Buying a new vehicle can be expensive and exhausting. So with the depreciation value and ease of buying affordable used cars, why wouldn’t you save your wallet some stress? But before you head on over to a used car dealership, make sure you have this list in the back of your mind.

What to look for in pre-owned cars

1. Its appearance

A car doesn’t have to be in perfect condition to be quality and to work well. But there are some things to look for that can save an expensive headache down the road. For the interior, this means looking for any stains in the upholstery, making sure all the buttons on the dash work, making sure the turn signal works, and that the windshield wipers release a good amount of fluid and are good to go.

For the exterior, look for any scratches, dents, loose bumpers, and missing headlights. Take a look under the hood and make sure the engine coolant is clear, the transmission fluid is red or purple, and that the belts don’t have any significant cracks or tears

2. Test drive

When you take your car for a test drive at a previously used car dealership, make sure to drive on both the highway and side roads to see how it drives in all different environments. This means seeing if it can accelerate when you pass cars, you have enough visibility when you back up and parallel park, it doesn’t shake when driving, nor does it have any alignment issues.

3. A leak test

During your test drive, pull over to a clean area and leave your car stalling for about one minute. Drive up a bit, and then check to see if there are any leaks on the pavement. If this happens, do not buy the car as it may have more damage than you are willing to work with.

4. Certified Pre-owned vehicles

Any reliable used cars should come with a certificate that they are certified pre-owned. This gives the buyer some extra quality assurance, and they sometimes come with extra warranties. Plus, why wouldn’t you go to extra lengths to make sure your car is in tip top shape?

5. Vehicle History report

Just because they are affordable used cars, does not mean they don’t come with a past. So make sure you have a full vehicle history report so you have complete transparency in what you are buying, and you will be good to go.