FTC Tips for Buying a Used Car

• Check out the car’s repair record, maintenance costs, and safety and mileage ratings in consumer magazines or online. Look up the "blue book" value, and be prepared to negotiate the price.

• Buying from a dealer? Look for the Buyers Guide. It’s required by a federal regulation called the Used Car Rule.

• Make sure all oral promises are written into the Buyers Guide.

• You have the right to see a copy of the dealer’s warranty before you buy.

• Warranties are included in the price of the product; service contracts cost extra and are sold separately.

• Ask for the car’s maintenance record from the owner, dealer, or repair shop.

• Test drive the car on hills, highways, and in stop-and-go traffic.

• Have the car inspected by a mechanic you hire.

• Check out the dealer with local consumer protection officials.

• If you buy a car "as is," you’ll have to pay for anything that goes wrong after the sale.

• The Used Car Rule generally doesn’t apply to private sales.

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit www.ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.