Pre-Purchase Car Inspection

Unless you are a pretty good car mechanic and have access to the various tools to mechanically check out a car for buying, always get a pre-purchase car inspection.

Most reputable car dealers will let you take a car to a mechanic if you are prepared to buy. Just be prepared to show them a written receipt or acknowledgement that it was inspected. And be prepared to pay the inspection fee. You will also have to sign some forms and show some identification before they will let you leave with one of their cars for a couple of hours.

If the dealer or seller says no to the used car inspection service, turn around and run. And never go back to that dealer or person again. It’s just not worth the time or trouble.

Be prepared for the mechanic to find some little odds and ends wrong with the car. These can be negotiation points later.

Your main priority is to avoid the major pitfalls that could be observed via a pre-purchase used car inspection service.

Good luck.

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Car To Avoid - Dodge Intrepid

I know that sounds like a rash statement as there are many Dodge Intrepids on the road today. But, the risks to purchasing a used Dodge Intrepid with a 2.7 liter engine are not worth the gains.

Why?

Way too many of these cars have had major engine problems. Some of these problems are:

• Timing chain tensioner problems in these models from 1998 to 2000.
• Oil sludge problems in the engine due to water pump leakage into the engines over time. This happened in 1998 to 2004 models.
• Poor oil circulation due to very small oil lines. Oil couldn’t be pumped, oil sludged and engine wear manifested itself.

What happens if an engine fails? Get ready to pay. The used engine market for these cars is practically non-existent. A remanufactured engine replacement starts at above $2000.
In our opinion, buying a Dodge or Chrysler product from 1998-2004 with the 2.7 liter engine just isn’t worth it.

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Used Car Warranties

When buying a used car, there are a lot of things to take into consideration. One of the most important things is the warranty. A used car warranty can be your best friend in sticky situations, and it can save you a lot of money. That is, if you have the right one. Buy the wrong warranty, and you could be left holding the bag…the empty bag.

There are some specific things to look for when buying a used car warranty. First, make sure you read the entire agreement, fine prinat and all. Lots of companies (and not just used car warranty companies) rely on the fact that many people skim lengthy agreements. They use this knowledge to bury clauses that might scare off potential customers.

It’s good to find a company that has a good track record, and is well funded. Warranties are all about money, so you want to make sure you deal with a company that has enough of it. This kind of information can be gleaned from the company’s annual report, which you can often find published on the Internet.

It’s also a good idea to find a company that both sells and administers the warranty. When everything is done in-house, you’re more likely to avoid haggling over what a warranty covers and what it does not cover.

Some things to avoid:

1. Cheap-y warranties. We should all have learned by now that cheapest does not equal best, or even best deal. Usually when you buy the cheap stuff, you get the cheap stuff. Cheap coverage, cheap company, cheap assistance.

2. Companies, who instead of telling you about the benefits of their company, tell you about the shortcomings of other companies. I’ve usually found that businesses that don’t make any mention of their competitors are the ones who have the most success. My explanation for this is that these companies are confident in the quality they provide, so they don’t need to talk trash about other companies. Also, a company that is unwilling to talk about itself may be trying very hard to hide something.

3. Companies who focus on the things they do not include in their warranties instead of the things they do. If you met someone you were attracted to, and the entire time you were speaking with this person he or she told you all about the things they will not do for you, would you want to see them again? Likely not, and it’s the same for used car warranties. Don’t let them define themselves by not defining themselves. Find out what they will do for you.

We will continue to discuss used car warranties, whether to buy one (most of the time we recommend buying), who to buy from and where to buy it.

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