Top 10 Questions to Ask Before Buying a Used Car

Want to ferret out the weasels before wasting time to go view that vehicle for sale?

The following questions will not only allow you to weed out the cars that you know you don’t want, even before leaving the comfort of your own home, but also give you a chance to gauge the seller. Certain types of people take better care of their cars, for instance. And let’s not forget that some sellers just want to offload their car – no matter what.

Studies show that people give away verbal clues when lying. Listen for “ums” and “ahs”, stuttering, throat clearly, a lot of expanded contractions (`did not’ rather than `didn’t’) and an inordinate amount of adjectives.

Grab some paper, a pen, get on the phone, conduct this interview like you were George Stroumboulopoulos and pay particular attention what the car seller is not telling you:

1. Why are you selling the car? You’d be surprised as to how many people will flounder when asked this very simple question. It’s because they don’t want to say it’s a piece of rubble even if they truly believe it is. If they have an alternate reason or if they have enough wits about them to make up something believable, then you can almost be certain they had enough sense to maintain the vehicle.
2. I’d like to do a history check, what is the vehicle’s VIN#? By asking this question next, it lets the seller know, first, that you’re on the ball and second, that you’ll be verifying their answers.
3. How many kilometers/miles are there on the odometer? The more mileage on the vehicle, the more used it is and the less it’s worth. Check the current value of the vehicle in the Canadian Black Book or the Canadian Red Book. For utility vehicles and motorcycles, research values in the Canadian Blue Book.
4. What’s the condition of the vehicle? This open-ended question allows the seller to use their discretion. What does their answer tell you about them? Write it down and analyze it later. If they haven’t provided you a thorough enough answer, then be more specific and ask about its structural and mechanical condition.
5. As far as you know, does it need any repairs? This very pointed question confronts the seller who may have kept this important piece of information to him/herself with the last question. If you go so far as to test drive the vehicle and notice some obvious repairs are needed, then you may want to question the honesty of this owner.
6. Does it have any special features? A moon roof, leather seats, air conditioner, MP3 player, etc. will increase the perceived value of the vehicle for most people.
7. Are you the original owner? If they are, then you’ve hit a sweet deal. They will know everything about that car, what it’s been through and how well it’s been maintained.
8. Was the vehicle ever in an accident? Collisions devalue vehicles as they are more likely to have problems now or in the future. The history check should reveal the answer, even if this owner doesn’t know or isn’t telling.
9. Any recent work done on it? Do you have service records/receipts? Obviously a brand new motor will increase the value of the vehicle. If the owner has kept track of vehicle servicing and the receipts, then they most likely have kept good care of their car.
10. How much are you asking for it? The wording here indicates that you believe the price is negotiable. The quoted price here is what they want for it, not necessarily what they’re willing to get for it.

Take your gut feeling and the answers to these questions to evaluate whether or not you want to deal with this seller. If you do, then before going to see the car and test drive it, arrive to the meeting with some figures in mind. According to your budget, determine the most you’d pay for the best case scenario about this car.

Good luck in buying a car; and keep your eyes and ears open to those behavioural cues!

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