Car Sales May Be Bouncing Back…But Not For New Cars

There are signs that car sales are bouncing back but not for new cars.

While new car sales are crawling, sales at the used car lot are picking up.

“I would try to stay somewhere in the, depending on your budget, to 80 to 110 thousand miles cars are probably your best values right now,“ said David Ely of Convey Auto Repair.

But cars like that have a history, and while the car may look good on the outside only a mechanic can give you the whole story.

“Now those presale checks aren’t free, a mechanic will charge you anywhere from 50 to 100 dollars to go through the car inside and out.  But it’s a check you need to make, no matter what the salesman tells you,“ said Ely.

Remember the person trying to sell you that car, is trying to sell you that car.  It’s only from an independent mechanic that you’ll get a true picture of what you’re buying.

“They’re checking the basics, making sure your car is safe, making sure it makes the legal standard.  When you bring your car into an aftermarket repair facility such as ours, we’re checking it bumper to bumper.  We’re really trying to uncover what’s not disclosed,“ said Ely.

And Ely says that information can help you when it comes to closing the deal.

“And that’s a negotiation back to the seller, and a lot of times they’ll either take care of those repairs for you saving hundreds of dollars or they’ll reduce the cost of the vehicle and you can bring the vehicle back up to its proper standards yourself,“ said Ely.
Now many dealerships will give you the history of the car, a car fax report for instance, but don’t consider that the last word.

That’s a good place to start but it doesn’t replace the need to get the trained eye of a mechanic to look it over.