Aloha, and thank you for letting me take up a few minuites of your life to read this months blog! You might even save yourself a headache and a bunch of money, you can thank me later with a plate lunch!

For the month of May I decided to talk a little bit about the topic of purchasing a “used vehicle”. I felt that this would be a great subject matter to talk about because of the fact that I had just recently purchased a second car in April. I needed a second car to drive to and from work instead of putting a ton of milage on the first car that I had purchased back in 06. Furthermore, I found that it was quite difficult to find what I was looking for. I also felt that I did my fair share of searching and wasting time looking at cars that I thought was a “good buy” However, the main focus of this months topic was aimed towards helping anyone who was looking for a used reliable vehicle. I also found out that it was very difficult to purchase a decent used vehicle because of the amount of shady people that are selling them in Hawaii.

I have always been passionate about cars since I was little, but mainly on imports. I have worked with cars for almost 8 years now. I’ve built a few motors, swapped out motors, blown them up, turbocharged them, chipped and tuned them. I have deconstructed cars down to their shell and have built them back up etc, you get the idea. I also used to race them back when Hawaii still had a raceway park. I also fix multi million dollar military aircrafts as a full time job, so with that being said feel free to test my credibility.

With that being said, almost everyone in Hawaii drives a vehicle, owns one, or knows someone with one, but when the thought of buying a “used” vehicle crosses a buyers mind it becomes very unclear as to which important questions they should ask or in most cases the questions become overlooked. Here are just some of the questions that come to mind as I write this blog:

• Don’t be a retard when looking at a vechile! ask the basic questions! bring a pencil and paper with you to write stuff down!
• Mileage, any accidents?, clear or salvage title, AC?, make sure the VIN#’s all match, any recent maintenance done, etc
• Typically, if something is too good to be true, it probably is and your probably wasting your time, you DON’T want to purchase someone elses problem!!
• By asking good questions and looking at the vehile you can determine if the seller is trying to hide something he doesen’t want you to find.
• If something is too good to be true, you probably haven’t discovered the problem that the seller is trying to hide.
• If you have questions that you feel your seller should be able to answer ASK AWAY!
• If the seller is too shady in answering the questions you have then simply look for another vehicle!
• Always look for RUST when inspecting a vehicle this is a sign that there was damage, or something that was replaced or re-welded. 
• Never rush into buying a car, it’s best to look at a few before you decide on a car you want to buy.
• Never buy a used vehicle for its bluebook, unless you have throughly inspected it through a mechanic.
• You are buying a used auto, it will not be flawless, don’t get to picky! if that was the case go purchase a brand new one!
• Never pay in cash, make sure that you have a record of the transaction for yourself.
• Be sure to ask the seller for any receipts or service records that the car has  gone through i.e timing belt, tires changed/rotated, maintenance etc.
• Most importantly, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, TEST DRIVE the vehicle before you buy it.

Check the alignment of the front bumper. It should be even on both sides, make sure that the gap between the hood and the front bumper are even. If you suspect something simply ask the seller if the car has ever been in a front end accident. If you find something that is off, or mis-aligned just look harder! Also look at the gap between the headlights, hood and fender, is it aligned properly?

Check the tires for thread ware, they should be waring evenly and not cambered (where the inner tires are angled inward and waring unevenly), you don’t want to have to spend another $500 on a new set of tires. If the tires are balding on the inner side of the tire, the car will need an alignment. It is a hint to look into, maybe this car was hit on this side  and the frame is tweaked? Keep this in mind when test driving the vehicle, does the car pull to the left or right? does it drive stright when you freeload the steering wheel? If it pulls to either side you will need a new tire alignment done which will cost you around $80!

Ask the seller “if ALL of the panels and glass are ORIGINAL” they should tell you yes and if not ask WHY? A few nics and small dents don’t hurt when buying a “used vehicle” like I said, If you wanted a flawless car go buy a new one! Look at where the front windshield meets the trip above the door. Does it look pryed or replaced? This can be a sign that the cars front windshield was replaced. If it looks replaced, or newly changed or coming up ask WHY!

Look down the body of the vechile, is it stright? are the doors evenly displaced?

Don’t be lazy, get down under the car and look if everything is there. Can you see anything leaking or dripping from under the engine? Is the frame damaged? Look good you would be suprised at the things that I have seen.

Look at the roof, just because it has a sunroof, doesen’t mean it works! Don’t be lazy, test it out and make sure it works, check the sides of the moonroof because this is a common spot where rust starts to form. Make sure ALL of the windows work, NEVER ASSUME!

Like I said before, don’t be lazy, get down under the car and look if anything is leaking.

Open the door and check the door jams, can you see overspray? does the colors even match accordingly? Keep these questions in mind when taking a peek.

Turn the car on, does the mileage match what the seller has stated? You would be suprised… While your in their check that the AC works, is it cold? Does the radio and all of the options equiped work aswell? Ask yourself these questions when inspecting a vehicle.

Look inside of the door jam, does the year, model, and vin number match the registration and title? Again you would be suprised… If they look altered don’t waste your time.

Look under the hood, inside the engine bay. Is it clean and free from leaks? Keep a rag handy, is their even oil in the car? is it black or fresh looking? Look inside, in back of the front bumper, is their any damage? Look inside of the fenders, are these panels really originals or is the underside of the fenders another color? This will let you know if anything was replaced or in an accident. You would be suprised…

Are all the sensors connected or are some broken?

Be very certain that the vins match, their should be 3 total (maybe more depending on vehicle). One on the engine front firewall under the hood, one on the dashboard and one on the passenger door jam, make sure they ALL match if any of them don’t match something is wrong.

Does the front end look stright? are the fenders stright? Also be sure to look on the glass for paint overspray, this is a sign that something was replaced.

2003 Nissan Maxima SE.

Overall, I hope that this article has made you more aware of the things to look for when buying a “used vehicle”. You may find some things wrong with the vehicle that you want but atleast you now have a better perspective at gauging the pros and cons on the vehicle you are spending your hard earned dollar for. I have looked at a few cars here in Hawaii that turned out to be a complete waste of time but I got lucky and waited around for a good deal to come my way because one of the worst things you can do when buying a used car is rushing into it and buying someone elses problem. I just feel sorry for the people who don’t know or are unaware of the things that are out there. Will in doubt! hire someone or bring a friend along to look at the vehicle!

I hope I have saved you a headache and maybe even some money. Please feel free to comment, it is greatly appreciated!

Aloha,
Kalen K.