Most people buy a used car the same way they order food delivery — look at the picture, pick one, done. Then they're surprised when the transmission slips at 800 miles. You can avoid that. Here's the full checklist to use before you hand over any money.

Before You Even Look at the Car

Run the vehicle history report (Carfax or AutoCheck). Look for: accident history, title issues (salvage, flood, rebuilt), multiple owners in a short span, and any gaps in the service record. If the report is incomplete or the seller won't provide it, that's your answer — walk away.

Check the seller's story against the report. If the Carfax shows 3 owners and the seller says "it's been with my mom since new," you have a problem. Alignment between the seller and the document is critical.

Exterior Inspection

Walk around the entire car in good light. Look for paint overspray on the trim, rubber seals, and door hinges — this suggests the car was repainted. Check all body panels for mismatched colors under natural light. Stand at each corner and sight down the rocker panels — any wave or ripple means the car was hit and poorly repaired.

Check for rust. In South Florida humidity, check the wheel wells, lower doors, and frame rails — rot eats through faster than you'd expect. Any bubbling paint near the wheel wells or along the lower edges is active rust.

Inspect all glass. Look for pitting, chips, and cracks. A cracked windshield costs $300–$600 to replace — factor it into your offer. Check the headlights and taillights for condensation inside the housing.

Interior Inspection

Smell the car. Musty = flood damage. Burnt oil = engine problems. A strong air freshener covering something else = they're hiding something. Trust your nose.

Check all electronics. Roll every window up and down. Test the sunroof. Turn the AC and heat on full blast — cold air should come out within 2 minutes. Check the stereo, Bluetooth pairing, USB ports, and any screen for glitches.

Check under the floor mats and in the trunk spare tire well. Flood water leaves mud and debris in places sellers skip cleaning.

The Test Drive

Start the engine cold. The engine should turn over immediately without hesitation. Listen for ticking, knocking, or irregular sounds that fade when the engine warms up (some ticking is normal on cold starts; knocking is not).

Drive on the highway. At 65+ mph: check for vibration in the steering wheel (wheel balance or alignment issue), pulling left or right (alignment or brake caliper), and any transmission hesitation.

Test the brakes. At low speed, brake firmly — the car should pull up straight without pulling. At higher speed, brake from 50 to 0 — ABS should activate smoothly without pulsing or pulling.

Turn the wheel lock-to-lock. A clicking or grinding noise while turning at low speed = CV axle joint failure. Common on high-mileage cars and expensive to fix if you didn't catch it before purchase.

Browse our current inventory, and use our pre-qualification tool to see what you qualify for before you negotiate. A $150 inspection by a licensed mechanic can save you thousands. Every car has something — the goal is to know what you're buying before you buy it, not after.