As the costs of new vehicles continue to climb, people are looking for a reliable alternative to new cars. The solution many have found is to buy a used car with a warranty. Used car warranties may be simply the original manufacturer warranties that are still in effect or they may be warranties specifically provided for the used car. If reliability and cost are your top two concerns when buying a car, you may want to go to a used car dealer and inquire about their used car warranties.

Of course, a warranty doesn't necessarily mean you won't have problems. Even with a warranty a bad car will spend a lot of time in the shop and leave you stranded a few times. You need to research the history of the used car you are considering for purchase. A Carfax report is always a good idea on a used vehicle whether you buy it at a car auction or another place. You should also specifically ask for any information from the dealer about whether the car was ever returned under the lemon law or in an accident. If you have a trusted mechanic, take the car to your mechanic or your mechanic to the car for a checkup before signing any papers.

You can also ask the dealer if the car has any warranties still valid from the manufacturer and if the dealer provides any warranty on the car. Verify any original manufacturer warranties with the manufacturer rather than taking a used car dealer's word for it. Get a detailed, written description of coverage. Make sure no part of the contract contains the words "as is", or all warranties, including most of those provided to you by state law, will be invalid.

Even if the car does not have a remaining warranty and the dealer doesn't automatically provide warranties, you may still have some options for used car warranties. Some dealerships may sell add-on warranties for a separate price. These tend to be more extensive warranties than other used car warranties, providing for more types of repair and parts replacement. Sometimes your car dealer may also have an agreement with a third-party warranty provider that will provide an extended warranty on your purchase, with the warranty servicing all being either paid for or completely done by this third-party company. These warranties often cost more and provide more extensive coverage. They usually are not a good deal, but if you don't have good cash flow and you have to have your car available to drive, third party used car warranties are often a must.

If the dealer doesn't provide good warranties and doesn't resell third-party warranties, you may need to find yourself a third-party warranty service. There are companies out there that will provide used car warranties even on cars purchased from other private car owners. These warranties will usually be pretty expensive, so be careful that they provide you with all of the services you'll need in case of a car break-down. Look for lemon car replacement clauses that may allow you to trade in your used car for cash if it needs repaired too many times after purchase. These are rare in used car warranties, but they are a nice little insurance policy to have in your warranty since many state lemon laws apply more strictly to new cars than used cars.

There are lots of places you can buy cheap used cars but without a warranty it can easily become pretty expensive. Whatever type of used car warranties you look into purchasing, consider a policy that includes a free car rental. After all, having your car fixed for free or for the price of parts is important, but you still need to be able to get to work and the grocery store while your car is in the shop. Free car rentals are the most overlooked, and possibly the most valuable part, of good used car warranties.

Filed under: Buying Cars

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