Buying A Used Car - Buying Advice To Avoid Lemon (part 1)

By Author: victoryllr
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How to choose a used car with good reliability history at good price

Adam Krohn, of Krohn & Moss Ltd., a California Lemon Law attorney feels that you can easily identify a good used car and eliminate potential lemon issues for a peaceful night's sleep.

If you are planning to buy a certified pre-owned/used car from a dealer, a private sale or neighbor, it will do you a world of good to thoroughly read Consumer Reports for a safe used car buying experience.
Trouble-free used cars do NOT come just by a stroke of luck. It involves good research and a keen eye to spot potential problems. Choice of a right and reliable used car can save you angst about possible Lemon law issues sooner or later.

You can easily identify a good used car and eliminate potential lemons if you do not turn a Nelson's eye for the following:

The reliability record

Reliability-history reduces the risk of purchasing a Lemon used car

Select models with a good reliability record before you make a choice of the used car
The annual ...
... subscriber survey for Consumer Reports (CR's) provides exclusive real-world reliability information
This reliability information can help you narrow your selections
Look into the best and the worst used cars for a quick reference
Read the reliability-history charts that accompany most of CR's vehicle profiles
The reliability-history charts give you a more detailed information on the key trouble areas in various used car models

Buyer's Guide as the Window Sticker

The Federal Trade Commission requires dealers to post a Buyer's Guide in every used vehicle offered for sale as a window sticker.

The Buyer's Guide must contain information if is being sold ‘as is' or with a warranty, and the percentage of repair costs the dealer is obligated to pay
The Buyer's Guide information overrides any contrary provisions in your sales contract
If the Buyer's Guide says that the vehicle is covered by a warranty, the dealer must honor that warranty
If any changes in coverage are negotiated, the Guide must be included in it before the sale
If a sale is designated ‘as is', it means that the dealer makes no guarantees as to the condition of the vehicle
Any problems that arise after you have made the purchase of a used car designated ‘as is', will be your responsibility
Many states do not allow ‘as-is' sales on vehicles selling for more than a certain price

The Exterior
You can identify a good used car with a good exterior:

Walk around the car looking for dents, chipped paint, mismatched body panels or parts, broken lamp housings, and chipped windows
Gaps between body panels should be of a consistent width and line up
Paint over spray on chrome or rubber trim or in the vehicle's wheel wells are signs of body-panel repair

Test for the presence of body filler can be accomplished with a small magnet.

If the magnet doesn't stick to the panel, the car may have filler under the paint
Some vehicles with plastic or fiberglass panels do not attract a magnet at all
A door, hood, or trunk that doesn't close or seal properly is evidence of previous damage and sloppy repair work
Inconsistent welds around the hood, doors, or trunk is also evidence of previous damage and sloppy repair work
A Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA) sticker on a body panel means the part has been replaced