So, you’ve found an ad for a used car, and the deal sounds perfect for you! Everything seems to line up; the price fits into your budget, the warranty is good, the dealer has a good reputation, you’re likely feeling pretty good about this. Well, keep feeling that good feeling, but perhaps you should temper your expectations. A car can bite you in ways you didn’t see coming, and thus you should ask some very pertinent questions when looking at this hypothetical dream car. If you are on the search for second hand cars for sale in North York, here are the big questions that should be on your list to ask when you’re sitting down with the dealer.
#1. How was it maintained?
If the dealership has a garage, then the car was likely maintained there. If not, then it was probably done by a third-party mechanic or one not affiliated with any garage (referred to as a “shade tree” mechanic). Do what you have to do to find out the identity of the mechanic if the dealer doesn’t feel like telling you. Now, in most cases, that won’t be a problem; if you ask the dealer, nine times out of 10, they’ll tell you who the mechanic was, and how to contact him. Next, ask when maintenance took place.
#2. Can I see the service records?
Going off of #1, the answer you want to this is a straight “yes” and that the records are available in a folder for you to view. Anything less is a sign that someone is trying to pull a fast one on you. But having the records available for viewing shows that the dealer is confident that the car in question has been serviced on a regular basis.
#3. Would I run into any problems if I were to take this car and drive to the other side of the country with it tomorrow?
This is a nice way of asking if there’s anything wrong with the car, which will throw the dealer for a nice loop. Asking the straight way works too, but on the off chance that the dealer is scamming you, there’s also a chance that he knows how to answer the basic questions asked the basic way. This is a good, clean curve ball, that any reputable dealer will easily be able to answer with “no, there is nothing wrong with the car”.
If you want the best second-hand car dealership, with dealers more than willing to answer all your questions, look no further than Eli Motors.
