Many people want to buy a used car. The reason is simple: the price of such a car is much less than a new one. And you can choose quite a decent car, which will serve its owner faithfully.
But the question is how to choose this car and what to avoid when buying a car.
Sorting cars
Write down the characteristics of the desired used Toyota and the maximum amount you are willing to pay. To simplify your search, use filters on classified websites. Doubtful offers can be identified by several criteria.
You need to leave a deposit or prepayment
If you are offered a deposit or prepayment to keep the car from being sold, don’t agree. This is what crooks do.
Too low price
If a car is two or three times cheaper than similar options, beware. It can be a car without documents, in pledge, or with limited registration. They badly underestimate the price of stolen cars and “flips” – cars that were collected by parts after an accident.
Buyers of used cars are advised to avoid suspiciously cheap cars, though for many it is a big enough temptation. If the price is too good to be true, the buyer should check the car especially carefully, also comparing it with similar options on other car markets. At first glance, such an option may look very attractive, but in practice, it may turn out that the car was brought from abroad, has twisted mileage, or has serious hidden defects. So, it is better for the buyer to stop and look for a different car.
Foreign plates
If your car has foreign plates, it will be hard to register it. Very often the plates are faked, and the car is stolen. When you register your car they can seize it, so you’ll lose your money and your car.
Plates from another region
There is a similar situation with cars from another region – the car can also be stolen. Find out why the seller sells the car in another region. Carefully check the documents of the owner and the car.
It is necessary to check the history of the vehicle. This procedure is considered the most important. Checking the history will help weed out all unworthy cars. It is necessary to call the seller and ask him to provide the VIN and the state number. If the car has a clean history, the person will have no problem dictating all the data. Once the buyer gets the VIN and the license plate number, he should go to any website that deals with checking cars. There are not only paid resources on the Internet. If you want, you can find a free service to check your car.
The resource will help find out the following:
- Whether there have been any accidents in which the vehicle was involved;
- actual mileage;
- whether there are any restrictions, wanted, etc;
- how many owners;
- information about working in a cab;
No documents
If the seller shows a duplicate of the certificate, the vehicle passport, and the insurance policy has a bank or credit organization written on it, the car is in the pledge. Ask the owner to provide the original document: if there is no document, this is a reason to refuse the deal.
Buying a stolen car is probably the worst thing that can happen to a car buyer. Usually, in such a case, the vehicles are confiscated from the unfortunate new owners, but it can be difficult, often unrealistic, to get the money back.
A ban on registration
If the ad says that the car is restricted in registration, don’t buy it. The former owner may have scrapped the car and then sold it to you – this car will not be registered.
A restricted car will also be sold below the average price on the market. Often, a car with restrictions or a ban on registration actions is sold by resellers or those who have utility debts, traffic fines, loans, or underage children, for which alimony must be paid.
Participants of property disputes also get rid of restricted cars: the new owner risks losing the car, but the money for selling the car is received. Sellers of such cars have only a duplicate of a car license plate, and the original is with the other party of a property dispute.
Conclusion
The car should be registered in the seller’s name, and it should be possible to register it for you. You should not buy a car without documents under any circumstances. Firstly, legally the car does not belong to you, you just use it, but do not own it. Secondly, the car can have a criminal record – at the first police station, the car can be seized from you. When officially re-registering, all of these nuances are checked by the police and you become the sole owner.