Purchasing a vehicle can be fun and exciting. Getting caught up in the fever of acquiring a new set of wheels can be easy. Here are a few recommendations to protect yourself during this process.
- If a person tells you they work for a dealer and you’re not at their place of business, ask to verify their dealer license. Illegal car dealers may tell you they work for a legitimate dealer. Verify this by making a phone call, especially if you are considering purchasing from someone you met via an online advertisement, such as Facebook Marketplace.
- Always ask to see the vehicle title. All vehicles are required to be titled in the State of Vermont. You cannot register a vehicle without the certificate of title; selling a vehicle without a title is illegal. Don’t get conned if the person tells you the title is at home or being held up at the bank. No title, no sale!
- Ask if the vehicle has ever been branded as salvaged, rebuilt, or totaled, and check to see if the title is marked as such. Vehicles branded as salvaged, rebuilt, totaled, flooded, reconstructed, etc., are worth approximately 50% of the book value for the exact vehicle without a branded title. It is illegal to sell a vehicle in Vermont without disclosing this verbally and in writing on the bill of sale and other pertinent sale documents before the sale is made.
- Ask if the vehicle’s odometer reading is accurate. If a vehicle’s odometer reading is inaccurate, it must be declared True Mileage Unknown. If the mileage is unknown, vehicles are generally worth approximately 50% of their book value. Furthermore, a vehicle in Vermont cannot be inspected if the odometer does not function properly.
- Ask if you can have your mechanic look at the vehicle. It never hurts to have a properly trained auto technician look over a vehicle before making your purchase. This can save you time, money, and frustration and will ensure the vehicle is safe and meets all Vermont safety inspection requirements.
- Check the vehicle’s inspection sticker. If the vehicle displays a Vermont inspection sticker, check to ensure it is valid and has been assigned to the vehicle it is affixed to. By looking at the sticker inside the car, you can verify it belongs to the car you’re considering buying by comparing the make, year, and vehicle identification number.
- If you are buying a vehicle from a dealer, make sure the vehicle displays a “Buyer’s Guide.” Federal and Vermont law require all used vehicles to display a Buyer’s Guide in one of its windows when being offered for sale. The Buyer’s Guide will tell you whether or not the vehicle has any type of warranty or is being sold “as is.” “As is,” means exactly that, and if you have a problem after the sale has been finalized, you have little recourse.
- Run a Carfax, AutoCheck, or similar online vehicle inquiry. Although Vermont DMV does not endorse any particular online vehicle history vendor, we believe using one can be a viable tool when considering a vehicle purchase. These reports will generally provide a comprehensive history of a vehicle and warn a prospective buyer of potential problems, such as branded titles, odometer issues, and prior crashes.
- Ask the seller if the vehicle you are considering has ever been in a crash. Just because a vehicle title isn’t branded doesn’t mean it’s never been in a collision. A vehicle involved in a crash may not have ever been declared a total loss by an insurance carrier. In these cases, the title will still be free of any brands. If a vehicle has been in a crash, it could have potential structural integrity problems and should be checked by a certified automotive technician to ensure it is safe.
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