Smog tests with Used Cars
In this economic times instead of buying a new car, most families are going to opt to buy used cars.
With that being the case, there will be a lot of issues concerning finances that go into place when making a used car purchase.
When I mention about the financial considerations, I am not only 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 want to have to do is make expensive repairs for a failed smog test. I have seen too many used cars in my San Diego auto repair business have this happen.
So when buying that used car here are some things to consider.
Under a 2005 law that was passed, if you have a 1976 vehcile or older, you will not have to ever take 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.
Other than that, if it is in it’s 5th or 7th year you will need a biennial smog check performed.
If you purchase the vehicle in another state and live in California, you are going to have to find out if your car can pass the test. Generally California is much stricter.
With that being the case, you want to keep that in mind when purchasing your vehicle.
Costs for a smog test San Diego generally run between $30 to $80. But as mentioned above, that is not the big cost. The big cost is if you need costly repairs.
So when purchasing the used car, make sure you find out if the vehicle has recently passed a smog test.
You don’t want any surprise expenses popping up when your goal was to save money by buying a used car.
Follow these tips when looking into that used car and you will save yourself a lot of money.