10 Steps to Buying a Used Car

(3 Comments)

Checklist

Published: 11/08/2002 Updated: 04/30/2009 - by Philip Reed, Senior Consumer Advice Editor, Edmunds.com

Choose the right vehicle for you by making sure the car suits your needs.
Consider all cars in the class you have chosen and make a target list of three cars.
Look up the car on Edmunds.com and check its reliability and consumer reviews.
Check the Edmunds.com TMV price on the car you want to buy (adjusted for mileage, options, color and region).
Look up the Edmunds.com True Cost to Own for the car you want to buy.
If you are financing the car, use the payment calculators to determine the monthly payment for the car you want to buy.
Decide how you are going to finance your car. If you are going through a bank, online lender or credit union, obtain loan approval before you start shopping.
Search Edmunds Used Vehicle Listings and other online classifieds for the used car you've decided to buy.
Call the seller and verify the pertinent information. Get the VIN and run a vehicle history report.
Test-drive the car under your normal driving conditions.
Take the car to a mechanic if it is not certified by the manufacturer.
Negotiate your best deal.
Read the contract carefully before signing and always make sure you get a clean title.
Contact the Internet department and simultaneously solicit quotes from multiple dealers.
If you are trading in your old car, check its Edmunds.com TMV and print out this information.
If you are buying through a dealer over the Internet, ask the salesperson to fax you a worksheet showing all the prices, taxes and fees.
Bring your worksheet with you to the dealership so you can compare these numbers to the figures on the contract.
Inspect the car for dents, dings and scratches before taking final delivery.