You may like the looks of the car, but it pays to check out the vehicle s service record with Consumer Reports or on the Internet. Although they are controversial, I recommend buying an extended warranty, particularly if you intend on keeping the vehicle for a long time. That s the checklist, which should provide joy rather than grief in most cases. It s your insurance policy, so print it out and carry it with you when you next make a used-car purchase. I will now explain some issues concerning the documentation normally accompanying a used-car sales transaction, including points to keep your eyes peeled for and some definite red flags that signal you not to buy that car.
All dealerships try to put off the documentation step for the end.
In short, after I ve become interested in a car, I want to see the documentation then and there, before I begin discussing sales terms. Review these papers first, and only then go for a test-drive and mechanical inspection. At the time of the sales close, you can expect that the salesperson or a clerk will present you with a stack of fine-print documents which would take a week to read. No one not even an experienced lawyer can read all of those documents in a short time. This is a document required by federal law to accompany all sales of used cars.