To avoid purchasing an unsafe car, consumers must perform thorough research. In some instances, private dealers sell unsafe cars to individuals with lower education, poor background, and limited knowledge of English. In addition, these people may not have the ability to seek out credit from other dealerships. Additionally, some cars are sold several times without undergoing necessary repair. This problem has been especially prevalent in the case of Chrysler cars. While the situation is not the same for all manufacturers, it can be very difficult to avoid buying an unsafe car.
Table of Contents
TireKickers
The debate between tire kickers and buyers of unsafe cars is not easy to answer. In fact, both methods may be equally detrimental to you. Tire kickers are largely uninterested in the car you’re looking at, and they aren’t interested in discussing any specific details. They may not even be aware of their own actions, or that they are tire kickers. However, it is still possible to convert these people into paying customers.
One way to identify tire kickers is to compare them to window shoppers. Window shoppers are generally not interested in buying a car, but they are eager to take it for a test drive. Tire kickers can be a waste of time, and if you’re a car seller, you won’t want to spend your time with them. Tire kickers waste your time and yours. They also spoil your sales metrics, and you may not be able to sell the car for as much as you thought it was advertised.
Checking recalls
Melville, NY personal injury attorneys highlight that buying a used car is risky, but you can avoid it by checking for recalls. There are more than 10 million recalls involving automobiles on the road today. In the first half of 2021, 10 million vehicles will have been subjected to a recall. As long as you purchase a car from a dealership that has an excellent reputation for safety, you can rest assured you will be buying a safe car.
You can also check for open recalls by visiting the website of the manufacturer of the vehicle. Several car makers have a page for owners. Using the registration information, manufacturers can reach out to owners. Last year, over 54 million vehicles were recalled across the country, and there are more being issued every day. Using MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool, you can see if a car you’re interested in is recalled or not.
Getting a certified pre-owned sticker
Getting a certified pre-owned sticker is an excellent idea, but the truth is that many of these vehicles are still unsafe. According to a recent study by AutoNation, one in six used vehicles in 16 metro areas had an unrepaired safety recall. Moreover, some dealerships had a higher percentage of used vehicles that were under recall than others. For example, Honda Fremont, Hyundai Denver, Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram and Fiat Johnson City, TN, and Subaru Spokane Valley, WA, all had more than one-in-six used vehicles with unrepaired safety recalls. In other words, even certified pre-owned vehicles may still have unresolved safety recalls.