car was repainted, try to determine if this was because the car had rust holes repaired, or was in an accident, or had defective paint to start with.
BE SMART: Get everything the dealer promises in writing. For example, if the dealer tells you, “If you have a problem in the first 90 days, just bring it back,” insist on having the promises stated precisely and reduced to a signed writing. Otherwise, if a problem does arise, you will have no proof of what the dealer said and may have difficulty enforcing the promise.
The Car’s Mileage
Anyone who sells you a car must provide a written statement showing the make and model year of the car and the odometer reading (the mileage). The statement should also say whether the mileage on the odometer is the actual mileage that the car was driven, or whether the original odometer has been replaced.
Check the mileage on the vehicle. Does it appear to be low for the year of the car? The average mileage per year is about 12,000 to 15,000 miles. This means that the average odometer reading of a four-year-old car is about 50,000 to 60,000 miles. If the mileage on the odometer is a lot lower, it is possible that the odometer has been tampered with.
Other ways of determining the true mileage of the car:
• Examine the date and the mileage indicated on the state inspection sticker located on the inside of the windshield, or on repair orders, and compare with the odometer reading.
• Examine the car’s tires. Are the original tires on the car? The original tires should still be on a car that has been driven under 30,000 or 40,000 miles. If the tires have different brand names on them and the odometer reading is low, you should question the mileage. The degree of wear on the tires (as well as on the foot pedals inside the car) may also reveal high mileage.
• If the mileage is low and the car appears to have been repainted, it is possible that the car was involved in an accident. Some cars that are declared “totaled” are sold to used-car dealers and body shops, rebuilt, and resold. Anyone who sells a car in Vermont which has been determined by an insurance company to have been totaled (or a car for which a “salvage” certificate has been issued) must inform a prospective buyer of that fact, both verbally and in writing before a sale occurs.
On Your Own, 2008 Edition 9
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