When in the market for a second hand car, there are a few guidelines that you must follow.

If you are buying from a used car dealership, you must find a reputable one! Far and few between here in South Florida!

Check the dealership out with the Better Business Bureau. Check to see if anyone has filed a complaint about getting stuck with a lemon.

Find out about their policy on test drives and having the automobile checked out by your own mechanic. Your own mechanic will be the true test of an automobile. He or she will thoroughly check out the vehicle for you.

Find out if they have a return policy. (In case a few days after you purchase the automobile, you find mechanical problems.)

Also go online and check out the vehicle identification number against any missing, stolen or ’’totaled’’ cars.

Sometimes unreputable dealers will purchase lemons or totaled cars, repair them to look and sound good (to the eye) and then sell them as Good used cars.


When buying a used car from a friend or stranger through an ad in the newspaper or auto trade magazines. The most important thing is again, have your own mechanic check it out thoroughly before handing over you hard earned cash.

Most states in the U.S. have lemon laws which somewhat protect the buyer. If you purchase a car that has any problems, the dealer must state up front that there are problems, and/or have them repaired for you before you take title of the vehicle.

As with anything you purchase, it’s up to you to check out everything as thoroughly as possible before your purchase.

Remember the old saying, ’’when you purchase something used, you may be getting someone else’s problem’’

But then again, you may be lucky as my dad was. He purchased a used car and it runs better than some of the new ones!

Good luck!