To the United States for nearly a year, a profound experience in America this vast land, no car is really not easy. In the Craigslist cars & trucks suffering 4 months, finally in the last one month continuous bought two cars (a story...). More or less is understood about buying a second-hand car flow, some of his own experience to write here, to be a reference to buy second-hand car in owner there is no concept of what the students.

North American car is mainly in three ways: Dealer there to buy a new car, buy a used car, owner dealer where there to buy a used car. Of course, there is also a heard that can go to auto auction to take to buy a used car, heard that cheap but high sound technical difficulty, not too much attention.

The new car, I do not have what experience, around to buy a new car friends to look on in Edmund to real market value, there is a bottom, and then one by one to contact dealer sales to quote; to buy a used car from Dealer, I heard that the quality is guaranteed, is more than from the hands of individuals in your 1K, then plus 8% of the tax take. The following is the main said to buy a used car from the owner.

Several basic steps:
1  Craigslist car:

Craigslist.org, choose their own city, and then in the for sale found cars and trucks, point in, then select BY-OWNER ONLY, then you can enter your local second-hand car advertisement posts. The seller will mostly refer to a valuation site KBB price. See the psychological price of the car, according to the Model, mileage and option, year, check KBB private party, good condition priceHttp://www.kbb.com/used-cars). If the seller price than the price low 500 above, be careful, a car must have a big problem (knocked off, engine or Transmission change, title loans not paid, of course, cheater etc.), do not rule out the possibility of good luck, just the seller is very anxious car may; if the same or higher, can proceed to the next step.

In addition, when the car in the Craigslist should pay attention to some special, reversing the people will pretend to sell cars in the above owner. According to previous experience of fellow students experience, this small dealer will put some there was something wrong with the car to do the hands and feet, when outsiders to buy is not easy to see, may be just a few days is OK, but the time is long, trouble may be revealed. See the 4 months of the car, the author summarizes some little experience to identify fake owner dealer: see picture, no license plate, basically belongs to Dealer from auto auction photographed car; many of the photos (more than 5) and very careful, is generally dealer had the leisure to do this work.; the phone, when you said I to your car is very interested in, the other replied "which one"; the description is not the text format but Photo format (dealer is doing so in order to prevent you searched his phone number); middle of various "#*$" such things; that he is owner, no tax or fee (a clumsy denial resulting in self-exposure...) ; Mexico accent (this one is my own experience...)

2  Check the car records:

Determine the car looks reliable, call or e-mail to VIN number (the digital string will follow this car for a lifetime, then in the ()Http://52internet.net/autocheck/) on free inquiry (register) Autocheck, also is the car check historical records, there can be roughly seen the car before there is no rental records, have accident, there is no fail emission test, having much of a "EX" (the former owner: P. In general, all  Salvage title/rebuilt title, shows that this kind of car is very serious traffic accidents, so that the insurance company total loss of the car, and then turned into salvage title, and later by some people to buy, and then through the licensed auto rebuilder repair the car, through some procedures and inspection, after the car, can be re registered rebuilt title. If not particularly understand car, this car is strongly recommended to skip.

  Rental/Fleet record: if it is lease, that the first car to rent to someone opened a few years back, then, that as the owner is a person, in general will also often do maintenance, less abuse car; if it is rental, that is to say before this car is the car rental company that is, many people held a, be more careful when buying, trans is likely to wear serious, you can skip the recommended safe; if don't think what problem, this record can be used as a bargaining factor.

  Calculated owners: if only one owner, very good, if then check Carfax (in more detail another web site gives car records, maintenance records) can see very detailed these years, so the car should be a very good condition; 2 owner should also okay; many of the owner car is about to look carefully. General 6K buy more cars, to find the best not more than 2 owner.

  Failed emission test: must be careful! The car is registered to the DMV before each year, must be through the emission test, in other words, fail words, cannot be registered, not registered will not hit the road. Put the failed into pass, bad luck may need 1k+ (depending on which part goes wrong money)
  Loan records, to see the last title number is also accompanied by lien reported, if there is, that the owners to buy a car is to buy loans, the money may not pay off. So buy to pay attention to the (behind speaking)

3  The actual bug

Calls to VIN at the same time, also ask some questions on your actual situation (the seller is honest, this for all of us who don't know the car is very important, and later proved reliable, people than the car "looks" reliable and more important): why do you want to sell this car? For how long? What's wrong with not The car has had before the accident? Whether clean Title in hand (no loan)? There is no car maintenance records (if the record retention is complete, and basically, every 3K miles do a maintenance, congratulations you, meet reliable car!) Ask these questions is mainly to listen
Party Is it right? Is sincere or not in a reliable, can probably know each other Is it right? Very anxious to sell, such as going abroad, or don't care about the price, for the Mercedes benz. (this is very important for the late counter-offer)

4  About test drive

If the VIN record is not a serious problem, can with the owner about time and place test drive. To check the information before Carfax, Autocheck more than the more accurate (some accident may not display autocheck, Carfax can see), 52 internet $6 a car, it is best not to save money.

Please refer toHttp://anytime.cuna.org/10897/us... t_Drive_Chklist.htm, this link is given by the examination with the details. The following is the author at the time of the process, and was not found on this post, so not so carefully......

Check the appearance of the interior have dent ah, wear pull like, then try over each electronic device is working properly (doors, windows, locks, lighting, CD,...) Have a look, open the hood, there are no traces of liquid leak, some words carefully; have a look oil; ignition, hear the engine sound is normal, the neutral throttle from 1000rpm to 4000rpm, at the same time, air conditioning to the max, listen to the sound of the engine is still normal (my definition is not suddenly increase or other noise). Then please brothers on the road. Be careful. Before the inspection car
No insurance card, or brake the car is still valid, once see a post in the forum, a group of friends test result, brakes, rear end collision, the car without insurance...... The results of test to compensate the loss of another) Acceleration (is very smooth, trans), pit (try hanging, see Is it right? Very hard or soft), brake (have a look but not so), speed (the car in 6, 70m/h is normal, the engine sound, road rash), short release steering wheel (see will not run, alignment).

5  Decide to do you want to buy:

Engine and Trans are big, if hang, may have more than 2K dollars. So, in my opinion, engine and trans have a little abnormal, do not take the risk; Leakage, accessory failure, suspension if there is a problem, the problem seems to be large or small, to do mechanical check, then follow the teacher explained the situation, inquiry and quotation; Brake soft, tire wear, the deviation of these problems are is a small problem, let mechanic quote, and then used to drive a bargain.

6  After the decision to buy:

Once the decision to start, start to counter-offer: non four big car, according to KBB good condition , lose must repair or replace the price of something (such as timing belt, tires, brake etc.); four big car, I think KBB model valuation is too high for them, far from the real value they also refer to the Edmund, so the valuation to chop down, usually a compromise, Edmund price is too low, say the seller may directly on the scare. In addition: NADA retail price is the price of total loss after the insurance company pays the car after the collision, I think the last buy price than the low of 1000.

7  Mechanical check

To reach agreement, to do mechanical check. It considers to be clear, if not what big problem would really want to buy, because mechanical check usually buyers pay, around 50 knife; here strongly recommend the famous big challenge: Firestone. ! You are not wrong, is to recommend the black. Because it checks out of the wrong price than the average small car repair shop was much higher, and it will give you a lot of recommended (actually some unnecessary) maintenance, so nothing wrong with what the car can whole hundreds of knife out, this is a magic weapon for you and the seller further bargaining. (feeling a little WS HA)

8  Emission test

Check no what big problem, the final price agreement, to do emission test ($25, everywhere), the personal recommendation must do, unless the seller a month just done. Emission test is a must do a DMV specified owner before the birthday every year, can go to register. In other words, this however, will not be able to register, the car cannot be on the road (serious). But it is likely to make what catalyst converter like bad, the replacement price seems greater than 1k.

9  Deal.

Through the emission test can sell. A hand in money (above title without lien, only owner a person's name), the seller signed, and then fill out the basic information on the OK.

10  Insurance.

The next was to buy insurance, quote online, then can be on-line direct purchase. But listen to the students said to agent to buy, it may be cheaper. This I haven't experience. Only permit students can now buy progressive, get a driver's license can be replaced after the insurance company, it will be cheaper. PS: with my classmates and laboratory experiences suggest that you, no matter how bad car, must buy insurance at the beginning of driving!!! (at least 3 months)

11  The registration and license plate:

Then go to the DMV registration and do car license plate (about $45), take a driver's license or permit and Title on OK, Ok, here, congratulations to you, finally completed a life event in the USA!

1, why to buy second-hand car

A lot of quality and new good second-hand car is new cheap 20% - 30%.

The insurance premium will be cheaper, there are many factors that determine. For example the car insurance forced SUV to your. Senior car insurance than low-grade car insurance is expensive. The boys than girls your insurance, the boys in the age of 26 insurance will become cheaper. Married than unmarried noble etc.. When buying insurance need to fill out the address, if the address is in the regional insurance would be in good order than the address in the security is not good regional cheap. So if a friend living in good order region might fill friend's address.

The second-hand car manufacturers have maintenance.

The condition of the car can be used VIN (Vehicle Identification Number).

2, choose a suitable for your secondhand car

Most people who buy a car before buying is probably know what kind of car they want. But here to remind, if want to buy no manufacturer maintenance of the second-hand car, best buy Japanese cars (Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Acura, Lexus, Infinit).

3, to do the research before buying

A lot of business car websites offer free valuation services. You can find the daily expense target models in these sites, the average cost of oil and other consulting. (Http://www.edmunds.com/tco.html).

We should first find out to buy their own car market price (Market Value), but for a supply of sth. know each other's bottom line (Http://www.kbb.com).

The website is popular in the USA car includingWww.cars.com Www.autotrader.com Www.carmax.comEtc..

4, the auto loan

Here only in the car, usually the private sale of second-hand car loans will not. You can buy before the first call to 2, 3 banks to ask how much is the car loan interest, and then go to the garage on the heart bottom. Usually the car loan will be cheaper, but some companies are not good at entertaining international students may charge higher interest rates than banks.

5, where to buy second-hand car

You can find a lot of private car in craiglist. Their prices are relatively low, but the quality is uneven. If not for the car a lot of friends, is not recommended to buy second-hand car in this way. The second kind of method is to go to a private car to buy. This method and a similar, but may be more choice, some private companies may also provide maintenance, ensure more consumers. The third kind of method is to buy second-hand car, car, I will personally recommended to buy Certified Pre-owned. Although the second-hand car should be a little more expensive than the average used car, but manufacturers will provide and car maintenance. Because I know the car is not much, so I think this insurance comparison, I also feel reassured.

6, test drive

Test is a very important part of a car. Through the test, some details you can see clearly the car (such as a driver's seat is clean, automatic window can not move and the like). Of course, have experience on car of a friend will be a lot of test vehicle. A simple method is to let the car completely cooled down, and then put the car in, listen to the sound of the engine, aware that there is no noise. And then accelerated to about 55 miles, to step on the brake, it can test whether the normal brake bias.

7, for a supply of sth.

If you do the research before buying, so in the car when the car is probably can know where to draw the line, their acceptance of where to draw the line. Of course, we are not the lowest price to buy their favorite car. If after a round for a supply of sth., or not reach your desired price, big deal would clap bottom leave. Time and car for a supply of sth., should call a car gives you a total price (also called out the price, out of the door price) rather than the price of the car. Sometimes the garage can be cut in the car, and then in other parts of the money back. Also, in signing any name before you have to see what they were signing.