In the economy we are in, rather than purchasing a new vehicle, a lot of families are going to choose to buy a used car.

With that being the case, there will be a lot of issues concerning finances that go into place when making a used car purchase.

When I mention about the financial considerations, I am not only talking about the sales price.

When you represent a family and were really looking for ways to save money, you obviously don’t want to buy a used vehicle that has extra repair expenses that you weren’t prepared for.Especially if your budget did not have those extra expenses in it.

So one of the major things to be aware of is having to do a smog test.The last thing you probably did not want to do is make expensive repairs due to a failed smog test.  I have seen too many used cars in my San Diego auto repair business have this happen.

So in buying the used car here are a few things you ought to consider.

In a law that was passed in 2005, 1976 cars or older don’t have to get a smog test.  But if it is newer than that your vehicle will be tested based on the state emission law.You can search about your state by contacting the Bureau
of Automotive repair at (800) 952-5210.

If you live in California and are buying a used car you may need a San Diego smog check.If the car has been sold and registered in California for the first time, you will have to get a smog check.

Other than that, if it is in it’s 5th or 7th year you will need a biennial smog check performed.

If you bought the vehicle in another state but live in California, you will need to find out if the car can pass a smog check.In general California is a lot more strict.

With that being the case, you want to keep that in mind when purchasing your vehicle.

Costs for a smog test San Diego generally run between $30 to $80.But as previously mentioned, it isn’t the biggest cost.The biggest cost will be if costly repairs are needed.

So when making the purchase of the used car, make an effort to find out if the car was able to pass a recent smog test.

You don’t want any surprise expenses popping up when your goal was to save money by buying a used car.

Follow these steps when shopping for a used car and you are going to save a lot of money.




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Filed under: Real Estate

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