What are some good questions that i should ask when buying my first used car?

I bought mine from a small dealership and when they let me test drive it, I took it to my mechanic for a quick overview. I don't know what he checked exactly, but if you have a mechanic, I would have them look it over.

Also, make sure there are no dead bodies in the trunk. That's how my uncle got pinched.

Make sure none of the tires are stabbed.

How many miles on the car, ever been in a collision of any kind or rebuilt the engine, how many people owned it, on average what kind of mileage per gallon, what kind of maintainence was done on the car, stuff like that. With the engine running and the hood open does the engine sound like it's running well or do you hear a lot of chattering sounds like loose bearings or valves? When you rev the engine does it sputter or backfire? Does it start smoothly? When test-driving how does the suspension feel? Do all dials and gauges appear to be working? Are the original manuals and maintainence records with the car? This is what I would ask.

Ask is there is a history of maintenance work(oil changes, tune ups, repairs, etc) done on the car. Miles matter but a well maintained car can last much longer than one which was neglected.

*how many owners?
*ever been wrecked
*was the car maintenanced routinely (oil changes etc)
*anything they are aware of that does not work (trunk doesn't lock, stereo missing knobs, broken seatbelt etc things you might not see on a first glance)
*How long has the car been on the lot
*does the car have an alarm or keyless entry?
* does the car have any of the original paperwork (instruction guides, maintenence logs, vehicle history report etc)
* what did the dealership have to do to the car when they got it

(you don't have to ask this but check your state's lemon laws as well before you buy)

1. Do you have the original receipt?

2. Has the car been bought on finance?

3. Did you buy the car from new? If not, from whom did you buy it?

4. How long have you owned the car?

5. How much life is there left in the MOT?

6. How much road tax comes with the car?

7. Does it have an `FSH'?

8. What parts have you replaced recently?

9. Has the car ever been involved in an accident?

10. How negotiable are you on the price?

Read full article:

http://cars.uk.msn.com/Buyers_Guide/article.aspx?cp-documentid=474663

Best advice I can give you is gat a recent copy of the lemon-aid guide and bring it **with you** when viewing cars. Read the tips within, there are far more than I can list here, and always get a legit vehicle history, every registered vehicle has one that corresponds to it's VIN. Be sure it is for the vehicle you are looking at, and that it states if the vehicle has been restored from any major accident. I can't stress enough...LEMON-AID GUIDE. You can borrow a copy from libraries

Does it run? :0)

How many owners?? How many miles does the car have??? Was the car ever involved in any kind of accident???

Repair history,liens etc.