not worth the potential legal hassle.) The customer can also ask the dealer if the car has its original paint, since a paint job is potentially an indication of repair work. No one should just take the seller’s word for the history of the car, though. For more concrete evidence about the vehicle’s past, the customer can ask for the maintenance history. It is not a full and complete record, but it is often a helpful tool nevertheless. Similarly, a used car report from online sites can give a lot of information on the car’s history. The main thing to watch out for when getting a Carfax report is that it is possible to get the wrong Vehicle Identification Number. If a car has had parts replaced, those new parts may have different VIN numbers on them, and looking up reports on a car with the wrong number will necessarily return an erroneous result. Vehicle Fitness Mechanically-minded individuals do have a slight advantage during a car’s initial assessment. They can have the car raised on a lift and checked for leaking fluids and rust, among other problems. Everyone should at least glance over a potential purchase for themselves, though. If nothing else, potential buyers can see how willing the dealer is to allow the car to be examined. One easy thing to do is pop the hood and check the oil, which is often a good indicator of how the car has been treated. The first thing to do is check to see if it smells like gasoline, which may mean that there is fuel in the oil. Then it’s important to see if there is white or tan foam in it, which means there could be water in it. Either one of those things is a bad sign. There are two other things a potential buyer should do before buying used cars in Shakopee. First, he should take the car for a test drive to see how it feels. Second, he should take the car to his own mechanic for a thorough professional inspection. If a seller is unwilling to allow either of those things, it’s time to walk away.
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