Used Cars and Smog Tests
Where Do You Live?
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 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 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 find out about your state by calling 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 car has been sold and registered in California for the first time, you will have to get a smog check.
Otherwise, if the car is in it’s 5th or 7th year, a smog test done biennially will be needed.
If you made the car purchase in another state but live in California, you will have to find out if your vehicle can pass a smog test. Generally California is much stricter.
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 major costs will be if you need expensive repairs.
So when making the purchase of the used car, make an effort to find out if the car was able to pass a recent 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.
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