Here at Toyota of Dothan, we understand that sometimes the best new car is actually a used car, but do you know all of the steps that you need to take to ensure that you have a carefree motoring experience? Because buying a car is one of the largest purchases that will make in your life, it is important to do a pre-purchase check on a used car so that you won't be spending a lot of time and money at the repair shop. While it is of utmost importance to always ask for a vehicle's history report, we have also created a checklist to help guide you through your own inspection of a used car.

Used Car Buyer's Checklist

✔ Do Your Research Before you start searching for a car, you need to make sure to ask yourself if there is a certain kind of vehicle that you are looking for. By deciding on what type of vehicle you want, there will be a specific list of inspection items to look for. When researching a type of vehicle that you want, make sure to also find out what the common problems are for the models you are considering.

✔ Exterior Checks One of the first things you need to do is look at the body condition. Walk around the vehicle and take note of any scratches, dents and rust. Also take note of the body panels. Everything should line up evenly and the doors, hood and trunk should be able to open and close. While walking around your vehicle, also make sure to inspect the tires. All of the tires should be the same brand and should be in good condition (no cracks, bulges, scuffing or bad tread). Lastly, make sure to always check the lights. All of them should work properly and be without cracks and damages in addition to no moisture.

✔ Interior Checks When checking your interior, one of the first things you need to do is check for an odor. If it smells like mold, must or mildew that could indicate a water leak or flood damage. Additionally, you need to check the seats to see if they are worn or have any tears in the upholstery. You also need to make sure that the seats work properly and that you can get the drivers seat into the right position. Testing out the controls and instruments is also of utmost importance. Play around with them and make sure everything is working properly. Lastly, also take a look at the roof and make sure that there are no signs of staining or water leaking through a sunroof or window.

✔ Under the Hood When looking under the hood, make sure to look at the belts, hoses, fluids, oil and transmission fluid. Everything should be at its proper level and there should not be any cracks, leaks or wear. Make sure to also look underneath the vehicle to see if anything is leaking.

✔ The Test Drive Probably one of the most important parts of your inspection, you need to test drive the vehicle to make sure that everything is working properly. When starting the vehicle, take note of how long it takes for the car to start and if there are any odd noises. Make sure to take the vehicle on a variety of different roads so you can test it at all different speeds. Also be sure to see if the transmission shifts smoothly and make sure that the brakes offer good stopping power without pulling the car to either side.

✔ Paperwork and Mechanic's Inspection Before you close the deal on the car, make sure to get the vehicle identification number (VIN) and get a Vehicle History Report. Most dealers provide a report on all of their used vehicles. Additionally, make sure that a trusted repair shop scrutinizes the vehicle before you decide to purchase.

If you have any questions about what you need to do before buying a used car or would like to test-drive any used cars, please feel free to contact us or stop by Toyota of Dothan at 2285 Ross Clark Circle, Dothan, AL 36301. We are proud to serve our neighboring customers in Dothan, AL, along with customers throughout the Ozark and Enterprise, AL.