The ability to buy a used car is easier than ever as a plethora of options both online and in-person give prospective buyers more opportunities to connect with unscrupulous sellers throughout Arizona. However, with more options also comes an increased chance of interacting with dishonest sellers. Buying a car is a big purchase and if done right will require a much larger paper trail than buying knick-knacks at a garage sale. As an Arizona MVD Authorized Third Party Service Provider, we have helped many used car buyers transfer car titles and we have had many customers who were scammed trying to buy a used car in Arizona. Here are a few things to look out for when buying a used car and some tips to protect yourself when buying a used car.

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Ensure the title can be safely transferred to your name

There are a lot of advantages to buying a used car from a private seller. A private party can often sell you the car at a better price than a dealer because there is no markup. Buying from a private seller can also save sales tax because a sale between private parties is exempt. These fees can nickel and dime you to a much higher price tag so avoiding the car dealership altogether can be beneficial. However, purchasing from a private seller can be more complicated and leave you open to both parties making mistakes or worse when one party is trying to scam the other. You must do everything in your power to ensure you can safely transfer the car title into your name. This means asking the seller to meet you at an MVD field office at an authorized third-party provider. These are safe areas to exchange money and MVD employees are trained to help you make sure that your important documents are filled out correctly and properly endorsed.

Never hand over money to a seller if they want to sell you a car in a sketchy alley or on the side of the road. Never exchange money if the seller refuses to give you some identifying information. These are red flags and for your safety should be avoided.

If the car you are buying is titled in Arizona you must either have a properly endorsed title or a notarized Title Transfer Bill of Sale. It is hard to know if the seller has the most current car title without going to an MVD office or an authorized third-party provider. If more than one person is on the title then you may need additional signatures depending on how the vehicle is titled.

The State of Arizona does not accept titles with erasures or cross-outs. If either is present on the title it will void the title and you will be unable to transfer it into your name without a notarized Title Transfer Bill of Sale signed by the seller and one or more of the people listed on the title depending on how the vehicle is titled.

Confirm vehicle info

Every person selling a used car needs to give you a description of the vehicle including the make, model, year, and vehicle identification number (VIN). When you go to purchase the vehicle, inspect the VIN located on the left side of the dashboard viewable from outside the vehicle or on the sticker in the driver’s side door jamb. The make, model, year, and VIN on the title should match the information on the car.

Check for liens  

Someone trying to sell their car with a lien is sadly a common occurrence. This is why you need to check for liens before exchanging money for a car. You and the seller should always go to the MVD or an authorized third-party provider to check the lien status of the car. If a seller is unwilling to do this or wants your money before doing it, it is best to walk away.

Inspect or require good service records

A used car worth buying comes from an owner who thinks routine maintenance is worth doing. You should buy from sellers who keep consistent and clean service records. A good vehicle service record will have logged all oil changes to the car and they are really good evidence of all work done on the vehicle. A lack of service records is not a deal breaker to buying a used car but it is a red flag. Ask the seller if you can take the car to a mechanic for an inspection before you purchase it. If the seller refuses to let you inspect the car then you may want to walk away from the deal.  

Check the odometer

Odometer fraud is also a common occurrence. There are more than 450,000 vehicles sold each year having inaccurate odometer readings which cost car buyers over $1 billion annually, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Make sure you aren’t falling victim to odometer fraud when you buy a used car.

Inspect the odometer reading on the vehicle and look at the back of the title to see what information was recorded. If the mileage on the odometer seems significantly lower than what you would expect, then you should have it inspected by a  mechanic.

Check the tires on the vehicle. If the car is under 20,000 miles it should still have the original tires. If not you should ask for an explanation as to why the tires were replaced.

Ensure the car passes an emissions test

Most cars that are over five years old and registered in Maricopa County need to pass an emissions test. Just because a car has current plates does not mean it passed an emissions test. Go to myazcar.com to make sure the car you are purchasing has passed emissions. Sellers who register their car outside of Maricopa or Pima Counties are not required to pass an emissions test.

Buying a used car is a huge investment and there are a lot of people out there that aren’t looking to give you a fair deal. Protect yourself when you are buying a car from a private party. Ensure that you have the most recent title, have the car inspected, and most importantly go to the MVD or to an authorized third-party service provider to make sure the vehicle does not have a lien on it. Follow these steps and you will protect yourself from shady sellers.

Author: Craig Moss is the Manager of Arizona Auto License Services, an authorized Arizona MVD third-party vehicle service provider with six locations in both Phoenix and Flagstaff Arizona.