Making phone calls

It may be a good idea to take the time to make phone calls and enquire to confirm all vehicle information that is important to you: mileage, color, transmission, Air conditioning, ABS or for any other options that may be in your interest. You may find a car to suit your purpose but it may not have all the essentials you really need. For example, you may find a car without air conditioning (A/C) but it will meet your needs in all other aspects. Similarly, you may find a car that is a two-door but you have a family of four and it would be much more suitable if your purchase was a four-door.



Who is the Owner? How long has she/he owned this car, and how many owners were there before of this same car?
Answers like: 'This is a friend of mine's car', or 'I bought it a couple of months ago' may indicate something suspicious. You need to deal with the actual vehicle owners and he/she has to sign the bill of sale. If one sells the car after just a few months, this may indicate that this car has a problem or the seller is in the 'curbsider' business.
Did the car have any accidents, major repairs done? Where has it been serviced and are there any records available for you to review?
Don't expect the seller to provide you with complete information. He/she may be unaware about previous accidents or other problems. Refer to the vehicle history report and the result of mechanical inspection. I wouldn't recommend buying a car after an accident or after a major repair, e.g., a re-built engine or transmission.
Is the car drivable now? Does it have any problems or concerns that need to be solved? The car may not have valid license plates or insurance or have some mechanical problem at the time you are conducting your search. Therefore you won't be able to test-drive it.
Here is the short list of questions to ask:
- When did you buy the car? How many previous owners? Current mileage?
- Any previous accidents? Major repairs? Any repair needed now?
- What's the mechanical condition? Any concerns?
- General condition of the car? Interior? Exterior?
- Any rust? Scratches? Any other damages?
- Where the car has been serviced? Are the service records available?
- What is the reason for selling the car?
- Any liens?