About Used Cars

This is short and sweet.

Here’s lesson 101 on what not to do when buying a used car!

‘Nuff Said.

The internet has made it virtually easy to buy a used car. With tools like CARFAX reports, Kelly Blue Book values, Edmunds reliability ratings, Government sites that list vehicle fuel economy and more consumers can caught up in information overload and forget about the old fashioned basics.

The old fashioned practice of “kicking the tire” and going with your gut seem to place a distant third, fourth or fifth when buying a car. After all, who can kick a tire of a car bought through eBay that is shipped hundreds of miles to your door? Don’t let technology replace the human factor when buying a used car.

Here are a few old fashioned car buying basics that worked back in the stone age:

1. Actually test drive the used car. Shopping online is fine, but you won’t be able to tell if the car smells like a dog pound if you don’t get into it.
2. Bring it to a trusted mechanic. Don’t let CARFAX make that determination for you. Although CARFAX is a great tool, it is not all knowing and all telling. CARFAX can only report information that was available and reported to them. Some things are just not public knowledge (like the back door must be jimmied in order for it to open).
3. Trust your gut. Too many times we allow the used car sales person, online information and our desire for the car to cloud our judgment. After researching, driving and inspecting the car, spend some quiet time. If you give yourself enough time, that quiet little voice, or feeling in the pit of your stomach can help you to determine if you should buy the car.

Remember, technology is there to help you make the decision, not make the car buying decision for you.

While Toyota is working on its issues with sticky accelerator pedals and floor mat entrapment, Honda has its own headaches.

They have recently announced that they will recall an additional 379,758 US vehicles to fix the driver side airbag. Apparently there is a problem with the airbag inflator which may cause it to deploy using too much force thus causing injury or even death to the driver.

Honda first issued a recall in 2009 which affected some 2001 and 2002 model year cars, but recently they expanded the recall to include the 2001 and 2002 Accord, Civic, Odyssey, CR-V and some 2002 Acura TL, Honda Pilot and Acura CL vehicles.

Find out if Your Honda is Affected

Honda is working diligently to notify drivers of the recall. They are sending notifications by mail. If you’re not willing to wait for your mail notification, you can go online to find out if your car is affected.

Honda owners can find out more about Honda recalls by visiting the Honda Recall  website or calling 800-999-1009. Similarly, Acura owners can learn more about Acura recalls by visiting the Acura recall  website or calling 800-382-2238.

Make sure to have your vehicle identification number (VIN) when visiting the site to obtain information specific to your vehicle.

Fixing the Airbag Problem

If your vehicle requires repair, make an appointment with the nearest authorized Honda dealership to have the defect repaired as soon as possible.