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