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Car-Buying Advice
Pete Candela is a AAA ASE-certified auto expert with over 30 years’ experience
Pete, I’m in the market for a new vehicle, and it has been years since I have purchased one. Can you give me a tip or two so I don’t get taken to the cleaners?
–Patty D.
Patty, we can break this down into three parts: 1) Know what you are looking for; 2) Know the market; and 3) Know your finances.
1. Know what you are looking for
It is always helpful to go onto a car lot with an idea of what you are looking for before you get too serious in the negotiation process. In most cases, the job of the “salesperson” isn’t really to sell you a car, but rather to get the consumer to agree or settle on a particular model, style, color, etc. The actual “selling” and negotiating of the vehicle is usually done by the sales manager. If you are iffy about a couple of models, rent one or two and put them through your usual routine paces.
2. Know the market
Once you have a good idea of what you are looking for, do your homework on the market for that particular vehicle. This will save a ton of time during the negotiation process. The Internet is a valuable resource for this research, and AAA can take care of a lot of this for you, too!
3. Know your finances
When you feel comfortable with a model and its price, make sure you know your financing options. I try to secure my own financing, then I go to the dealer to see if they can meet or beat my already-established finance options.
The name of the game in purchasing a new vehicle is to get as much as you can for your trade, give as little as you can for the new car, and pay the least in interest or finance charges. If you are interested in a used vehicle, make sure it has a clean bill of health. Ask for a Carfax report and check to see if previous maintenance records are available. If you want your technician to look it over, make that inspection a condition of sale. Another way to save is to check with AAA for auto insurance. You can compare up to six quotes at once. And my final piece of advice? Don’t be afraid to say “no” and walk away!
Pete, three of four valve stems on my tires have gone bad within a relatively short period of time and needed to be replaced because they were leaking air. I haven’t been hitting any curbs, and I don’t drive aggressively. Is it possible to have defective valve stems?
–Paul C.
Paul, while it is not uncommon for a valve stem to go bad, it is unusual that three out of four went bad in a short period of time. I have heard of inferior valve stems that entered the U.S. years ago; there were some 30 million stems involved in the recall. I suspect at some point they made their way onto consumer vehicles, and after they were installed it would be almost impossible to recall every one. As I understand it, the stems were deteriorating faster than normal because the UV protectant wasn’t included in the manufacturing process, so the stems would break down when exposed to sunlight. While it is tough to tell if your valve stems are the ones included in the recall, you may want to consider getting the fourth valve stem replaced at your next service for peace of mind, if nothing else.
TO “ASK PETE” AN AUTOMOTIVE QUESTION
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AAA Going Places Magazine • Ask Pete
1515 N. Westshore Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33607