The short answer: the biggest red flags when buying a used car are a price well under market, a seller who cannot show you the car, a request for a wire or a gift card, a VIN that does not match the title, and pressure to skip the inspection. At the car, watch for paint that does not match, tires that wear unevenly and an engine that is already warm when you arrive. Check the vehicle history report, take a test drive and have the car inspected before you pay.
Most of what costs a used car buyer money is easy to miss on a quick look. Some of it shows up in the listing, before you ever see the car. Some of it shows up in how the seller wants to be paid. And some of it is on the car, if you know where to look.
Here are ten red flags to watch for, in the order you are likely to meet them, and how to spot each one. For a full walk-around of the car itself, use our used car inspection checklist.
In the listing
1. The price is well under market. Sometimes it is a real deal. Sometimes it is bait. Compare it with similar cars nearby. A big gap is a reason to slow down, not a reason to hurry.
2. The photos live somewhere else. Run the listing photos through a reverse image search. If the same car turns up in another city, or in an older listing at a different price, the photos may be copied, and the car may not be for sale at all.
3. Nobody can show you the car. The seller is deployed, moving or out of town, and the car is already with a shipping company. That story is a common setup for a fake listing. If no one can see the car in person, do not pay for it.
Buying a car you cannot see yet? Start with our scam check, a free first screen. Paste the VIN or a Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist or OfferUp link and you'll see what to check next, no email needed. A dealer or seller website needs a few details and your email.
In the deal
4. They want a wire, a gift card or a deposit to "hold it." Those payments are hard or impossible to get back. Pay in a way you can trace, and only after you have seen the car and the title.
5. The VIN does not match. A fake listing can use a real VIN copied from another car, so a VIN that looks up cleanly proves little on its own. It has to match the title and the VIN plate on the dash of the car in front of you. Then run it through a vehicle history report and compare the mileage. If the odometer shows fewer miles than a reading on the report, ask why before you go any further.
6. No service history and no straight answers. Plenty of good used cars come without a folder of receipts. But a seller who cannot or will not tell you what has been done to the car is asking you to take the most expensive part of the deal on faith. Here are two questions that show you how far to trust a seller.
7. Pressure to skip the inspection. This is the big one. An honest seller has no reason to stop you from having the car looked at. If someone pushes back hard on a pre-purchase inspection, that is your answer.
At the car
8. Paint that does not match. Look down each side of the car in daylight. A panel that is a shade off, or has a different texture from the one beside it, can mean bodywork. Check the gaps between panels too. A gap that is wider at one end can mean a panel has been off the car.
9. Tires that do not add up. Different brands on the same axle, or one tire wearing faster than the others, can point to alignment or suspension trouble. Check how old the tires are, too. Our post on how to read a tire date code shows you where to look.
10. An engine that is already warm. Ask the seller not to start the car before you arrive. A cold start is when some problems are easiest to hear. Then look under the car for fresh drips, and pull the dipstick to check the oil level. On the test drive, notice any warning light that comes on, a pull to one side, a clunk over bumps or a rough shift. Any of those is a reason to have the car diagnosed before you pay, not after.
Where we come in
You do not have to catch all ten on your own. One of our certified technicians comes to the car, at a dealership or in a private seller's driveway, across the Atlanta and Orlando metro areas. You do not need to be there.
Every level includes VIN verification, the mechanical and safety inspection, the underbody, the brakes, suspension and steering, and a dealer-level diagnostic scan, whose depth varies by make and year. The technician measures the tread on each tire, checks the oil level and looks for oil, coolant and transmission fluid leaks. We road test the car when the seller allows it and it is safe and legal to drive.
Enhanced and Elite add Accident Investigation, the Panel-by-Panel Repaint & Body Filler Check and a video walk-through.
Essential and Enhanced reports arrive within 24 hours of the inspection, and most go out the same day. Elite reports arrive by 11:59 PM Eastern on inspection day, or we refund $99.
Quick answers
What if a dealership will not let the car leave the lot? That is normal, and it is not a red flag. We come to the car and inspect it where it sits. The red flag is a seller who will not allow an inspection at all.
Can you inspect a car I have not seen in person? Yes, if the car is in the areas we serve. You do not have to fly in to see what you are buying. We go to the car, inspect it and send you the report, so you can decide from home.
Does a clean CARFAX or vehicle history report mean the car is fine? No. A vehicle history report shows only what was reported to the company that compiled it. A repair paid in cash, or damage that never went through insurance, may not be on it. And it says nothing about how the car runs today. CARFAX itself says to use its report "along with a vehicle inspection and test drive." That is why we look at the car itself. Our post on whether CARFAX is accurate goes further.
What is the biggest red flag when shopping for a used car? A seller who will not allow an inspection. A low price, a thin service history or a repainted panel can each have an honest explanation. A seller who will not let anyone look at the car is much harder to explain. Close behind it is a request for a wire, a gift card or a deposit before you have seen the car and the title.
Are the red flags different at a dealership? Most of them apply to any seller. At a used car dealership, also read the Buyers Guide posted on the car. The FTC requires one on each used vehicle a dealer offers for sale, and it says whether the car is sold "as is" or with a warranty. A dealership's own inspection is done for the dealership, so have one done for you too. Here is how the two differ.
Book an inspection
Inspections start at $259. Book an inspection, or text or call 833-644-0800 and we will help you pick the right level for the car.