How to Buy a Used Car and
Not Get Taken

4. Open the doors
Do they creak, moan, or make other abnormal sounds? Do they seem somewhat difficult to open? These may be signs of severe body damage.

5. Crab test
If you have an opportunity to drive behind the car, notice whether or not it appears to be moving slightly sideways like a crab. If it does, this is frequently a sign of frame damage. A major concern related to frame damage is that it can affect the alignment, and that ultimately could be a major safety problem.

Ask to Nave the Car Checked by "Car Fax "
There is a national service available to dealers in a majority of states called "Car Fax." This is a service that car dealers can use to determine if a car has been designated by an insurance company as a "totaled" (totally wrecked, beyond repair) vehicle.

All they have to do is call in the Vehicle Identification Number, and Car Fax can make the check within minutes. In many states when an insurance company decides that a wrecked car is beyond repair or "totaled," the automobile's title is marked "salvage," meaning that it may have some parts and components that can be salvaged and used as spare parts.

As a buyer in a state that demands wrecked cars be marked "salvage," you should insist that the dealer check any car you might

Note: Car dealers are not permitted to hold you hostage as a means of persuading you to buy their car. But some have been known to do exactly that!
According to a weekly tabloid report, a couple was actually held hostage in a dealership. As the offending dealer said, "We don't have guns. We don't put people up against the wall." Maybe not, but they did refuse to return the couple's car keys, which they had given to the salesman so that their car's trade-in value could be assessed.