Assess the Car
Before buying a car, inspect it. When buying a used car, you want to inspect it to see if there is any hidden damage or if it is older than it appears. When buying a new car, you want to see if it was damaged or vandalized while being shipped to the dealer or on the lot.

Be prepared to get a little dirty when doing an inspection. Dress in work clothes, and bring a flashlight, a magnet, work gloves, and a rag for wiping.

The Body
Whether it is new or used, you should take a careful look at the exterior of the car. Is there paint on the moldings or trim, and does the color look different in some places? Is the paint peeling? Are the windows and trim intact? Are the door seams straight? Do the fenders line up? Are there ripples in the body as you look down the length of the car? Take a magnet and run it over the car’s body to check for filler. (The magnet will not stick.)

Try the doors, windows, and trunk lid to see if they fit tightly. Look for rust. These things can indicate whether the car has been damaged and repaired.

Even new cars may have been damaged or vandalized while in transit or on dealers’ lots.

If the car is used, check the suspension by pushing the body down at each corner. Does the car “bottom out,” or bounce excessively which may mean that the shock absorbers or struts are bad?

Look at the tires. Are they all the same type (radial or bias)? How worn are they, and are they worn evenly? On a used car with low mileage, excessive wear may be a sign of odometer tampering. Uneven wear could be due to serious mechanical or body problems.

Look for Leaks
Lie down and, using your flashlight, look underneath the car. Check for puddles or dripping under the car. They could be signs of oil, transmission, coolant, or other fluid leaks. Also check to see if anything is hanging loose or is disconnected. While you are down there, wipe your finger on the inside of the tail pipe. Light, dry soot is acceptable; damp grime or oil may mean trouble.

Inside the Car

On a used car, a sticker may be on the inside edge of the driver’s side door or the upper left hand corner of the windshield showing where and when the car was last serviced and the mileage at that time.

Now try out the front and the back seats of the car. If it is a used car, you may want to check under the floor mats and the rug in the trunk for rust or signs of welded patches. Holes due to rust or big cracks in the body may make the car unsafe to drive.

Turn the ignition on, but not to the starter position. Do the warning panel lights come on? Be suspicious if you are told that a light is just burned out. Do the headlights and blinkers work? How about the horn and the wipers? Check the radio, cassette and/or disc player to see if they work.

Signs of Odometer Tampering
Look at the odometer for these signs of tampering:

It shows a different amount of mileage than you were told the car had or that appears on the paperwork;
It seems like very low mileage considering the car’s age or condition. Most vehicles used for personal use should average 12,000 - 15,000 miles per year;
The numbers do not line up in a straight line;
There are streaks of color running horizontally through the numbers;
The gas and brake pedals seem very worn for the low mileage on the odometer.

Check the Oil and Exhaust
When you are looking at a used car, check the oil while it is cold to see if it is the right color and at the right level. If it is too dark and looks burned, or it is thick as molasses, there may be a major engine problem. Now start the engine. Does it start up right away? Does it sound smooth or choppy? Accelerate the engine quickly a few times. Does it jump or run roughly? A whining noise can indicate worn or slipping belts.

Leave the car idling while you get out and look at the exhaust. If there is blue smoke, it may be burning oil. Black smoke may be unburned fuel. Excessive steam can be a sign that coolant is leaking.

Other Items to Check
Does the car sound too loud? There could be a leak in the exhaust system. Does the heater work? It is a necessity in New England, but if you are buying a car in the summer, you may not discover that you have a problem until the winter. If the car has air conditioning, try it, even if it is January. Test all systems including power windows, electric seats and alarms. Do not wait until your warranty has expired to find out that something does not work.

Test-Drive the Car

You cannot really tell if you like a car or how it operates without taking it for a test-drive. If the seller will not let you drive the car, find another seller.

Now it is time to take the car for a spin. If you can, drive a route that allows you to go uphill, around corners, over some bumps, and on a stretch of highway.

Does the automatic transmission shift smoothly or jerk abruptly into gear? Are there loud clunks when you shift from drive to reverse (with your foot on the brake)?

If it is a manual transmission, does it shift with ease or difficulty? Put the emergency brake on and engage the clutch slowly in each gear. Does the car stall quickly, or is the clutch disc slipping? Do you hear any clanking or grinding noises?

How do the brakes feel? Does the brake pedal go down to the floor, or do the brakes lock up? Any squeaks or squeals?

When you go uphill, are there any knocks, rattles, or deep engine noises? Does the car have enough power?

As you go downhill, slow down and then punch the gas pedal and look in the rear view mirror. Is there any blue smoke?

How is the steering and handling? Does the car pull to one side or another? Go over some bumps to see if the car bottoms out or jolts too hard. On the highway, the ride should be quiet and smooth. When you come to a stop, does the engine idle roughly, or stall out?

After the Test Drive
If you have test driven a used car, keep it running when you get back from the test drive and check the transmission fluid. It should register at the correct level on the dipstick and be a clear, reddish color. If this is too dark, thick, or gritty, there may be a transmission problem.

For cars with power steering, you may want to check that fluid as well. Look for leaks in the engine compartment or under the car.

Open the glove compartment and search under the seats for any old repair slips. They can provide you with useful information about where the car was serviced, what work has been done and the mileage at the time of servicing.

Now shut off the engine. Walk around the car and kick the tires. (You have been wanting to do this all along.) While you are at it, smell for any sign of hot brakes, and see if the engine overheats once the fan and water pump are turned off.

Obtain a Mechanic’s Opinion

Do not take the seller’s word that any problems you may notice are minor, or that everything is fine.

Whether you are buying from a dealer or a private seller, have the car checked out by a trusted mechanic at a regular repair shop. There may be a small charge for this service, but it can save you some major headaches and expenses later, especially if you are buying from a private seller, who has no automatic warranty repair responsibility.

Have the mechanic:

Do a compression check on the engine;
Check the ball joints, differential (if there is one), tie rods, oil pressure, and ignition system;
Look at the coolant for signs of oil leaking in;
Evaluate the battery and charging system;
Pull at least one front and one rear wheel to look at the brakes;
Put the car on a lift to look at the underside for leaks, loose connections, or body problems;
Check the hoses and fluids;
Take the car out for a drive to note any strange sounds, vibrations, or other symptoms of trouble;
Check the emissions.

Some garages have computer equipment that can help to diagnose the mechanical condition of the car.

When you are selecting a repair shop, ask for references from friends, and look for the “ASE” symbol, indicating that the mechanics have been certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence.

Finding out about any mechanical or structural problems may influence how much you are willing to pay for the car or whether you want to buy it at all.

Verify a Used Car’s History

Confirm the accuracy of the odometer reading and find out more about the car’s condition and repair history by contacting the previous owner before you make the purchase.
Massachusetts law requires a dealer to disclose to you the previous owner’s name and address (if known) if you ask for this information.

Watch Out for Former Lemons
It is possible that the used car you are looking at on a dealer’s lot or at a private seller’s home may be a former new or used car “lemon.” How do you know?

New cars that were originally bought in Massachusetts and that were returned to the manufacturers under the New Car Lemon Law can only be resold by dealers in this state if:

There is a Resale Vehicle Notice on the right front window of the car disclosing that it is a former lemon;
The buyer signs a copy of the notice;
The dealer gives the buyer a copy of the signed notice and of any resale notices previous buyers have signed;
The dealer keeps copies of the notices for four years.

There are, however, some large loopholes in the law. New cars that were purchased in other states and returned under their lemon laws do not have to carry resale notices. There is another good reason to look at a car’s title before you buy the car. Some states “brand” the titles of former new car lemons, however Massachusetts does not.

If a manufacturer was not ordered to take a car back through the Massachusetts arbitration program or a court hearing, but agreed to buy the car back voluntarily, the car does not have to be labeled as a former lemon.

Also, cars that are returned to dealers under the Used Vehicle Warranty Law are not required to display “lemon” notices to tip off the next buyer.

If you are interested in a used car that was a returned lemon it is always a good idea to talk to the previous owner.
Ask the previous owner:

If the mileage on the car is correct;
Whether the car was involved in an accident and if the damage was repaired;
About any defects and the repair history of the car;
Why the car was traded in or returned to the manufacturer or dealer.

If you are buying a car from a private seller, he or she may not know the previous owner. You should at least ask how long that person has owned the car, whether there have been any defects or accident damage, what repairs have been made, and why it is being sold now.

A car dealer must tell you if a used vehicle was a former demonstrator, taxicab, police car, lease or rental car, a total loss in an accident, or submerged in water, if the dealer has or should have that knowledge.

Get Recall Information
You may also want to find out if there have been any recalls on the used car you are considering. You can find out this information by calling the Auto Safety Hotline operated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The toll-free number is: 1-888-327-4236 (see www.nhtsa.dot.gov).

If you are taking the car to a mechanic to have it checked out prior to your purchase, give the mechanic the information about any recalls on the car. If the defects have not already been corrected, contact the manufacturer to see if you qualify for free repairs. This is especially important when you are buying a car from a private seller, whose responsibility is much more limited than a dealer’s.

There may also be “service bulletins,” which are not official recalls but internal memos from manufacturers to dealers about defects. You are entitled to information from a dealer or the manufacturer about any written notices concerning the existence of defects, even if you are not the original owner of the car.

CARFAX, a Helpful Research Tool
Research the vehicle’s title history through CARFAX—to do this, you will need the vehicle’s “VIN”—vehicle identification number. Examine the vehicle’s history as it may have been in an area of the country where floods or other problems that may not be readily evident occurred.

Remember, doing your homework before you buy a car may save you a lot of grief afterwards.