Avoiding a used-car scam is mostly about applying instinct and common sense, but it helps to go into it knowing some of the most common ways unscrupulous sellers try to get over on used-car buyers.
1) “Just Needs Freon”
If you go to your local Craigslist and start looking at used cars, it will not be long before you come across this one. The seller writes something like “A/C needs recharge” or “just needs Freon,” which is an admission the air conditioner is not working.
“Just needs Freon” more accurately translates to, “the air conditioner is broken.”
2) “Ran When Parked”
The seller will often add a phrase like “Needs an alternator,” indicating the vehicle’s problem can be easily fixed. But ask yourself this: If you wanted to sell a car that didn’t run and all it needed was an easily installed $100 part, wouldn’t you go ahead and make that repair so you could sell the car more easily and for a lot more money?
3) Odometer Fraud
There are two ways to discover this: The first is to use your own eyes and judgment, paying special attention to the level of wear on the rubber of the brake pedal, the steering wheel, and the seats. The second is to check the vehicle’s Carfax report, title transfers, and any available service records to cross-reference mileage.
4) Title Washing
If a vehicle has been destroyed by something like a flood, fire, or collision but is rebuilt to drivable condition, it is given something called a salvage title. This lets the buyer know that they are dealing with a car that has been destroyed, and are therefore taking a unique risk by purchasing it.To avoid this, research the vehicle’s history using the VIN to check its Carfax report and history of title transfers. If the story, or car, smells fishy, it probably is.
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Educative write up