If you are going to be participating in any car auctions, there are some basic safety measures you need to check in order to protect yourself. Before you attend the auction, it is important to be well prepared for bidding on the cars you want to buy. For example, in addition to the physical inspection of the vehicle, you need to find out the past history of the vehicle.
Government car auctions can reduce the risk because in general, previously government-owned vehicles are well-maintained and come with full disclosure. It’s always best to check everything out regardless. In the case of repossessed or seized cars you must be sure the title history is clean and that the vehicle has not been rebuilt in any way.
The best way to do this is to get the vehicle history report. Most auctions provide a complimentary “Carfax report” and vehicle history for all their vehicles. These are usually available at least two days prior to the real auction, as this is when most government auctions provide a preview of their cars for sale. If there is not a report available, you should consider purchasing this information yourself from Carfax before auction day. The cost of these reports is around $30 and can be well worth the investment, if only for the peace of mind.
Here are some important vehicle inspection tips that you can use to check any used car, but especially important if you plan on buying a vehicle at seized car auctions. The list below is a partial checklist to check on the condition of a vehicle if you are unsure of the history.
• Tire Wear – If bald or uneven this can indicate bad alignment.
• Engine oil fluid check: Engine oil should be a smooth darker brown or black color. If not, this could indicate a costly repair.
• Check disk brakes and drums – Rust can indicate the vehicle has sat abandoned for some time (can be normal) or been flooded.
• New carpeting for no apparent reason. Could have been flooded or vehicle not well looked after.
• Obvious presentation of vehicle, scratches, dents, bad paintwork, smoke smell, etc. Follow your gut instincts. If something does not seem right, don’t buy the car.
Check with the auction house to see if you can set up an appointment to test drive a car. Sometimes it is not possible as some only allow engine running because of insurance and title reasons. It also may be a good idea to hire a mobile auto inspection service. For around $100, qualified mobile mechanics will go out to the car and examine the car.
By using common sense and doing your homework to inspect a car before any seized car auctions, you will be able to get some great deals.
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