When buying used cars, trucks, and SUV’s, it is important to prepare and complete a checklist. This checklist when complete will provide you with all the necessary information to make an informed decision about the vehicle you are interested in purchasing. It will also give you some bargaining power when negotiating closing costs with the dealership, or person selling the used cars.

If you live in Houston, Baltimore, Phoenix, or Philadelphia, you can easily find used cars for sale by entering: used cars in Houston, used cars in Baltimore, used cars in Phoenix, or used cars in Philadelphia into any internet search engine. This will provide you a place to start your search.

Before starting your checklist on any vehicle, you will require a few tools to make it easier. When I go out to look at cars for sale, I generally carry with me a flashlight to make checking under the vehicle easier, an old rag for checking the fluid levels, a magnet to check for body fill, a notepad, a pen, my driver’s license to test drive the car, and some cash to use for a deposit.

Before test-driving a vehicle, you should check the:

Tires – check the tread. You require a minimum of 1/16 of an inch. Look for bumps and alignment problems – worn spots on tires.

Body – If there is paint on the under body, or rough around doors, hood, or trunk, the car could have had bodywork. Wrap your magnet in your rag and run it over the body…if it don’t stick, it’s bondo (body fill)!

Suspension – push on the corners of the car. If it doesn’t return to normal with two bounces or it makes too much noise, there is likely a problem.

Interior – check for signs of wear and tear, plus leakage. Features – Test absolutely everything the car has to offer. Try every knob and button, on all settings.

Fluids – check all fluids. New oil is honey brown, clean transmission fluid is pink, and coolant is green or blue.

Under the hood – check belts and hoses. Are they brittle? Check battery. If is corroded?

Once your checklist is complete, check anything else that causes you questions. Prepare a question list and ask the owner, dealership to answer the questions for you. If everything measures up and you are satisfied, ask to take it out for a test drive, before making any purchasing decisions.

If there are issues on your checklist that need addressed, or repaired, negotiate a reasonable price deduction, or make the arrangements for the seller or dealership to repair at their expense.