As with any large purchase, buying a new car can be a strenuous task. Buying a used car can make the process seem 
even more difficult. But if done the right way, purchasing a used car does not have to drive you up a wall.
BBB has been receiving numerous inquiries and complaints regarding used car sales. Within the past year, BBB | Greater Maryland has received over 17,000 inquiries and 268 complaints. Used car dealers also ranked 5th for most complaints among all industries in the last twelve months.
Because of this incredibly high interest in the used automobile industry, BBB has provided tips for purchasing a used car and making sure you get what you pay for.
Know what you want. Before you start shopping, make a list of your desired car features, the maximum mileage and age you prefer, and price range.
Ask around. Talk with friends and family about the types of cars you are interested in and get their advice. They may also suggest where to buy from if they have experience in purchasing used cars.
Explore your options. Check out used car dealerships and websites such as Carmax.com to see what vehicles they offer and at what prices. Also check out private sellers (many used car sellers have postings in the local newspaper that you can look into) and auctions.
Double-check prices. Once you’ve found a few cars that you are interested in, use websites such as Edmunds and Kelly Blue Book to make sure the price the seller has listed is a fair price for the make, model, and year of the car.
Inspect and test drive. Go to the dealer or private owner’s house to take a look at the car and test it out – and always meet in a public area. Check for any damage and ask questions about the car’s condition, and ask for a CARFAX history report. Be especially careful if the car is sold ‘as is.’ This means that what you see is what you get when you pay for it, so make sure you are completely satisfied with what you see.
Read before you sign. When you have decided on a car, be sure to read through the agreement thoroughly before you sign anything or pay anyone. Again, be sure that the car and pricing is exactly what you want and need before you buy it.
Sign first, pay second. Do not pay anyone until you have the car’s signed title in your hand. Pay by check, not cash.
It’s yours! Once the car is in your name, notify your insurance company, get your new tags, and do whatever else is needed to get your car on the road. Make any repairs you may want or need, and make sure the car has passed inspections so that it is ready to drive.
Maryland Used Car Laws:
The seller of the used car is required by law to present a Maryland Safety Inspection Certificate for the buyer. The Certificate is valid for 90 days. Be sure and check that the car’s VIN matches the one on the certificate!
Every vehicle sold by a dealer is required by federal law to have a Buyer’s Guide sticker on it, which will tell whether the car is being sold under warranty or ‘as is.’
Cars can be sold ‘as is’ if they are more than six years old and have more than 60,000 miles on them. If these terms are untrue for a vehicle, then it is implied by warranty that it will last for a reasonable period of time.
Maryland’s lemon law does not cover used cars.
- Car sellers are not required by law to grant buyers a “cooling off” period where the customer can return the car within three days of purchase. While many dealers offer this policy, they do not have to, so make sure you understand the return agreement with the dealer you are buying from.
- Get the car’s VIN and call the Motor Vehicle Administration (1-800-950-1MVA) to request the history of the vehicle. This will show the car’s odometer reading when it previously changed hands in Maryland, and whether it has been branded as a “salvage” vehicle. Because used cars can come from other states, you may also want to request a vehicle history report from www.carfax.com or other companies found on the Internet. For a fee, these companies can trace a car’s history in a national database and reveal whether it was totaled in an accident, flood-damaged, sold at auction, had its odometer rolled back, or was bought back by a manufacturer under a lemon law.
- Be wary if a history report shows that a car was sold across state lines through an auction. Many unscrupulous auto brokers sell rebuilt wrecks or cars with rolled-back odometers through auctions.
For more tips and information on where to purchase a used car, check bbb.org.
