Are you one of those who are planning to purchase a new car or a used car? If yes, then definitely the main source of acquiring a new or used car is car dealers. The best part of buying a car from car dealers is you have a vast variety of options, numerous financial deals and at times even maintenance service free of cost. However, the important point to note is that you must prefer buying a new or used car from registered car dealers instead of attaining them from private dealers. Besides this, the toughest decision comes when you require choosing the reliable car dealer. Not every dealer can be ideal, hence here are some of the few important factors which can help you in figuring out whether the chosen car dealer is suitable or not:

Reputation of a car dealer: The reputation or status of a car dealer is a very primary factor, which should be taken into concern before making a deal. To locate reputable car dealers, all you require is to simply look up the local Better Business Bureau for trustworthiness reports of car dealers. This report can help you in finding out some of the best and reliable car dealer located near to your locality. Moreover, you may even ask relatives and friends for past car dealers they deal with that deliver satisfaction.

Price charged by the dealer: If you assume that the price you pay is for the whole vehicle, then wake up. This is not the case when you purchase from private dealer. Most of the time, dealers include “add-ons charges” that may include car accessories, CD changers, undercarriage coatings, car interior accessories and many more. In fact, at times some car dealers influence customers into purchasing them. But, you must take care and decide by yourself whether these additional accessories would be a real advantage for you or not. Thus, it is always advisable to check the price of the car you wish to buy so that you get away from extra add-ons charges. However, you may even negotiate these extra fees since all of these services would only provide additional proceeds for the dealer.

After-sales services offered by dealer: Before you decide to buy a car from a car dealer, make sure you check out their after-sales service. Make sure that the services the car dealers provide are appropriate. These services include:

Free maintenance service – Ensure to check out whether the chosen authorized dealer provides free maintenance service or not? If yes, then try to find out what is the duration period of the free maintenance service?

Service rates – Each car dealership has various service discounts. Besides this, at times these service rates vary depending upon the location, negotiations and other factors. As a result, its best to check the service rates charged by different auto dealers.

Warranty – Some car dealers offer free extended car warranties when you purchase used cars or service and examine vehicles from them. Consequently, it is always better to check whether a dealer provides a warranty or not.

Apart from all this, when purchasing a new or old car you need to be careful not to get mislead. They may tell you a lot of things to make you buy the car. Though most car dealers are not bad, but it is better to be careful than feel sorry later. When you purchase a new vehicle or even an old auto, you usually spend a lot of money. To be on the safer side, performing little research about auto dealer will always help you. Try to find out as much as you can about the dealer. It is definitely important for you to understand that selecting a dignified and honest car dealer can lead to a good investment.

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First, take a walk around the car and look for general appearance that is an indication of how well the car was taken care of. Mark down any defects you find: cracks on the windshield, scratches, dents, corrosion spots, broken lenses, faded mirrors, worn wipers, missing wheel covers (hubcaps), etc. Later you may ask the dealer to fix these problems as a part of the deal or negotiate the price down accordingly.

Take your time; normally it takes 30 – 40 minutes to inspect a whole car body all around. Look alongside of the car. The lines of the car body should be perfectly straight. Look at the top image, this Honda Accord hasn’t been in an accident, and you can see the body lines are perfectly straight. Look at the reflection, it is perfect, no ripples and paint quality of all panels looks the same. Try to check the entire car this way. Ripples indicate possible body repair. If the rear fender of the Honda Accord has ripples, then it was repaired after a rear-end accident. Check all the gaps between the body panels. All gaps should be of the same width and even along the entire length.

Check the manufacturer’s label which is usually located on the driver’s door or door jamb. Are there any signs of altering? Check the VIN number. Also check the exact date when the vehicle was manufactured. Get you used Honda accord from a trusted dealer.

The condition of the vehicle interior is another good indicator of how the vehicle was taken care of. Look at the driver’s seat, is it excessively worn like the one in the picture? Check all the seat belts paying particular attention to the one at the driver’s seat. Test all doors, are they open and close freely? Try to lock and unlock the driver’s and passenger’s doors and the trunk with the key.

Secondly make sure to test the automatic transmission carefully, especially on V6 models. If you feel a strong clunk when shifting into the Reverse or while driving, there may be some transmission problem.

Listen for humming noises from the wheel bearings. Check if the timing belt has been replaced. If not, you will have to do that. Look for the trailer hitch – if the car was used for towing, transmission might be excessively worn. If the “check engine” light is on, make sure to check it with your mechanic first.

The vehicle should start easily even if it’s cold. It shouldn’t shake, make excessive noise, or smoke. If you see a cloud of blue smoke at start-up, be ware, it’s the first sign of possible engine problem – avoid this car. During a test-drive look for anything irregular such as vibrations, noises, etc. Pay particular attention to check the automatic transmission.

Test drive the car for as long as you need to get the feeling, tries to drive on bumpy road and if it’s possible, take the car on a highway. Try to accelerate – there shouldn’t be any hesitations.

Don’t sign a contract and don’t give a deposit until you are completely satisfied with the car. Consider to test-drive another vehicle of the same model to have something to compare with.

If you find any problem with the car make sure to discuss in details – what exactly will be done. For example, if the car needs new tires, what kind of tires will be installed – cheapest possible or of reputable brand? If they offer you an extended warranty, thoroughly study the contract first.

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