If you’re looking to buy a car at a used car dealership, the first step you should do is get a second opinion for all of the crazy sales pitches they make, don’t be a sucker and believe everything they tell you. My brother was almost scammed when he bought a used pickup from a dealership. The sales guy told him he could not get a loan for the truck unless he purchased the extended warranty, meanwhile he has really good credit and a good income. My brother got a second opinion and called his bluff. He ended up getting the loan without the extended warranty and hasn’t had any problems with the truck so far.
Do a background check. Believe it or not dealerships can legally sell a vehicle that has been in a wreck or a flood without telling you. Go to carfax and get an authentic car history report.
Call up a trusted mechanic. Dealerships can say whatever they want they might tell you it has been through a 100 point inspection well that’s great and all but where is the proof that they actually did it there is none. Better to be safe than sorry, have a good mechanic give it a thorough checkout.
Research for recalls. Dealerships may give you a really good deal on a used car, but it may be because it is under a recall. Call the manufacturer or visit their website to check for any recalls with the model you are interested in.
Make sure you are not buying a lemon. Do your homework and look into consumer reports, car and driver, somewhere someone has done a full checkout of the same year make and model of the vehicle you want to buy, and will tell you what is prone to breakdowns.
Be wary of a pushy seller. Buying a car is an expensive investment and there is no need for any pressure or rush to sell you a car. Remember that car salesmen make a commission off of every car they sell, so most likely the big rush is so they can get paid. Don’t believe all your hype make sure to do your research, while there are some very honest dealerships and salespeople as that old saying goes it’s better to be safe than sorry.