How Much Does the Number on the Odometer Matter when Buying from Auto Auctions in Florida When buying a car from salvage car dealers or auto auctions in Florida or other places, you will find the odometer reading mentioned in the listing and on the car itself. The number means the total distance the car has traveled to date. This number is given a lot of value when people make a decision to buy a salvage car. When buying salvage cars at auto auctions in Florida or anywhere else, should the odometer be the decision making factor? Well it depends:
Maintenance of the car is more important Say you have two salvage cars. One which is older but has less miles on the odometer and the other with less years but more miles. Buying the car with less miles seems better on paper, but how the car is maintained is very important. A car that has more miles due to regular use would have been serviced on time and the oil, transmission and brakes must have been properly changed. A car with less miles and more years could also mean since it has been driven less, servicing might not have been done on time and/or less frequently. So there could be more wear and tear on the brakes, tires and other systems.
How the car was used by the previous owner is important You should consider whether the car was driven/used in the city where you break more due traffic jams and travel less distance or was the car majorly used on highways. A car driven on highways or long distances may show more miles on odometer but the wear on the engine will be less as the car gets to reach the optimum temperature on which the engine should operate. The tires, brakes and gearbox will have less wear and tear as well because the driver would have used these things less compared to driving in the city.
Modern cars have better engines As a lot of people say a car is finished around 100,000 miles. The make and model of the salvage car becomes more important because if you are buying a modern car of recent models this number can increase up to 200,000 to 300,000 miles due to modern technology. Modern engines are built in a way that they will be the last thing which will go in a car. You might have repaired/rebuilt the car completely with new parts before it.
Final Word A car with more miles on the odometer might not look like a great option when buying a car at salvage auto auctions. You will need to keep other factors like age and model and maintenance and car’s history to make a better judgment. Also, try local auctions first. Say you live in Florida and you decide to buy a salvage car, look for the top auto auctions sites in Florida first. Ask for more details from the seller on the car, get a car history report and conduct a pre-inspection. Although most auto auction sites offer third party inspections as well, if you shop from local auto auctions in Florida, then you can go check the car yourself and interact with the seller easily. So do not fall for the conventional thinking and miss a great deal on the salvage car. We hope now you know to look for more details before making a decision.