So you’ve bought a “new” used vehicle. How do you know what you’re getting? It is hard to know what you’re getting because St. Thomas drivers sell cars for different reasons. Think about why you’ve sold cars. Did you just want something new or were there problems that you wanted to run away from. Maybe it was a little of both.

St. Thomas area used cars with 40,000 to 60,000 kilometers on them are often lease returns, corporate program cars or vehicles that have done duty in ON rental fleets.St. Thomas drivers feel pretty confident because they’re newer and may still be under warranty. But how well have they been maintained?

If you plan on owning a car for a long time, you’ll keep up on the maintenance so that you can avoid expensive repairs down the road. But, if you know you’re only going to have the vehicle for two or three years, you may not be so committed to maintenance. It would be easy to think that skipping an oil change here and there wouldn’t ruin a brand new engine. Then it’ll be someone else’s problem when it comes time to pay for the damage.

It would be very tempting to skip the 50,000 kilometer service if you knew you’d be turning in your leased vehicle in a couple of months.

If the vehicle didn’t come with maintenance records, you need to assume the worst. Most likely the coolant system and transmission have never been serviced. The cabin air filter has probably not been changed and a fuel system cleaning may be in order.

You’ll want The Auto Guys in St. Thomas to check the air conditioning, battery, engine air filter, serpentine belt and hoses. An inspection at The Auto Guys is well worth the cost.

And if your “new” used vehicle has more kilometers on it, an inspection is even more important. Check your owner’s manual or talk with your The Auto Guys service advisor about what should have been done. Please don’t forget the timing belt – that can be very expensive if it fails.

Your The Auto Guys service advisor will help you with a plan to take care of critical services and get the rest caught up. If your budget won’t allow you to take care of everything right away, your The Auto Guys service advisor can help you prioritize your needs and get it taken care of over the next several months. And remember to keep your maintenance records. They’ll help you get top dollar when it’s time for you to sell.

Stop by or give us a call.

The Auto Guys
135 South Edgeware Rd.
St. Thomas, ON N5P 4C4
519.631.7117