Georgia’s Clean Air Force's 6 Tips for Buying Pre-Owned Vehicle

ATLANTA – According to a 2018 Realtor.com study on the best and worst metropolitan area commutes, motorists in Atlanta have the 8th worst commute in the U.S. Since Georgia motorists rely so heavily on their vehicles, finding the right one is extremely important. Having the best resources helps.

Georgia’s Clean Air Force, a partnership with the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD), offers six key tips to help motorists purchase a pre-owned vehicle.

“Researching a vehicle’s history is one of the most important things you can do before making a purchase. Putting a little time into researching a vehicle can potentially save you time and money down the road,” said Pamela Earl, Mobile & Area Sources Program Manager, Georgia Environmental Protection Division.

Get a Free Vehicle Inspection Report (VIR). Motorists can view a summary of the most recent vehicle inspection reports (VIRs) for free at www.cleanairforce.com. The report will let you know if the vehicle had a valid, passing emissions inspection performed within the last 12 months.

Research the Dealer. Read reviews for any dealerships from which you are interested in purchasing a vehicle. This can eliminate dealers that are untrustworthy or have negative comments about the vehicles they sell.

Get a Pre-purchase Inspection. Have a pre-purchase inspection performed by a trusted third party. Most new vehicle dealers offer this service for about $100.

Bring a Mechanic to a Private Sale. Private sellers are less obligated to work with you if there are any issues after the sale is made, so be sure to take a trusted mechanic with you to make sure you’re not getting a lemon.

Request a Carfax Report. Carfax reports give you the history of a vehicle, letting you know if it has been in an accident or might have any other negative events in its history. Some dealerships will run this report for you. Other dealerships or private sellers may not, but you can easily run a report yourself.

Perform an On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) Test. An on-board diagnostic (OBD) test scans the vehicle for specific codes that can let you know when the vehicle has had certain repairs or if it has undergone recommended preventative maintenance services. This can be helpful when determining what kind of damage or work has been done to the vehicle in the past. The device can be used manually or purchased as a Bluetooth OBD unit that connects to a smartphone through the use of an app.

Remember that sellers located outside of Atlanta’s 13 metropolitan counties are not required to provide a passing emissions test at the time of sale. If you reside in one of the 13 metro Atlanta counties where passing an annual emissions test is required, you should take into consideration the location of your dealer.

For additional information or to download an infographic on tips for buying a pre-owned vehicle, visit the Georgia’s Clean Air Force website at www.cleanairforce.com.

About Georgia’s Clean Air Force
Georgia's Clean Air Force, in partnership with the Environmental Protection Division (EPD), is responsible for the management of the Enhanced Vehicle Emission Inspection and Maintenance (I/M) Program throughout Atlanta's 13 metro counties. Since 1996, the Georgia EPD has worked to reduce harmful vehicle emissions. Georgia's Inspection and Maintenance Program has prevented tons of ozone-forming pollutants from entering the air we breathe, by identifying and repairing more than 3.4 million heavy-polluting vehicles. For more information, visit http://www.cleanairforce.com.