You are planning your first road trip. Whether you just got your license or if you finally saved enough money to go on the trip, it is important that you prepare. Preparing for your road trip is the best way to ensure that you stay safe, have fun, and are prepared for the unexpected. How …
Buying a used car can be exciting and scary at the same time. You are excited that you are getting something new to you, but at the same time, you don’t want to get scammed or ripped off. Think about it, you buy a used car that seems great, but months down the road, the car says, “Pull over, check engine.” I’ve had this happen when buying an undisclosed flooded car with electrical issues.
If you’ve ever been to Las Vegas it’s likely you’re familiar with high risk/reward situations. One wrong roll of the dice and lady luck seems to turn her back on you. Similarly, buying a vehicle with a lien on the title often seems like a pretty bad hand to the average consumer. Most people will tell you that there are hassles and headaches from start to finish. However, once you know the truth about lien titles the experience becomes far less like craps and far more like blackjack.
How it happens In 2018 police arrested a man outside a county courthouse when he got into what police had found to be a stolen vehicle. Officers had noticed the car when one of their ALPRs or Automatic License Plate Readers had alerted them that the vehicle was reported stolen. Following protocol, they simply stayed within reach and when the operator returned and tried to get into the car he was arrested. It just so happened that he was returning from a date inside the courthouse itself over a previous arrest for grand theft auto. The truth is that there are more stolen cars out on the road than most people realize.
In life, we have many serious relationships where a knowledge of the other parties’ past would’ve been deeply helpful when the relationship began. When the relationship between you and a potential new used car in your life gets serious it’s time to dig around in that cars past a little bit. While getting a pre-purchase inspection of the car is absolutely important, it won’t cover all the major concerns that may not have been disclosed to you. For instance, it won’t tell you anything about the service history and legal past of the car. In addition, if you’re dealing with a seller that might require some negotiating, asking for a pre-purchase inspection might tip your hand that you’re quite serious about the car in question. So before you go that route lets talk about another option that will still get you vital information. It’s called a VIN Check and it may save you thousands of dollars.
If anyone tells you a vehicle is an investment, don’t trust them – they’re lying! Unless you own a vehicle destined to become highly collectible, you’re going to lose thousands of dollars through depreciation. That’s not to discourage you from owning a car. Just be aware that it’s all but guaranteed to lose value between the time you buy it and when you sell it.
You’ve been kicking the tires on a new car. Well, new to you. It has a few years on its tires already, but everything seems to be in ship shape. The test drive went really well and the car performed exactly as you thought it should. It’s almost time to negotiate a price. But first, you want to make sure there aren’t any issues.
We all have to take our car to the shop from time to time. Whether it’s just an oil change or something that needs serious repair we all hate to be approached by the service advisor with a new unexpected problem that requires attention. Today we look at 5 confessions from me, one of the guys who’s spent years behind the desk and who knows the truth about what your car really needs as opposed to what you’re told. Don’t see the confession you’re wondering about? Ask me anything below!
In this article, I am going to teach you how to read your VIN. Sounds pretty exciting, right? That’s because it is! Before 1981, there was no standardization of VINs on vehicles. Before that, it could have been ten digits. It could have been five digits. It could have been whatever the car manufacturer wanted.
