Buying and Selling
What a Pre-Purchase Inspection Should Cover
The FTC recommends an independent inspection before buying any used car, including certified ones. What to ask for, what it should find, and how to use it.
Section · 20 guides
Buying and Selling
Used car checks, dealer paperwork, recalls and getting a fair price.
Evaluate a sale vehicle through its actual condition, documents and complete transaction terms. These guides compare inspections, dealer offers, histories, warranties and selling services. A vehicle-history report or certification label does not replace a suitable independent assessment.
Confirm fees, title and lien responsibilities, return conditions and the paperwork before agreeing. Obtain relevant authority or qualified advice for legal and finance questions. No article can guarantee that a particular listing is sound, fairly priced or eligible for a specific transaction.
Budget and decision guides
20 articles
Buying and Selling
Lease Buyout Cost: Residual, Taxes, Fees and Interest
Calculate a lease buyout beyond its residual value, with Texas's published tax rule, a labeled fee worksheet and the interest from financing the purchase.
Buying and Selling
Out-of-State Used Car Shipping Costs and Purchase Budget
Estimate transport with a provider's published open-carrier ranges, then add inspection, tax, delivery conditions and a comparison with local buying.
Buying and Selling
Rebuilt-Title Car Costs: Inspection, Insurance and Resale
Compare a rebuilt-title car beyond its asking price, with state inspection fees, private inspection costs and the coverage and resale questions to settle.
Buying and Selling
Car Consignment Fees: Commission and Seller Proceeds
Compare percentage commissions with a net-return agreement, using a classic-car dealer's published fee terms and calculations that separate other costs.
Buying and Selling
Is a Certified Used Car Worth the Extra Cost?
Measure a certified used car's premium against warranty miles, time limits, inspection findings and borrowing costs, using Toyota's published terms.
Buying and Selling
The Sticker That Overrides Your Sales Contract
The Buyers Guide in a used car window is a federal document, and what it says beats anything contrary in the contract. How to read it before you sign.
Buying and Selling
Is Buying a Former Rental Car Worth It?
Compare a former rental with a matched used car using inspection costs, maintenance records, warranty limits and Enterprise's published buyback conditions.
Buying and Selling
Is a Flood-Damaged Car Worth the Discount?
Separate a flood-car price cut from inspection costs, hidden damage and insurance limits, with free VIN checks and a clearly labeled discount worksheet.
Buying and Selling
How Dealer Add-On Refunds Affect Your Car Loan
Follow a canceled warranty or GAP product from refund calculation to loan credit, with California contract rules and a labeled prorated refund example.
Buying and Selling
Can You Return a Used Car? Deadlines and Refund Costs
Read a used-car return policy before signing, with current CarMax and Enterprise deadlines, mileage limits, refund timing and separate warranty terms.
Buying and Selling
The Dealer Fee Rule That Never Took Effect
Federal rules on advertised car prices and junk add-ons were written, challenged and withdrawn. What protects you now, and how to price a deal properly.
Buying and Selling
Used EV Battery Health Reports: Cost and Meaning
Compare a $99 battery report with EV service packages and connected monitoring, then interpret capacity, range and remaining warranty before buying.
Buying and Selling
Trade-In or Private Sale: Which Leaves More Money?
Compare a car trade-in with a private sale after loan payoff, selling costs and state tax treatment, using a clearly labeled Texas calculation.
Buying and Selling
Cash or Financing for a Used Car: The Total Cost Difference
Compare cash with a used-car loan using published APRs, calculated payments and interest, while separating purchase price, reserves and loan conditions.
Buying and Selling
What a VIN Check Can and Cannot Tell You
Title brands, salvage history and open recalls come from different places. The federal system most buyers have never heard of, and what none of them covers.
Buying and Selling
Is a Used-Car Deposit Refundable? Terms and Costs
Separate a used-car holding deposit from the purchase contract, price an inspection first, and trace refund or forfeiture terms before paying.
Buying and Selling
How to Sell a Car With a Loan Still Owed
Calculate sale proceeds after a dated loan payoff, understand title-release delays, and plan for a shortfall before promising a buyer clear ownership.
Buying and Selling
What a Pre-Purchase Inspection Should Cover
The FTC recommends an independent inspection before buying any used car, including certified ones. What to ask for, what it should find, and how to use it.
Buying and Selling
Used Car Buying Budget: Taxes, Fees and Selling Proceeds
Calculate a used-car purchase beyond the listing price, with tax, inspection and loan examples, then separate a trade-in or sale from the lender payoff.
Buying and Selling
Selling Your Car Without Getting Burned
The odometer statement, the title transfer and the payment are where private sales go wrong. What federal rules require and how to take the money safely.
Elsewhere on Miles & Keys
The other sections, most recent first.