Used car buying guides
Inspecting a car, spotting scams, knowing which engines and transmissions to watch and negotiating the right price: everything to know before you buy, explained simply.
All guides
How to check a used car's VIN and open recalls
Where to find the VIN, what its 17 characters mean and how to check open safety recalls for free on nhtsa.gov before you buy a used car.
Salvage and rebuilt titles: what they mean before you buy
Title brands, why salvage and rebuilt cars are cheaper, how title washing hides them, and how to check a title's history before you pay.
How to spot a flood-damaged car
After every hurricane season, flooded cars reappear in listings far from the storm. The smells, stains, rust and electrical signs that give them away.
Odometer rollback: how to spot mileage fraud
Digital odometers can be rolled back too. The paperwork, records and wear signs that reveal fake mileage, and what the federal odometer disclosure rules require.
The FTC Buyers Guide: “as is” vs dealer warranty
Every used car on a dealer lot must display a Buyers Guide. What “as is” really means, how warranties and service contracts differ, and what to check before you sign.
Dealer fees and the out-the-door price: how to negotiate
Doc fees, add-ons, reconditioning and dealer packages: how to get the out-the-door price in writing and negotiate with costed arguments instead of haggling.
Buying from a private seller: title, bill of sale and registration
Signed title, lien release, bill of sale, sales tax and registration: the paperwork for a private used car sale, step by step, and the traps to avoid.
Used car engines and transmissions with known problems
Ford PowerShift, early Nissan CVTs, Hyundai and Kia Theta II engines, GM AFM lifters and EcoBoost cam phasers: well-known problems and what to check before you buy.
Used car scams: the warning signs on Marketplace and Craigslist
Curbstoners, fake escrow, deposits for cars that don't exist and title fraud: the most common used car scams and how to buy safely from a private seller.
10 guides