In the process of buying a used vehicle? Are concerns of finding one that is trouble free skipping across your mind? Here are important things to pay attention to when you are looking to make your next purchase decision.

Many people have an idea of the year and model of the vehicle they are looking for. However, because most people do not buy vehicles for a living, they are not sure what to watch for concerning the mechanical shape. Some of this is obvious, some is not so obvious.

Some places to look are common sense and highly informative: the interior, how clean is it? How damaged? What is working and what is not working? Be sure to check things like the wipers even if it is not raining, and the air conditioning even if it's cool outside. Adjust the power seats, power mirrors and any other adjustable items to ensure they are functional.

Don't forget to look at the dash to see if any warning indicator lights stay on. Take notice of things like the glass and the upholstery for cracks and tears. Is it possible that the odometer had been disconnected? Though a disconnected odometer is rare, it does happen; a worn steering wheel and driver seat showing wear beyond the indicated kilometers may clue you to this problem. As the buyer you do not have to be afraid of anything you find, but you want to be able to connect as many dots as possible in order to get a clear picture as to the true condition and value of the vehicle under consideration before you buy it.

Get out of the vehicle and walk around it. I suggest going from the driver or passenger door away from the engine making the engine compartment the last stop. This allows you to pay due attention to the rest of the vehicle prior to seeing the ‘heart' of it. (To many, once the motor has been seen the whole vehicle has been seen and so proper attention is lost) By getting out of the vehicle and walking down the side of it to the back you keep an eye open for the door dings, the scratches, and the wear marks. Take notice of the condition of the tires and decide if they need to be replaced. If you make this purchase, how soon after will you be able to afford repairs? A general rule is if you don't want to do repairs, or if you are not mechanically minded, you need the things you can see to be in the best shape possible. Sometimes buying an older vehicle just because you think you cannot afford a newer vehicle (or the longer term debt) only to regret the constant cost of repairs, down time, and beating yourself up for the poor decision are not worth the stress of being cheap. Do not be afraid to look at a newer and more reliable vehicle, as often the monthly budget may allow you to drive something dependable that you are proud of as opposed to two or three beaters that you are always making payments and repairs on anyway.

While touring the outside, look into the trunk (or under the box), ensuring that the spare tire and jack are in place. You may want to check that all the lights are working, including the park, brake, back-up and signal lights. Pay attention to the paint, over spray touching trim, inconsistency in the finish or how well the individual panels line up may lead you to insightfully inquire into the nature of any accidents the vehicle had been in. A glance at the opening of a tail pipe can tell you if the motor is running clean or possibly indicate a problem. If the pipe interior is blackened and sooty, this often indicates that the motor is burning too much fuel or oil. It's good to see that the tail pipe is clean.

Looking under the vehicle and at the lower panels can indicate to you a number of things as well. Has the vehicle been driven on gravel? This may not matter to some but most think it matters how much gravel this vehicle has had and how rough it has been driven. Had it been undercoated? Has the bottom front end hit anything hard (showing dents in the undercarriage)? Does it look like it has been used for off-road driving? Many four-wheel drives are used seldom, however some are used regularly for work and play and need to be purchased accordingly. Looking under the vehicle can also tell you if you may need to replace leaking seals. Some are not very expensive to replace while the seal on the back of the motor could be quite expensive and you would definitely like to know about it before you make a purchase decision.

Now at the front of the vehicle, looking in at the motor, it is a common practice to check the oil levels (though the dealer may have already done this). Checking the fluid levels of both the motor and the automatic transmission can indicate to you if the oils have not been changed, or if they have been running low recently. Both of these are unreliable unless something is obviously and glaringly wrong (say no oil on the dipstick or it is very thick and dirty or if the transmission oil smells burnt). A glance around the inside of the hood may indicate to you if the vehicle had been in a collision of some sort as dents on the interior fender wells may still show damages while the exterior of the vehicle had been repaired.

Listening to the motor and its accessories while it is running and the hood is open will let you know if things are running smoothly, and how well the vehicle starts. Driving the vehicle is what tells you if things are working properly. When test driving a used vehicle, pay attention to how the vehicle brakes, if it pulls to the right or to the left, how well the transmission shifts, and how tight the steering is. During the test drive is also a good time to do many of the interior checks mentioned earlier.

If gas mileage is very important to you, ask if you might take the vehicle for an extended drive. Purchasing a vehicle that you are dependent upon for good mileage only to find out that this unit is particularly hard on petroleum and your monthly fuel bill doubles instead of drops is tough to take. Obviously you must be sure that this is the vehicle you want and that you don't mind filling up the tank in order to measure it's mileage. This is a courtesy of the dealer for you to put miles on a vehicle that is still theirs, and a courtesy of yourself to not return the vehicle more used and empty of fuel should you decide that you do not want it.

Remember to pay attention to what the seller is telling you as well. In the course of buying a vehicle a seller may list all the things that have been repaired. This is very insightful information to know, and you want to know all that has been done to the vehicle (so if they don't remember to tell you, ask). This information may tell you if the vehicle has been well maintained. For example if the brakes have been done, warranty work has been done, recalls or other such items repaired you may develop a sense that the vehicle has been well maintained. If, on the other hand, the list of repairs is quite extensive, you may realize that this vehicle has been abused or it is a lemon or the owner has been playing with it and compromising it's original functionality. Any of the latter demerits are not necessarily advice to not purchase the vehicle but rather points to consider when negotiating what you are willing to pay for this particular unit.

Every vehicle has its own personality as does every buyer, taking the time and getting to know the vehicle you are looking at can reduce the risk of having things go sour or paying too much for a vehicle that might have been purchased for considerably less. By keeping our expectations realistic we keep ourselves from being set up to take a fall. However, making the best informed decision possible will lower your risks and increase your driving satisfaction.