Ask Insurance Guy

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 the extra expenses was not on the budget.

So one of the big things you want to be aware of is smog checks.  The last thing you want to have to do is make expensive repairs for a failed smog test.  I have seen too many used cars in my San Diego auto repair business have this happen.

So when you are making the purchase of that used car, some things to consider are here.

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.

Otherwise, if the car is in it’s 5th or 7th year, a smog test done biennially will be needed.

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 stated above, that is not the biggest expense.  The big cost is if you need costly repairs.

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 to get any unexpected expenses cropping up all over when the idea was to save money when you bought that used car.

Follow these pieces of advice when making a purchase of a used vehicle and a lot of money will be saved.