186320 208 Cars & Transportation Buying & Selling a Car Buying a Car true Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:03:18 -0700 /system/videos/3/44/01/26/260144.flv DIY, Instructional, tutorial, Do It Yourself, Tips, Essential Skills, Learn to, cars, car, auto How To Avoid Buying a “Lemon” http://www.howcast.com/videos/186320-How-To-Avoid-Buying-a-Lemon http://www.howcast.com/videos/186320-How-To-Avoid-Buying-a-Lemon/edit approved 152 640 360 <object width="425" height="273" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" id="howcastplayer"><param name="movie" value="http://www.howcast.com/flash/howcast_player.swf?file=186320"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.howcast.com/flash/howcast_player.swf?file=186320" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="273" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" ></embed></object> 0 natewood http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/186320/Picture_1_xxlarge_maintained_aspect.png 1118 false false false 72710 0 18 Step http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/186320/18.jpg Look inside Start with the interior. If there’s lots of wear-and-tear on what you can plainly see, there’s likely even more where you can’t.

]]> 72711 1 26 Tip Be thorough—if there are seat covers, look beneath them.

]]> 72712 2 29 Step http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/186320/29.jpg Check for mismatched paint Check the car’s doorjambs and the underside of the hood; if you see mismatched paint, the car’s probably been repainted—and that’s a sign it’s sustained major body damage.

]]> 72713 3 40 Step http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/186320/40.jpg Check for oil or water spills Check the ground for any oil or water spills that could signal pricey mechanical problems.

]]> 72714 4 46 Step http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/186320/46.jpg Look at the tires Stand behind the car and see if its front and rear tires line up correctly, and if the body is angled properly. If not, the frame is bent, likely due to an accident.

]]> 72715 5 58 Step http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/186320/58.jpg Check for rust Rust is a sign of trouble to come. Once it starts, it’s pretty much unstoppable and will devour the car from the inside out. Check under the mats or carpet in the back seat and trunk; the rear is most susceptible rust.

]]> 72716 6 73 Step http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/186320/73.jpg Check the odometer Average mileage is 12,000 to 15,000 miles a year, so do the math. If the mileage seems incredibly low, the odometer may have been tampered with.

]]> 72717 7 85 Step http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/186320/85.jpg Look under the hood You don’t need to be a mechanic to spot red flags—look for cracks or tears in hoses and belts, and check for any leaks or drips. You shouldn’t see any fluid under the hood at all.

]]> 72718 8 97 Tip Beware of vehicles that have been damaged in floods—look for dried mud in crevices under the hood, the hardest area to clean up afterward.

]]> 72719 9 104 Step http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/186320/104.jpg Hit the road Take the car for a test drive. When you accelerate, check for smoke and odd noises, like clinking or clanging. Stop and start a few times to test the brakes.

]]> 72720 10 115 Step http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/186320/115.jpg Consult an expert Ask the seller if you can get the car checked by a mechanic. If the seller hesitates, walk away!

]]> 72721 11 123 Step http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/186320/123.jpg Head online Before you write that check, use the car’s vehicle identification number (or VIN) to get a detailed vehicle history—including accidents, flood damage, and indications of odometer tampering—from one of the many online sites that provide this service for a low cost.

]]> 72722 12 141 Fact More than 200,000 vehicles were submerged after Hurricane Katrina—and about 10% of those are still being sold today.

]]> 208 201931 How To Choose a New Car AssignmentGuide 994 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:17:31 -0700 8 BatSquid_Studios ]]> 100 http://media.howcast.com/system/videos/2/31/19/20/201931.flv DIY, Instructional, tutorial, Do It Yourself, Tips, Essential Skills, Learn to, cars, car, auto Cars & Transportation Buying & Selling a Car Buying a Car 2 http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/201931/thumbnail_xxlarge_maintained_aspect.gif http://www.howcast.com/videos/201931-How-To-Choose-a-New-Car 208 212526 How To Check Your Vehicle’s History AssignmentGuide 1826 Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:05:51 -0700 4 jamiep ]]> 98 http://media.howcast.com/system/videos/6/26/25/21/212526.flv DIY, Instructional, tutorial, Do It Yourself, Tips, Essential Skills, Learn to, cars, car, auto Cars & Transportation Buying & Selling a Car Buying a Car 0 http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/212526/Picture_6_xxlarge_maintained_aspect.png http://www.howcast.com/videos/212526-How-To-Check-Your-Vehicles-History 208 217921 How To Get the Best Deal on a New Car AssignmentGuide 776 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:47:33 -0700 0 Nminors ]]> 140 http://media.howcast.com/system/videos/0/19/47/26/264719.flv cars, automobile, vehicle, transportation, buying, salesman, negotiating, deals, bargains, price Cars & Transportation Buying & Selling a Car Buying a Car 0 http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/217921/deal_on_new_car_xxlarge_maintained_aspect.png http://www.howcast.com/videos/217921-How-To-Get-the-Best-Deal-on-a-New-Car 211 165651 How To Sell a Car Online AssignmentGuide 759 Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:33:05 -0700 6 codypomera ]]> 130 http://media.howcast.com/system/videos/3/51/56/16/165651.flv cars, automobile, auto, selling, online, Ebay, internet, craigslist, auctioning Cars & Transportation Buying & Selling a Car Selling a Car 1 http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/165651/Picture_4_xxlarge_maintained_aspect.png http://www.howcast.com/videos/165651-How-To-Sell-a-Car-Online 211 185727 How To Disguise a Lemon AssignmentGuide 1062 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 07:32:16 -0700 1 natewood ]]> 131 http://media.howcast.com/system/videos/5/30/85/23/238530.flv DIY, Instructional, tutorial, Do It Yourself, Tips, Essential Skills, Learn to, cars, car, auto Cars & Transportation Buying & Selling a Car Selling a Car 1 http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/185727/Picture_1_xxlarge_maintained_aspect.png http://www.howcast.com/videos/185727-How-To-Disguise-a-Lemon 201 217098 How To Speak Like a Boater AssignmentGuide 408 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:32:13 -0800 2 tuliplilly ]]> 113 http://media.howcast.com/system/videos/0/14/00/28/280014.flv DIY, Instructional, tutorial, Do It Yourself, Tips, Essential Skills, Learn to, transportation, boats, boating, boat, sail, sailing, speedboat, yacht, speak, speaking, lingo, language, jargon, learn, learning, talk, talking, use, using Cars & Transportation Boats & Boating General Boats & Boating 0 http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/217098/SpeakLikeBoater_xxlarge_maintained_aspect.png http://www.howcast.com/videos/217098-How-To-Speak-Like-A-Boater 216 31413 How To Clean Leather Seats AssignmentGuide 18695 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 15:00:49 -0700 17 88al88 ]]> 123 http://media.howcast.com/system/videos/4/13/14/03/31413.flv DIY, Instructional, tutorial, Do It Yourself, Tips, Essential Skills, Learn to, car, cars, maintenance Cars & Transportation Car Maintenance & Repair Car Cleaning & Detailing 2 http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/31413/still_xxlarge_maintained_aspect.jpg http://www.howcast.com/videos/31413-How-To-Clean-Leather-Seats 216 53851 How To Clean Vinyl Car Interior AssignmentGuide 4664 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 08:15:34 -0700 8 BatSquid_Studios ]]> 105 http://media.howcast.com/system/videos/0/51/38/05/53851.flv DIY, Instructional, tutorial, Do It Yourself, Tips, Essential Skills, Learn to, car, maintenance, automobile Cars & Transportation Car Maintenance & Repair Car Cleaning & Detailing 1 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http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/177900/Picture_2_xxlarge_maintained_aspect.png http://www.howcast.com/videos/177900-How-To-Vacuum-Your-Car 218 1527 How To Check Your Oil AssignmentGuide 3910 Wed, 13 Feb 2008 11:49:51 -0800 9 jmac ]]> 127 http://media.howcast.com/system/videos/1/27/15/1527.flv automobile, car, check, DIY, Do It Yourself, Essential Skills, Instructional, Learn to, maintenance, oil, Tips, tutorial Cars & Transportation Car Maintenance & Repair Car Maintenance 4 http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/1527/Picture_11_xxlarge_maintained_aspect.png http://www.howcast.com/videos/1527-How-To-Check-Your-Oil 218 1567 How To Change Your Air Filter AssignmentGuide 4339 Thu, 14 Feb 2008 08:57:00 -0800 8 jmac ]]> 86 http://media.howcast.com/system/videos/6/67/15/1567.flv air, air filter, auto, automobile, car, DIY, Do It Yourself, Essential Skills, filter, Instructional, Learn to, Tips, tutorial Cars & Transportation Car Maintenance & Repair Car Maintenance 0 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