Odometer Fraud

• In most business dealings we will find honest people but, sometimes, we can find a car that is not all that the owner says it is. One of the most common frauds that people can run into is the so-called "odometer fraud". Of course, there are a lot of ways a person can check to see if this kind of fraud actually took place.
• A person should check for various screws in and around dashboard for any signs of tampering.
• Check the brake pedal to see if it is worn out. Usually, a car with a lot of mileage has a well worn brake pedal. If the brake pedal shows signs of wear but the mileage sign is low, that is a good sign that serious tempering could have been done.
• Check the odometer to see if the numbers are lined up in order. In majority of cases where the odometer has been rolled back those numbers don't line up neatly.
• If you look at the service record and the title, the mileage shown should coincide with these numbers. For example, if it says on a service record that it is two years old and the mileage was at 50,000 and now the mileage is at 53,000 it could mean (but not necessarily) that the tampering has been done with the odometer. In this case, search for more signs of tampering because it is very unlikely that the owner only drove the car for 3,000 miles. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule. In this example, the car should look like it only has 53,000 miles on it.
• If the wear on the tires is great and the owner claims that the car has a low mileage that could be another sign of possible odometer tampering.
• Excessive wear on the driver's side seat and rug underneath it usually indicates heavy use of the car.
• Anyhow, Carfax Vehicle History Report remains the most reliable source to verify either yours or your prospect vehicle you are thinking to buy.

Check that the car is a US model

Some cars are imported from Europe or Canada. These cars are worth much less than the cars manufactured for the US market, even if they look almost the same. This difference could sometimes be in thousands of dollars.
There are several ways to check for US models.

• The label inside the driver door on the door jamb, should have a statement that says the car complies with Federal regulations.
  
• The odometer should read in miles, not kilometers.
• Catalytic converter is required by law and it should be connected to the muffler. The location of catalytic converter is about the middle of the car, while the muffler is at the rear of the car.
• The shape and built of headlights are sometimes different.
• The bumpers must meet specific measurements by law. For example, bumpers on foreign cars are smaller and closer to the body than the US standard.
  If you are interested in buying a car that is not a US model you should still find out car's value. In that case, a local dealer could help you in finding car's book value.
  

First Come, First Served

If you are searching for a car in the papers, try to buy them as soon as they come out because the good deals are often the ones which go very fast.

Money Talks

If you are looking to make a purchase have your funds ready. During negotiations, having funds ready could strengthen your position.

The Best Time to Buy

If you buy vehicles in so-called "off season" that could save you thousands of dollars. For example try to buy a sports car in the middle of the winter or a 4x4 truck in the summer. These vehicles are very hard to sell in "off" season. This fact makes it easier to negotiate with car dealers about a vehicle's price and they are often willing to drop it considerably. Also, keep in mind that a best time to buy is towards the end of the month because the salespeople are under more pressure to meet monthly quotas and are usually more willing to be flexible.

Driving And Maintenance Tips

If possible, avoid driving directly behind trucks. Their tires often throw stones, rocks and other debris from the road that can hit the windshield of your car. This can cause cracks or even break your windshield. The same rocks can also chip the paint off your car if they hit it If you encounter any electrical problems while operating the power windows, radio, power locks etc., always check to see if there are any burned fuses before taking it to the repair shop, which could be much more costly solution. Try to change oil every 3,000 miles once you own a car to make engine last longer. It would be wise to change the oil as soon as you buy a car because you don't know when was it changed last. Once on the road, be smart not right and drive safely.