I'm going to shop for a used car soon, something I haven't done in a long time.
Can anyone recommend a check list of items to inspect, on the vehicle? And a list of things which should be inspected by a professional mechanic?
Does it matter whether I buy from a dealer, vs. a private party transaction?
A guy named Akerloff won a nobel prize for pointing out the seller of a car knows much more about the car than you do. That puts you at a disadvantage. The only counter to this is to have an expert evaluate the car.
If you buy from private party try this: have him pay for an independent mechanic to evaluate the car. If it passes the test you will add the cost of the test to the price of the car.
Good luck.
I have a better tactic: One you have agreed on the purchase price, make the offer contingent on an idependent evaluation of the car. If the car passes, you add the cost of the test to the agreed price, otherwise he pays for the test.
If the seller doesn't agree to something like that keep looking.
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