My dad once bought a spanking brand new pickup. On day 5 somebody wrecked it while it was parked on the street. He's nearly make me promise that I'll never buy a brand new car. Financially it is a waste of money.
I am not a car expert by any stretch of the imagination, but having bough a few used cars I think I can give you a few tips:
Buy from reputable dealers. Even locals are sometimes swindled. The documents could be forged and if the real owner come after you you will lose your money.
Have the VIN and registration checked by the police (Plan Piloto in Santo Domingo).
Offer RD$50,000 less than the asking price, that's about as much they could come down. You'll reach a point in between. Have someone else ask about the vehicle and see what they offer that person. Sometimes offers are made based on your looks and perceived weakness.
Have a trusted mechanic check the car. There are no lemon laws in the DR. You buy a lemon and you're just left to buy sugar for a giant lemonade.
Do check with Carfax for cars that were originally imported from the US. Many cars have the odometer messed with, some other cars that look good in appearance were cars that were totalled in the states (floods, rollover accidents, etc.) and that are then sold in the D.R. after a "plastic surgery".
Some VINs will not be registered in Carfax, cars made for the Dominican market are different from the models sold in the US. My V has a a lot of features that were only included two years later in the US.
For god's sake, don't buy leather. I made that mistake, and although it looks pretty and add to the resale value of the V when we sell it, my legs and back are not happy about it. It gets frigging hot in the summer.
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