Why should I trust a used car from The Car Source?  This is a question everybody who buys a used vehicle will ask themselves regarding the dealer they are considering purchasing from. I felt it would be helpful to simply explain the process we go through to insure our customer's are getting a safe, reliable car.

Let's start with where the cars come from. There are only a few basic sources for all used cars. Most cars today are either trade-ins, lease returns, rental returns, or on a more negative note, cars that were either damaged and repaired, or that were bought back from the manufacturer because of some issue the vehicle may have had. We simply don't buy from the last two sources.

All of these different sources of cars are sold at dealer only auctions around the country. How do we insure that you don't get a problem car, like a Lemon Law car or a car that was previously salvaged?

 All auctions have some of these problem cars but we go to great lengths to assure that we don't buy them. Here is how we do it;

1. At auction we only buy a car if it is represented with an auction warranty. These cars have been checked prior to being offered for sale for mechanical problems and for any frame or unibody structure damage. Simply put, if the green (guarantee) light isn't on when that car comes up to the block, we walk away.

 2. We go through one crucial extra step. We routinely go to the auction the day prior so that we have time to look over the cars and get the ID numbers on the vehicles we are considering prior to the auction. Often we use this data to run a report on Carfax so that we find out about cars with hidden histories prior to ever bidding. We, (unlike many used vehicle dealers) are authorized to run DMV printouts on any car we choose directly at our dealership. Often if there is a car that is suspect, I'll call the office with the ID number and have our DMV verifier do a DMV check. If a car is being traded in directly to us, we can run these checks while they are there. Most dealers, particularly high volume ones, simply show up on the day of the auction, stand in the bidding arena and bid on whatever car looks nice to them as they roll up. I guess when they have to come up with 3 or 4 hundred cars per month they don't have the time to be as thorough.

3. After the auction we take the extra step of having the car inspected for mechanical and frame problems before we even take it away from the auction. Most auctions provide this service for a fee and we think its worth every dollar. You see, if they discover a problem while the vehicle is still there and it was sold to us with a guarantee, we can reject the sale. This guarantee in most cases is only good on the day of the purchase so if a dealer takes it back to his lot and finds a problem a few days later, he then has no recourse. Often other dealers will then try and fix the problem and put the vehicle in question out for sale.

4. After the purchase, inspection, and transport back to our facility the fun is just beginning. We then have our licensed verifier check all of the vehicle identification numbers on the car to make sure there are no discrepancies. After that we take it to our own contracted independent certified mechanics to have our own inspection done. This mechanical inspection is significantly more thorough than the one performed at any auction. I personally designed the format of the safety inspection. There is always a balance between cost and benefit that needs to be maintained but we have some simple guidelines that assure our customers get a car that is free of problems at the time of sale. We will replace the brakes if the pads have any less than 40% remaining, we change the oil on every car. These are just two of the many steps we take, but you get the idea. If the car is specialty in nature such as a Jaguar, Land Rover, or Mercedes, we take those vehicles to shops that specialize in that particular vehicle. For instance all Land Rovers to Niello Land Rover for a look, all Mercedes or BMW's go to German Auto Service in Roseville. I think you get the picture.

5. After all of these mechanical steps are completed now the car is ready for cosmetics. You will not find many late model cars at our facility that have had any paint work. My buyers are trained to avoid cars that have been painted other than the original. When you're at our facility I would be happy to show you how we determine this. Another thing you won't find on our cars is cheap off-brand tires. Over the years I have always felt if a car owner had quality tires on the car he was trading in, it was indicative of how he took care of the car. It usually proves true. Our cars get Michellin, Goodyear, Uniroyal, Dunlop etc. I do not purchase cheaper less known brands for the cars we sell.

The car is then detailed to a high standard, and the car is ready to show and sell.

We pride ourselves on having cars that are truly unique. We want your car to stand out even if it's a basic four door sedan, its going to be the one with leather and a moon roof not just another basic model. This carries over to all types of vehicles. I truly like to feel that if it's a car I would own myself, only then am I willing to sell it to you!

If you have made it this far, thanks for taking the time to read about us. As an independent dealer, I constantly strive to overcome the reputation that has preceded me in this business. I feel, however, we have done a good job for the hundreds of previous customers we have, and am confident they will attest to that. We look forward to helping you with your car purchase.

Kirk, Karen, and the entire staff.

The Car Source                       Roseville 916-771-7474                      Sacramento 916-925-0600

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