| Q. Why are you selling the car? | | | | performed at the dealership? Dealer service |
| | | | is most expensive, and is usually of high |
| A. This is potentially the most important | | | | quality. Has the owner claimed lots of recent |
| question in your telephone conversation. You | | | | service, but has no receipts? Be suspicious. |
| can learn a lot about the car -- and a lot | | | | |
| about the owner. If the owner says he has | | | | Q. What recent work has been done to the car? |
| been transferred and has to start work in | | | | |
| Denver the following week, there's a chance | | | | A. This question gives you a snapshot of the |
| this is a legitimate distress sale. That's an | | | | car's maintenance history. If you're looking |
| opportunity to get a bargain. On the other | | | | at a car that's only one or two years old, |
| hand, beware of implausible answers. If the | | | | don't be concerned if nothing has been done |
| car is a Chevy Camaro, and the seller said it | | | | recently. It just hasn't reached the point |
| belonged to his mother, think twice. You can | | | | where things have started breaking. |
| uncover such discrepancies in you Carfax | | | | |
| history search. | | | | Q. Are you the original owner? |
| | | | |
| Q. What condition is the car in? | | | | A. This question is basic and |
| | | | self-explanatory. It's a good opener when |
| A. This is an obvious question. But the way | | | | responding to a classified or web ad. If the |
| the owner answer this question can tell you a | | | | owner isn't the original owner, don't forget |
| lot about how well the car has been | | | | the corollary: how long have you owned the |
| maintained. As you listen, take notes of all | | | | car? There are two important things to be |
| the problems, so you can refer to them should | | | | gleaned from this. One, how well does the |
| you go ahead with a test drive. Your list | | | | owner know the car in question? Two, you can |
| will also be helpful if you take the car to a | | | | test the veracity of the response by |
| mechanic for a professional inspection. | | | | performing a [[linkurl=http://www.carfax.com |
| | | | ]Carfax [/link]vehicle history check. Any |
| Q. What Color is the Car? | | | | discrepancies should cast a deep shadow on |
| | | | the value of the car. The biggest problem is |
| A. This is a deceptively important question. | | | | weekend auto dealers posing as owners. They |
| Some cars just have hideous colors. Ford | | | | buy cheap and sell quick, passing along |
| Aspires from the late 1990s, for instance, | | | | undisclosed problems to the new owner. |
| were made in a variety of revolting "nail | | | | |
| polish" shades. Audi and Lincoln both have | | | | Q. Does it have any rust? |
| pearly off-whites which many admire, but | | | | |
| which some guys find too feminine. So ask | | | | A. In Boston, where I live, all cars rust |
| first. Plus, this is a good car to open the | | | | out. It's just a matter of time. Even |
| conversation with the owner and get a sense | | | | well-made luxury cars like Mercedes will |
| of how chatty he or she is. | | | | eventually succumb to the red cancer. The |
| | | | same goes for other areas of the country that |
| A word or two about colors. Black cars are | | | | get lots of snow. |
| extremely hard to keep good-looking. Red cars | | | | |
| do sometimes attract attention from the | | | | So the question of rust is crucial. All cars |
| police. And if you really don't like the | | | | will eventually corrode. When you inspect the |
| color of a used car, you may find yourself | | | | car, you may not see everything. Asking the |
| unhappy with it not matter how well it | | | | owner can point you towards potential |
| performs. (Ask me about my 1998 Audi A4 in | | | | problems. |
| pearlescent white.) | | | | |
| | | | But don't overreact. If you're buying a |
| Q. Do you have receipts for recent service? | | | | 10-year-old commuter, some surface rust won't |
| | | | make any difference. For that matter, neither |
| A. A conscientious owner who has maintained | | | | will a big hole in the bottom of the driver's |
| the car will will have receipts. If you | | | | door. Your mechanic will tell you if the |
| inspect the car, take 15 minutes to go | | | | chassis has been weakened in any way. |
| through the receipts. See where the work was | | | | |
| done and whether it is consistent with the | | | | As with other questions, the owner's response |
| owner's description of recent work. Are there | | | | will give you a clue about how well the car |
| records of regular oil changes? Was service | | | | has been maintained. |