When buying a car, there are many questions that you’re going to want to ask the seller or dealer.

If you’re a soon-to-be first-time car owner or you’re just not that knowledgeable about car buying yet, it could be hard to come up with the right questions.

But worry no more! Here are some of the most important questions that you have to ask to guide you or make sure that you don’t forget.

Questions to ask when buying a brand new car

Buying a brand new car is not as complicated as buying a used car, but even then, there are still some questions that you should ask the dealer.

What are the main features of this car?

If you’re buying a brand new car, you might as well get the best features that your budget can afford. Don’t forget to ask different dealers about different car models and ask them about the main features of the car.

What is the fuel economy of this car?

Fuel economy is very important in a car for many people. If you have a lot of cash to almost literally burn to buy gas, then ignore this question.

But for all you people out there like us who would prefer to spend money on more important things than fuel, do not forget to ask this!

What financing options do I have?

Ask the dealer what kind of financing options you have and make sure that you think your options through!

Questions to ask when buying a used car

Buying a used car is about a hundred times more complex than buying a new car. It’s a risky thing to do as you never know what the real condition of the car is. That’s why it’s important to ask a lot of questions.

While it’s impossible to list down all the questions that you can ask the seller or the dealer, here are the most important ones:

How many miles are on the odometer?

Ask the seller about the mileage of the car.

Although a low mileage cannot guarantee that the car is still in its best condition, it will give you a good idea if the car has already been overused!

What’s the ownership history of the car?

Is the vehicle first-owned by the seller? If yes, then that’s great. The more owners the car has gone through, the more likely it is that the car has some problems or non-ideal features.

Why are you selling the car?

The seller’s reason for selling is something that a lot of people overlook.

For example, if the seller is selling the vehicle because they’re moving to another country, it is very likely that the car is still in a good condition and that it has been taken good care of. It’s just that, the owner has to sell it because they are leaving.

Do you have the service records of the car?

If the seller doesn’t have the service records of the car or if they hesitate to give it to you after saying that the car is in a very good condition, that should throw you off.

What oil do you use for the car?

Educate yourself (if you haven’t yet) about the engine oils available in the market. If the owner maintains the car by having regular oil changes with good oil, then it’s an indicator that the owner has been taking well care of the vehicle.

Has the car been in an accident or have received any damages in the past?

Ask if it has gone through either major or minor accidents or if it has been damaged by flood before.

What are the issues of the car?

Ask the seller what the known issues of the car are and what other possible issues are there.

This will give you more space to negotiate the price of the car, especially if there are any possible unknown issues in the car.

Also, if the car has obvious issues and the seller tries to lie to you, that’s a very good indicator that you should not proceed into buying the car.

Can I ask a mechanic to check the car?

Express your want to bring the car to a mechanic (or bring a mechanic to the car).

Sellers should not have any problems with this, and if they don’t allow you to do this and makeup excuses, there’s a perfect chance that the seller doesn’t want you to discover major issues in the car.