Used Cars: used car purchase advice, buying a car in ontario, rust proofing

Question
QUESTION: hi,

i'm interested in buying a used car from a major, reputable, new and used car dealership.  more notably, a 05-08 corolla, or any other 4 cyl basic car.  would it be too much to negotiate for $2000 off, free lifetime oil and filter, annual rust proofing, and change of antifreeze, trans fluid, brake fluid, air filter, fuel filter, and cabin filter upon purchase, if there are no service records proving that it has been done or if the car is over 60,000 miles?

can i ask to see service records if the last owner provided them?

how do i really know when the car was traded in because it could have been sitting in the lot for weeks or months?

please send me any and all tips and tricks that you may have!

thanks,

sk

ANSWER: Hi sk,

I really like your Q because it's not the norm, very valid, but with many branches that can lead in different directions.

Let's start with your location Canada, before I go further would you mind providing a postal /code so I know what province I am dealing with ?

In the meantime, if you got the time check out the steps how to buy a car on my website, should you have further Q's to add , feel free to do so.

Ray  http://www.usedcartips.org/

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: how did you know i was in canada?  i'm in ottawa, ontario, postal code k2a 1g6

ANSWER: Hi, Thanks for the update, it really helps that I know you are buying a car in Ontario.

In the US dealers use Carfax and AutoCheck for history reports, in Ontario most dealers use Car Proof and UCDA reports, simply ask to view one of those reports, it will give you complete history from in-service date, information on how many previous owners - reported accidents if any, along with date present dealer has had vehicle in inventory.

Re - service records,,, Yes you can ask if available, if buying from a Toyota dealer, ask dealership to pull a history on the vin #,,, it will show any warranty work that may have been performed along with recalls if there was any.

Re - Negotiations,,,  Asking for a $2000 - $3000 discount in the price range you are buying, I consider a starting point and will be surprised with the add- on's you mentioned to be anywhere close.

Yesteryear before the Internet getting a 2K - 3K discount on a vehicle in the $10 - 12K range was not out of the question, but in todays market with the tools at hand for the buyer the dealer has to be in line pricing their inventory, in your price range if car is fresh inventory it's most likely marked up $2500 - $3000, getting a $1000 discount I consider huge.

Let's do this, find a vehicle you may consider, do the test drive by following this link  
http://www.usedcartips.org/TESTDRI.html don't commit to purchase,,, send me a link, and I will tell you what I consider a fair price for the Ottawa area.

Ray

PS - If you send me a link " check the  " make private box "

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: bless you for all of your help.  here is exactly what i need. a car to get me from A to B, that's it.

4 door, 4 cyl, automatic, radio, NO power options whatsoever (but i think power steering is standard these days?), AC, above avg. reliability, and inexpensive to repair (meaning that the car's components are laid out well for easier repair by a mechanic, readily available parts,and not high performance).  i understand that corolla's fit this description quite well.

i would prefer a mid sized 4 cyl vehicle, like a malibu or a fusion, but my description above sounds like more of a hyundai accent, toyota corolla, honda fit?  what do you think?  money is not an issue, but i don't drive that much so i really don't want to spend money on something that i will not use that often, and for fancy features that i guarantee i will never use.

i'm also going to read up on all cars in consumer reports.

Answer
You mentioned a few cars of choice mid size and landed without knowing on my choice " FUSION '

What suits my lifestyle the way a car handles may not be yours so it best you test drive a few , and when you find the one that stirs your emotions, don't commit, send me a link to check for red flags and what I would consider fair value for Ottawa area