Before making an offer, we suggest taking the following precautions:
Print a copy of our Used vehicle buyer's checklist to help you make an informed decision when shopping for a used vehicle. If anything causes you concern or if you feel pressured into buying the vehicle, walk away from the sale.
If you choose to inspect the vehicle yourself, you can divide your inspection into three parts:
As suggested in the Used vehicle buyer's checklist , you may want a professional mechanic to do an inspection and look under the hood.
If the vehicle has been in any crashes, you can also have a licensed auto body shop take a look at the vehicle to make sure it is still structurally safe. These experts can often tell if the vehicle has been in any crashes or has been rebuilt and, if so, that the work was done properly.
The seller may have an inspection report for you to help you feel more comfortable. Make sure it is from a designated inspection facility. Even if the seller has a report, it is still a good idea to take the vehicle to an inspection facility. It is always wise to do your own research. Buyer beware!
A lien is a legal claim that one person has made on someone else's property. A lien may be placed on a vehicle by a person or bank as collateral to make sure the vehicle's owner honours a debt.
If you buy vehicle with a lien on it and the previous owner doesn't pay the debt, the vehicle can be repossessed from you.
In B.C., liens are registered with the Personal Property Registry in Victoria.
You can have a lien search done by:
You can also get Canada-wide lien information, which includes B.C. results, by ordering a CARFAX Canada
vehicle history report.
Although the seller may have maintenance records and receipts, it's still a good idea to do your own research.
A vehicle history report can tell you a lot about a vehicle, such as whether it has had a damage claim (if records are available).