Reasons To Ask The Owner To Accompany You When You Test Drive A Used Car

Posted on: 8 November 2017

When someone shopping for used vehicles has identified a vehicle that meets his or her initial requirements and is ready to take a test drive, the shopper will often ask to take the test drive without the seller present. Although not every seller will agree to this idea, buyers often favor the opportunity to drive the vehicle and assess it without having the seller monitoring their every move. If you're shopping for a used car and are ready to take your test drive, however, you might wish to consider the opposite approach. Here are some reasons that it's a good idea to have the owner present.

In Case Of Car Problems

There's always the chance of something going wrong with a vehicle when you test drive it. This doesn't necessarily mean that you're in an accident with the car, but rather some part of it begins to act up. For example, the muffler may sound extra loud or the "check engine" light may come on. When you've test driven the vehicle on your own, you'll need to explain this situation to the seller, and he or she may understandably believe that you did something to cause the issue. However, when the owner is in the front seat beside you, you won't have this concern.

A Chance To Question Certain Things

Used cars can be in various conditions, which means that some vehicles may have issues that are apparent during the test drive. Having the owner present will give you the opportunity to question certain things as they come up — and that you might forget to ask about when you speak to the owner after the test drive. For example, if you're braking at some point during the test drive and notice some brake squeal or vibration, you can ask the owner right away when the vehicle last had its brakes done.

The Owner Can Help

A test drive can seem a little daunting, especially if you haven't done many in the past. Novices may forget to assess the vehicle in certain ways, which could compel them to book a follow-up test drive. When the owner is present, he or she can help you to offer different ideas. For example, the owner may see if you want to attempt to parallel park the vehicle on a city street to help assess the visibility, which isn't something that you might consider on your own.

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