Buying a used car is unquestionably a more affordable choice than buying a brand new vehicle. If you find a used vehicle in good condition, it could serve as your primary form of transportation for many years.
Unfortunately, not every used vehicle is in great condition. When you buy a used vehicle from a dealership, you may want to do your own review of the vehicle history because the dealership might try to hide certain previous ownership records from you. They might lie about the vehicle’s history to convince you to make the purchase or pay more than you otherwise might.
What sort of details might the dealership hide?
A history as a rental or loaner vehicle
Thousands of vehicles previously rented out to business people and tourists by big companies end up on the used car market every year. Most people are often far less conscientious and cautious with a rental vehicle than they are with their own.
Vehicles previously included in a rental fleet may have more overall wear and tear than a single-owner vehicle with the same number of miles. Additionally, the company that ran the rental fleet may not have invested as much in maintenance or repairs and may simply have sold the vehicle when issues arose with it.
A salvage title
If the vehicle was previously declared a total loss and has since undergone extensive repairs, it won’t be worth as much as a vehicle that has never had structural damage. Car dealerships or individual salespeople may lie about the history of a vehicle to trick someone into a transaction then the vehicle is really worth.
Recognizing the different kinds of fraud and non-disclosure that can affect a used car purchase can help you make a smarter decision at the dealership.