" How to Protect Yourself in 7 Easy Steps When Buying a Used Car. "
These tips will prevent frustration down the road and save you money.

It’s important to thoroughly check out any used car you intend to buy. Even one with a good reliability record can be a problem if it hasn’t been properly maintained.

In general, with used vehicles, you want to avoid paying thousands of dollars for problems caused by the previous owner. You also don’t want to buy a used car with hidden damage from a crash, a flood, or some other incident that might affect its safety and performance.

Although car prices have softened since the heights reached in 2022 and 2023, they are still high. The average used-vehicle listing price in early February 2025 was $25,128, according to Cox Automotive, which is close to what it was in February 2024. Buying a problematic car will just add to your expenses.

Consumer Reports’ auto and finance experts have devised savvy tips to ensure that you’re getting a good used car. Remember that when buying a new or used car from a dealership, before anything else, you should carefully double-check the agreement and all the numbers.

More information at:
https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/buying-a-car/how-to-protect-yourself-when-buying-a-used-car-a7040550851/

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