When working in the automotive industry, you see quite a lot of interesting things. The one thing that surprises me the most is when people purchase a car online W I T H O U T looking at it in person…seriously?! How do you know if the car even works? People can make pictures and videos look amazing online these days. If you are thinking about another car purchase, give your trusted mechanic a call and have he/she come look at it with you. It will be worth the money!

New Car Purchase? Have Your Mechanic Check These First

O.k, now who would buy this car below?

I probably would if I liked Studebaker’s. Now, would you buy the same car if you knew the underside looked like this?

Absolutely NOT!

This is the same car that a customer purchased online, without viewing the car in person, trusting the online seller. It is really hard to trust online sellers these days, especially on sites like Craigslist and eBay.  Schedule a visit to view the car, call up your mechanic and have them check all of these items below:

1. The most important thing you need to remember. CHECK UNDERNEATH THE CAR! Rust can form anywhere but if the car was not stored well or was not taken care of, it will show a lot of rust on the underside of the car; especially around the quarter panels and brakes. You DO NOT want to purchase a rusted car. Even if you were thinking of restoring it, the amount of money and time it would take to work on a rusted car is far worse. A tiny bit of surface rust isn’t the end of the world, but just remember, rust only gets worse!
2. Check the fluids. Whoever is selling the car should have checked the fluids before selling it. However, if you purchase a car online without looking at it, how would you ever know? Make sure you check the transmission fluid , motor oil , power steering (if it has it), coolant , brake fluid , and fuel tank . Look underneath to see if you notice any leaks from the compartments just mentioned. If any of those fluids are the wrong color… huge warning sign!
3. Check the A/C , heater, all the lights, and radio if the car has these items. The last thing you’ll want to deal with after spending all that money is a blown fuse.
4. Check the tire pressure before test driving it. A good indication of whether they took care of the car or not.
5. Test drive and check the driveability. This is where a good mechanic will come in handy. You want to make sure the car runs and feels good. Take it through stop lights, tight corners, traffic, and on the highway to open it up. If you feel any kind of vibration or the car wants to pull left and right, or if you hear any funky noises, all indications that something is wrong. Usually always fixable, but how much money do you want to put in a car you just bought?

See why it is important to check the car out in person and even more helpful if you bring a trusted mechanic with you? Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions and really dig into the car. If a salesperson doesn’t want to show you something, that probably means something is broken…

If you are in the market for a car and need someone to look at it, Horsepower Enterprises, LLC. has years of experience with old and new cars. They can send a mechanic to look at any car in any location throughout the US.