Random Questions to Ask at a Car Dealership (12 items)

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  (#11) How Many Times Has This Car Been Repossessed?

  Why should this matter to you? Sure, the number of prior owners matters, but why repos? This can tell you a lot about the dealer, particularly if it's a buy-here-pay-here lot. These lots make money by charging people interest, letting them keep the car as long as possible, lulling the customer into a false sense of security, and then repossessing it in the last two months if the customer is one day late with payment. If the dealer tells you they've repo'd the same car seven times, then run for your life, and check to make sure you've still got your wallet. 
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  (#9) What's the Cash Price?

  This is a separate question from asking about the total financing costs, since it can be very revealing about the extra charges you're getting hit with. Some dealers will tell you flat out they won't sell the car for cash. If you hear that, run. These dealers are buy-here-pay-here loan sharks, and will ream you on interest and unexpected charges. 
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  (#4) Can You Give Me Your Card?

  Never, ever buy a car on your first trip to the dealer lot. Car dealers specialize in high-pressure sales, and don't profit when you think too much about it. But think about it you must, especially when you've got the cold, hard figures in hand. Sleep on it. Give yourself some time to cool down and think when you don't have a professional salesperson verbally doing your thinking for you. Buying with your heart is fine... you're paying many thousands of dollars to get what you want, and your heart should be happy about it. Just don't send your brain on vacation in the process. 
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  (#5) Show Me the Carfax

  Yeah, it's an advertising tagline, but no dealer who isn't trying to scam you will have a problem with showing you the vehicle history. And it's important. After Hurricane Katrina alone, hundreds of thousands of flood-damaged cars went to auction, only to be cosmetically restored and sold again as "dealer certified" automobiles. But electrical and chassis damage from saltwater rendered almost every one of them a ticking time bomb of failure. Don't take for granted that your car isn't a refurbished wreck, or even reported stolen from another state. If nothing else, having the Carfax in hand may help to put liability for that sort of thing back on the dealer. 
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  (#7) Is It on the Lot?

  Here's a common scenario: you find the car of your dreams on a dealer lot, but you'd really prefer it black instead of green. Or maybe you want the 410-horsepower V-8, and not the 360-horse engine. Dealer says, "no problem, I can get it for you." Dealers trade cars back and forth like kids trade Yu-Gi-Oh cards, and this might be completely legit. But bear in mind the terms of the deal may change, since the black car might have options or add-ons you're not willing to pay for, and you'll probably get charged an extra delivery fee for it. 
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  (#8) Can I See the Inspection Certification?

  A "certified" used car is just a used car that has been inspected, repaired, and restored to near-new condition. That's fine, and manufacturer certified used cars can be great deals. But a dealer certified car can be a wreck purchased from an auction, put together with junkyard parts, and "certified" by the dealer on the basis of... whatever. Ask to see the inspection and repair work orders so you know what was done to the car beforehand. 

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