Tips on used car purchase.

So you think found a used vehicle to fit your needs…it has a fair price, looks and drives good, even passed a multi point safety inspection. Whether purchased from a used car lot, or private party – AS IS, NO WARRANTY - are generally the terms of the sale, and you are on your own, including any routine maintenance, repairs, and unexpected breakdowns.

In most cases when customers bring the vehicle to us for inspection after purchased, we find that needed repairs and routine maintenance were ignored, overlooked, and have not been completed by previous owners or used car lots. This adds unexpected expense to the actual purchase price to make it safe and reliable.

Most cars, trucks & SUV’s that are typically for sale out there have between 80,000 – 120,000 miles on them and this is when most of the major maintenance items and repairs are due. Often times this is the reason the vehicle is being sold – the owner has decided to purchase a new or newer vehicle because they do not want to spend the money on costly maintenance or repairs. Therefore, even if the vehicle you purchase is running “good” at the time you buy it, expensive maintenance and repairs could be just around the corner.

Yes we specialize in pre-purchase inspections. However, if you do not live in the area or are not purchasing the vehicle locally, it might not be possible to bring it to San Jose Auto Repair. We feel it’s important for everybody to be armed with as much information as possible in order to get the best bang for their buck so here are some simple tips to help make an informed buying decision.
There are some simple items that get overlooked on many so called professional inspections that any person can perform a basic check in a matter of minutes.