The Ultimate Used Car Checklist When Purchasing From a Private Party

Everything you need to know and prepare for

Source: Cytonn on Unsplash.

What’s the difference between the new car and the used car world?

For the most part, the first place our minds will wander to is the price difference. Pretty much everyone knows that, in terms of the used car world, pre-owned certified goes a long way in reducing the cost of car ownership.

You keep your warranty, have the chance to extend one, have a reliable car that’s backed by the dealer, and generally have all the goodies that come with a new car.

There is a subset of that used car category, though. In that one, it gets even cheaper. It’s the world of private sales, where you might find anything from a salvaged automobile to a missing title to rolled back odometers.

Saving money in this place isn’t as scary as it looks, but precautions are necessary as you get serious with private sales.

Does the paint look original? Do the panels align?

People laugh at me when I say this. In Los Angeles, it’s not uncommon to have accidents or damage go unreported. A way to tell when this has happened is to look at quarter panels or pieces of the car that look out of alignment…