European and German Car Pre-purchase Inspection
Many people have never heard of a pre-purchase inspection. When you buy a used car, please, please get a pre-purchase inspection. Yes, it costs some money, but you can save lots more money paid towards repairs!
We had 4 customers come during the last 3 days who purchased a used car and thought that they got a good deal. They just paid thousands of dollars for the car. Then the check engine light came on, brought in the car(s) and found out that the car needs major repairs. I am not talking about brakes or water pump or something similar. No. They all needed a new transmission, which is several thousands of dollars. The cars couldn’t pass smog, and must be repaired to pass smog and get registered.
You can always take your chances, but it may cause you a lot of headaches in running around to get the car fixed, leaving your car for repairs and paying out a large amount of money.
If you want to buy a used car, that’s totally fine. But either
- Get a pre-purchase inspection or
- Get it at a dealership with a warranty on it for at least 6 months
Even at a used car dealership they may hook you up with a short-term warranty. At least you are not going to buy a car that needs immediate repairs and if it does, then warranty should cover it. However, the warranty will probably not cover anything maintenance related, which could still include pricy repairs, such as brakes.
Anyway, be smart when you purchase a vehicle. Don’t rush into something just because it’s a “good deal”. Ask yourself: “Is this going to be worth fixing, even if it needs a new engine or transmission?” or “Do I have the money to complete all necessary repairs for this car?”
Just some things to think about…
