Get the Full Service History When Buying a Used Vehicle

Buying a used car can be a gamble. When sellers can provide a full service history of a used vehicle, you are more likely to be satisfied with your purchase.

A full service history can include many things. One service history item is the receipts for oil changes. Knowing if a car had the oil changed every 10,000 kilometers will let you know that the engine has been well maintained. It also lets you know if the owner of the vehicle was responsible in maintaining the car.

Other service history items include having regular tune-ups done on the car. These regular tune-ups often fix minor problems before they become major problems. If a vehicle that you are buying has had regular tune ups, the likelihood of it being a "lemon" is much lower.

Previous services should include having the transmission serviced and having the radiator flushed. These often are included in the tune-ups. Try to find out if the air conditioner has been serviced on a regular basis as well. Having the car aligned will help keep front-end suspension parts from wearing quickly. Find out if the car has had this done on a regular basis.

Finally, try to find out if the car has been involved in a wreck, flood, or fire. Vehicles that have suffered these problems may suffer big problems later. Also try to find out if the vehicle has ever been classified as a salvage vehicle. If it has, you may want to pass on buying it.