Buying a Used Car? Get a Pre-Purchase Inspection

Feb 15, 2017 | Blog, Colorado Automotive Advice, Services, Total Car Care

Pre-Purchase Inspection

5 Steps to follow when making a used car purchase.

  • Don’t get stuck with a lemon!
  • Do Your Research
  • Check Recalls and Known Defects Records
  • Get An Online Vehicle History Report
  • Ask the Seller

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1. Introduction

2. Do Your Research

3. AAMCO Can Help!

4. More From Our Blog

Do Your Research

Before setting appointments with car owners or dealerships, research vehicle safety reports online for the different makes and models you are interested in. Both Kelly Blue Book and Edmunds publish owner surveys and reviews and are good sources for finding out about troublesome vehicles. Before you ever go shopping, on the lot or online, decide what type of vehicle you want and what models you will look at.

Check Recalls and Known Defects Records

Check all four of the federal government’s databases (http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov) for recalls, service bulletins, safety investigations and owner complaints on the make and model of the vehicle you are interested in. Service bulletins are notices that the manufacturer sends out to their dealerships to warn them about problems that have been discovered in vehicles and how to fix them. The only way to know if your vehicle was repaired for the problem already is to check with your local dealer’s service department and get a vehicle repair history from them.

Test drive

Trusted Fixes Everytime

Whether you drive an old or a new car, our best is here to help you take care of it each time. Scared that your next purchase might turn out to be a lemon? Our special inspections can help prevent that.

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Get an Online Vehicle History Report

If you know the vehicle’s VIN number, you can get a report online that will tell you what state the vehicle resided, if it has been titled with a salvage or flood title. CarFax and AutoCheck are two websites that gather data from insurance companies (including accident records) and public title department records. They will give you a printout that describes most, if not all, of the vehicle’s history, at low cost. Every vehicle’s VIN number is located either on the door jamb or in the windshield area of the dash on the driver’s side.

Inspection & checks

Ask the Seller

Find out everything you can about the car. Ask the current owner for any repair records they may have. If the current owner doesn’t have any records, this could be a red flag that the car has been poorly maintained. You would definitely want an AAMCO pre-purchase inspection if you decide to risk the purchase at all.

Get an AAMCO Pre-Purchase Inspection

The Benefits of Receiving an AAMCO Colorado Used Vehicle Pre-Purchase Inspection Include:

  • Protecting yourself from buying a used vehicle that may need costly repairs
  • Ensuring the used vehicle is safe to drive
  • Paying the right price for your used vehicle
  • Knowing the vehicle won’t break down in the near future
  • Verification of the equipment and options on a vehicle

    • AAMCO Colorado: Proivding the Right Checks & Balances

    There are a few major problems that can be spotted by receiving a motor vehicle inspection. Frame damage can indicate a vehicle has been in an accident. A damaged frame makes the vehicle significantly less safe in a future accident and can dramatically affect a vehicle’s performance and longevity. Repair work that had been performed previously may have been improperly done which can affect many things on a vehicle. Even things you may not consider such as flood damage can be spotted by a trained vehicle inspection expert.

    At AAMCO Colorado, these potential problems can be avoided by getting your pre-purchase inspection with one of our expert mechanics.

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