With the constant adjustment of the price of new vehicles and the lack of some on the market by automakers, consumers are increasingly looking for pre-owned and used vehicles. Check out some tips below on how to minimize the chances of being scammed when evaluating the purchase of a used car. Condition, low mileage, recent year and model are characteristics that draw attention when looking for an alternative to a new vehicle. With a depreciation of approximately 15% in 2 years, compared to a new vehicle, pre-owned vehicles are a great alternative, even maintaining the factory warranty in some cases. However, some precautions must be taken. Let's look at some of the scams practiced in the sale of used cars that are carried out frequently. Approximately 13% of the cars have been tampered with, lack of regularization, accidents or significant structural repairs caused by severe damage. In addition, 27% have restrictions that depreciate the car or that can cause problems with its regularization. Let's take a look at the 6 main scams used when buying a used vehicle and the tampering that you should pay attention to: Tampering with the mileage: the owner or agent reduces the mileage traveled to increase the value of the vehicle. Therefore, it is important to check the wear and tear on some parts of the car, such as the seats, steering wheel, pedals, and gear lever, which can be good indicators of the real condition of the vehicle. Hiding collisions: collisions compromise not only the bodywork, but also the structure of the vehicle, so repairs must be carried out with authentic parts to maintain the market value. In this case, a painting or bodywork professional can see these services performed from a distance. The cost of a repair with genuine bodywork parts is usually higher and many choose to simply disguise the dents, or even use low-quality parts and repair the bodywork without replacing the necessary part, performing the repair poorly with putty and paint. Counterfeit parts: unfortunately, some parts need to be replaced, either due to collision or natural wear and tear, and there are those who opt for counterfeit parts, often with the logo of a genuine part. Pay attention to the original emblems of the manufacturer or supplier of the automaker. Check if the parts that are doubled in the vehicle, such as the turn signals, headlights, taillights and windows, have the same logo printed on them and if there is a difference, ask the seller. Tire situation: cheating the appearance of tires is also something that is common practice. Products such as silicone are applied to beautify the external appearance of the part. A tire usually lasts about 40 thousand kilometers on average and it is necessary to be careful if the replacement was made before reaching this mark or if the tires appear to be too new. Be careful of cars with re-treaded tires that claim to have four new tires, but this is not true. By lifting the car on a lift, you can see the natural wear and tear on the car's suspension, whether it is compatible with its mileage, the year of the car and the type of terrain the vehicle travels on. It is a good idea to have a qualified professional to help you decide. In this case, the tire is the suspension's thorn in the side; tires with irregular wear are signs of poor maintenance. Also check the spare tire. If the vehicle's mileage is low, most vehicles travel with spare tires that are the same as the tires they use to drive. If they are very different, be suspicious. Values ​​that are much lower than the listed price: there are gangs that specialize in falsifying documents, cloning stolen cars. In addition, a very low value may indicate vehicles in the names of third parties, which are sold at a lower price, even without paying the financing. Therefore, it is extremely important to know the origin of the vehicle. If in doubt, take the documents to a broker with proven references to verify these documents before making the purchase. Air conditioning charge: to mask air conditioning faults, some people charge the unit with gas. It is important to check for any leaks. If there are, the device may stop working again in a short period of time. Finally, how can you avoid falling for these scams? The best way to avoid falling for these scams is to evaluate the real structural conditions, paintwork, maintenance and identification of the car, as well as to analyze the origin and history of both the car and the documentation. To do this, the ideal is to seek the help of a specialist in each area and do a detailed automotive inspection. ✅ River Auto Peças and Auto Center: ???? Av. Cel. Joaquim de Oliveira Prata, 574/630. ???? (34) 2103-0800. ???? https://instagr.am/riverautopecas​ ???? https://fb.me/riverautocenter​ ???? https://www.riverautopecas.com.br