When you are looking to buy a used vehicle, the process can understandably be stressful, nerve-wracking, and draining (and not just on your wallet!). You need to ensure that you are purchasing a dependable and operational vehicle– and from a reputable dealer.

Are you looking for some key buying tips on how to buy a used truck from a dealer? Then you have parked yourself in the right spot. Here at Legend Auto Sales, we know just how important it is to our customers that they trust us, our vehicles, our services, and our dealership overall.

That is precisely why we have created this guide for informing potential pickup truck buyers on how to get the right pickup truck from a dealer. Let’s get to it: the top seven tips on how to buy a used truck from a dealer.

It’s important that you know what you want before you head to the dealership. You don’t want to waste your time by going to a dealership and browsing their options only to discover that they don’t have what you’re looking for!

Have a good idea of the specific differences between pickup trucks, as all are not built the same. They vary in overall size, cargo bed size, and specific capabilities. Their sizes include compact, full-sized (or half-ton trucks), and heavy-duty.

Compact trucks are the least expensive and the smallest options amongst the pickup trucks. Full-sized trucks are made for work, so they are larger than compact trucks and higher off the ground. Lastly, heavy-duty trucks (also referred to by specific numbers like 2500 and 3500) are built for serious work, like hauling fifth-wheel trailers, and carrying heavy loads.

You should also consider the size of the cargo bed, as these do of course come with pickup trucks, but you can purchase an extended bed if necessary. As you might imagine, these vary from truck to truck. Along with the cargo bed, you should closely consider the seating space you require as well.

While you don’t have to have the ideal pickup truck in your head while stepping onto a dealership lot, you should have a general idea of what you’re looking for. This will save you plenty of time and stress while shopping.

This point undoubtedly needs to be made: prepare to budget your money for this purchase! Pickup trucks are expensive even if they are used. These used trucks can cost you tens of thousands of dollars! Just be sure you have the financial means to tackle the price of your soon-to-be vehicle, whether it will be personally financed or with an auto loan.

This will quickly weed out the dependable dealerships from the treacherous ones before you physically visit them. Do a Google search and browse through the dealerships you are considering buying from, such as ones in your specific area.

Take the time to comb through their reviews on various websites/platforms (this includes Facebook if they have one). These ratings and reviews will give you a better idea of how their customer satisfaction truly is.

However, be sure to take these with a grain of salt, especially if they appear to be written by a robot (poor spelling and grammar, one-liners, generic comments, etc).

Now that you know what you’re looking for and have narrowed down your dealership options from the reviews earlier, it’s important to check if they have exactly what you’re looking for in their inventory. You can do so either by making the trek to see them, visiting their website, and/or giving them a quick call.

This step should efficiently narrow down your choices to the dealerships that are not only reputable but also can supply you with the vehicle you’re looking for.

Now that you are finally shopping for your dream pickup truck, be sure that the trucks that you designate to be worthy have free warranties. This is one of the most important steps because you need to have some confidence when purchasing your vehicle. Plus, this leaves the dealerships liable in case anything does go wrong after you drive off their lot.

While this may not seem all that important, this is a feature that speaks volumes about the dealership as a whole. Typically, if a dealership has a shop on-site, this implies that they are indeed knowledgeable about vehicles and know how to fix them if/when issues do arise. Bonus points if they have ASE-certified mechanics working the shop!

The title is the most important document when purchasing any vehicle. This means that it is legally yours and yours alone. Ask for the title for any pickup truck you are closely considering purchasing (and not after you purchase one!). If they cannot supply you with the title upon request or refuse to do so, run.