<br> Personally, when I'm looking for a used vehicle I always try to avoid dealerships and resellers. They are in the business of making money by selling vehicles, so right off the bat you are pretty much guaranteed not to be getting an exceptional deal, and most likely will be paying more than you need to. Also, they normally have had the vehicle for a very short time, and because of this they really have no idea if it has had any issues, major repairs or how it was used. <br><br> <br> When looking for a van you want to first see how long the owner has been driving it (If their answer seems less than honest, ask to see the title.) If they have had it since new or for a good number of years there's less of a chance of it being a lemon. If they just bought it 2 months ago, or it's not in their name there's a good reason to be suspicious. Also, if they have service records for the van that's even better! <br><br> The next thing to look for are that items requiring regular care have been maintained. Are the tires properly inflated, are they worn down, worn unevenly or dry rotted? Is the coolant level where it should be? (Both high and low are bad signs, higher than should be is a really bad sign). Is the oil level correct? Is the oil exceptionally dirty or exceptionally clean? Grit or other debris or air bubbles in the oil are a bad sign, and spotlessly clean oil is not always a good one (Perhaps there was an problem and they just changed it). If it's an automatic is the transmission fluid translucent and light red colored? Look and feel for grit in the trans fluid and put it up to your nose and smell it. If it has a burnt smell the van should be avoided. Check the air filter as well. Oil in the filter is a dead giveaway of major engine problems, a very dirty filter is a sign that the van was not maintained and a spotlessly clean filter is a sign that the seller might be hiding something (Just changed it perhaps). <br><br><br> Ask them why they are selling it, ask the seller if the van has had any problems and what repairs have been done to it. If they don't know or say none at all, you can pretty much guarantee they are either the luckiest van owner ever, or they are lying through their teeth just to sell it to you. <br><br> When you first look at the van check to see if the engine is warm. If it is, then the seller may be hiding an issue (Normally a battery issue, or a worn engine). Start the van and see if it smokes more than you would expect, that's a sign of major engine wear. <br><br> <br> <br><br> <br><br> It's been my experience that government owned vans (Schools, Municipal vehicles, etc) are often good deals. They don't normally see a lot of hard use, are regularly maintained and it';s not often that repairs are delayed or corners are cut in doing them. They also are replaced at regular intervals as opposed to being replaced only when they're worn out.
