Used Cars and Smog Tests

In the economy we are in, rather than purchasing a new vehicle, a lot of families are going to choose to buy a used car.

With that in mind, there are going to be a lot of financial considerations that go into place when buying a used car.

When I say financial considerations, I am not just talking about the sales price.

When you are a family looking to save money the last thing you want to do is buy a used car with extra expenses you weren’t prepared for.Especially if your budget did not have those extra expenses in it.

So one of the major things to be aware of is having to do a smog test.The last thing you probably did not want to do is make expensive repairs due to a failed smog test.  I have seen too many used cars in my San Diego auto repair business have this happen.

So in buying the used car here are a few things you ought to consider.

Under a law passed in 2005, if your car is 1976 or older you don’t ever need a smog check.So if your vehicle is newer than that your car will need to be tested based on state emission laws.You can search about your state by contacting the Bureau
of Automotive repair at (800) 952-5210.

If you live in California and are buying a used car you may need a San Diego smog check.If the purchase or registration is in California for the very first time, you are going to need a smog test.

Otherwise, if the car is in it’s 5th or 7th year, a smog test done biennially will be needed.

If you bought the vehicle in another state but live in California, you will need to find out if the car can pass a smog check.In general California is a lot more strict.

With it being the case, when purchasing your next car you want to keep that in mind.

Costs for a smog test San Diego generally run between $30 to $80.But as stated above, that is not the biggest expense.  The big cost is if you need costly repairs.

So in the process of the purchase of a used car, be sure to determine if the car has recently passed a smog check.

You don’t want any surprise expenses popping up when your goal was to save money by buying a used car.

Follow these steps when shopping for a used car and you are going to save a lot of money.