In this article, we will discuss used and new-car purchasing, what you need to know before you decide to buy, how to avoid common pitfalls, getting the best price and what to do if you have a problem with your purchase.

Odometer Fraud
The odometer lets you know how many miles the car has driven. A used car's mileage affects its selling price. For instance, the more miles the car has logged the lower the cost of the car. Because high mileage can decrease the selling price, some unscrupulous people practice odometer fraud. Although it is a crime to try to "roll back" or change the odometer reading, that doesn't stop people from doing it.
The first thing you must decide before you begin your automobile research is whether you want a new car or a used car. Of course, there are benefits and dracowbacks on both sides. If you decide to buy a used car, there are several things you need to keep in mind.

First of all, there are more than 2 million car accidents annually and chances are if you are in the market for a used car, you will come in contact with at least one automobile that was in an accident. The most important thing about buying a used car is that you know everything about the history of the car, including:

  • the number of previous owners
  • if the car was ever involved in an accident
  • any previous mechanical problems
  • the maintenance history of the car

One of the largest benefits of buying a used car is that you can often get a great deal and in many cases, the car you buy may even be relatively new. Successful used car buyers often are just as happy with their used car as new car buyers are with a new vehicle. But remember, the most common car-buying horror stories do involve the purchase of used cars. When you have a good idea of what kind of car best fits your needs and budget, you can begin your research on used cars.

There are several places to locate and buy a used car:

  • a used car dealership
  • a superstore dealership that specializes in used cars -- like CarMax or Hertz
  • many new car dealerships also sell used cars