Questions to Ask When Buying a Used Truck
These 65 questions to ask when buying a used truck are for anyone looking at a pickup in an owner's driveway or going to a dealer to look at a truck on the lot. They run in the order the purchase goes: History and use to settle by phone, Frame and body and Mechanical for the viewing and the drive, a Diesel group for a used diesel truck such as a Duramax, Cummins, or Power Stroke, At a dealer for what only the lot can answer, and Inspection and price once the truck has passed everything else.
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The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
History and use
Why are you selling, and what did you use the truck for?
Why ask it
A truck used to haul mulch on weekends and a truck that pulled a loaded trailer every day are different purchases at the same mileage. Listen for what they volunteer about the work it did, because that determines which parts you should be looking at closely.
Was this ever a company, fleet, or contractor truck?
Why ask it
Fleet trucks often have complete service records, which helps, but they also idle for hours, carry weight daily, and get driven by people who do not own them. Look for drilled holes in the bed rails, ladder rack mounts, the ghost outline of old decals on the doors, and heavy wear on the driver's seat next to modest mileage.
How much has it towed, how heavy, and how often?
Why ask it
Towing wears the transmission, cooling system, brakes, and rear suspension before it shows on the odometer. A wired seven pin plug, a worn hitch ball, a brake controller in the dash, or bolt holes in the bed for a gooseneck or fifth wheel all say the truck pulled loads whatever the answer is.
Do you have service records, and when were the transmission, transfer case, and differential fluids last changed?
Why ask it
Owners who tow tend to talk about oil changes and skip the driveline fluids, which are the expensive ones to neglect. Records that name a shop you can call are worth far more than a verbal history, and a truck with no record of transmission service past a hundred thousand miles should be priced with that in mind.
Is the title clean and in your name, and is there a lien on it?
Why ask it
A salvage, rebuilt, or flood brand on the title usually lowers what the truck resells for and can narrow your insurance choices, and an unreleased lien can hold up your registration. If the name on the title is not the person selling, find out why before you travel. How brands and lien releases are recorded differs by state and country, so check with your own licensing office.
Can you send me the VIN and a photo of the stickers in the driver's door jamb?
Why ask it
The VIN lets you run a history report and a recall search before you spend a tank of fuel getting there. The door jamb labels give the build date, the gross vehicle weight rating, and the payload of this particular truck, which a listing almost never states.
How many owners has it had, and how long have you had it?
Why ask it
A truck sold again after a few months has often been bought, found wanting, and passed along. Long ownership does not prove good care, but it does mean the person in front of you can answer for most of the miles.
Where has the truck lived, and has it ever been used for plowing or on gravel and job sites?
Why ask it
Salted winter roads and plow duty both add years of wear that the odometer will not show, plowing especially to the front end, transmission, and cooling system. A plow mount left on the frame or wiring cut off behind the grille tells you even when the seller does not.
Has it been in any collision, and what body or frame work has been done?
Why ask it
Ask this before you look, then check the panel gaps, the bolt heads on the fenders and bed, overspray on rubber seals, and whether the paint matches in direct sunlight. Dents in the bed and tailgate are common and mostly cosmetic, while a repaired frame or a bent cab mount is something a body shop should judge before you go any further.
What cab, bed length, axle ratio, and tow package does this one have?
Why ask it
Two trucks with the same badge can be rated to pull very different loads, because the rear axle ratio, the cooling package, and the hitch all change the rating. Have the seller read the options off the build sheet or window sticker, then look up the tow and payload figures for that exact configuration.
How many hours are on the engine, if the dash shows them?
Why ask it
Many trucks keep an engine hour count, and some an idle hour count, in the driver display. Divide the miles by the hours: a very low average speed means long stretches of idling on a job site, which is engine wear the odometer does not record.
Is the mileage on the odometer actual, and has the instrument cluster ever been replaced?
Why ask it
A swapped cluster or a corrected odometer is not always a fraud, but it should come with paperwork showing the reading before and after. Line the number up against the dates and mileages on the service invoices and the history report, and treat a gap nobody can explain as a reason to keep looking.
What does it need right now that you have not got around to fixing?
Why ask it
Owners usually know the list: a slow window, a seeping axle seal, a tailgate latch that sticks. An honest answer here makes the rest of what they tell you easier to believe, and each item is a line in your offer later.
Can you leave it completely cold until I get there?
Why ask it
Hard starting, valve train tick, exhaust smoke, and a lazy first shift are most obvious in the first minute and can fade once everything is warm. Put a hand on the hood when you arrive. A warm engine at a viewing you booked as a cold start deserves a question of its own.
Frame and body
Can I look at the frame, brake lines, and bed floor from underneath, ideally on a lift?
Why ask it
Frame rust is what ends trucks where the roads are salted, and it hides above the rear axle, at the spring hangers, and behind the cab. Scaling that flakes off in sheets, pitted brake lines, and a rotted bed floor under a plastic liner are all far more serious than surface rust on the rockers, and none of it is visible from standing height.
Has the frame or underbody been undercoated or painted recently?
Why ask it
A yearly oil or wax treatment on a truck from a salt region is a good sign, and the seller can usually name the shop that did it. Thick fresh black coating over a rough surface is different: it can be covering scale, so press on it and look closely where the coating stops.
Are the cab corners, rocker panels, and rear wheel arches original metal?
Why ask it
Those three spots rust from the inside on many pickups, and they are also the easiest to patch with filler and paint for a sale. A small magnet wrapped in cloth will not hold over thick filler, and bubbling paint along a seam means the rust underneath is further on than it looks.
Can we lift the bedliner, and has the bed ever been replaced?
Why ask it
A drop in liner traps water and hides rust and dents, so expect at least surface corrosion under one on an older truck. Then stand behind the tailgate and compare the gap between cab and bed on each side: a bed that sits crooked was either swapped or is riding on a frame that has moved.
Has a fifth wheel or gooseneck hitch ever been fitted, and who installed it?
Why ask it
Rails or a ball in the bed floor mean the truck pulled a trailer heavier than a bumper hitch is built for. Look underneath at how the brackets meet the frame: bolted through factory holes with the hitch maker's hardware is normal, while torch cut holes or welds on the frame rails are work you would want a shop to judge.
Has it ever been driven through deep water, or stuck in mud up to the axles?
Why ask it
Water gets into axles and transfer cases through their breather vents and turns the gear oil milky, and silt stays in places a wash never reaches. Check behind the rear seat, under the edge of the carpet, and around the spare tire carrier for dried mud or a tide line.
Is the spare tire there, and does it still lower from under the bed?
Why ask it
Most pickups hang the spare under the bed on a cable winch worked from the bumper with the jack handle, and after years of road salt that winch can seize solid. Ask to crank it down once, read the date code on the spare, and make sure the jack and every section of the handle are still stowed in the cab.
Do the tailgate, the trailer plug, and all the bed and marker lights work?
Why ask it
A plug in tester from a parts store shows whether every pin of the trailer connector is live, which matters the first time you hook up at dusk. Drop and lift the tailgate, try its lock, and on a dual rear wheel truck check the roof and fender marker lights too.
Mechanical
Are there any warning lights now, and has anything been cleared recently?
Why ask it
Turn the key without starting and watch the full light sequence, then look again once it is running. A basic code reader in your pocket will show stored and pending codes, and readiness monitors that have all reset at once suggest the battery was disconnected or codes were cleared just before you arrived.
How does the transmission shift cold and hot, and has it ever slipped or been rebuilt?
Why ask it
An automatic that has towed hard tends to show it as a delay going into drive, a flare in revs between gears, or a harsh downshift once the fluid is hot. A rebuild is not bad news when there is an invoice from a shop you can call, and it can be better news than an original unit with no fluid service at all.
Does the four wheel drive engage in both high and low range, and can we test it now?
Why ask it
A four wheel drive fault can sit unnoticed for years on a truck that never leaves pavement, and the cause is often an actuator, a vacuum line, or a worn transfer case. Engage it on a loose surface, drive in a slow circle listening for binding or clunking, and confirm the dash indicator matches what the truck is doing.
Has the rear differential, a U joint, or the driveshaft carrier bearing ever been replaced?
Why ask it
Listen for a clunk when you go from reverse to drive and for a hum that changes as you lift off the throttle at a steady speed. A vibration that arrives at one particular speed on a long wheelbase truck is often in the two piece driveshaft, which is a far smaller repair than an axle rebuild.
What has been done to the front end: ball joints, wheel bearings, tie rods, and steering damper?
Why ask it
Front end wear shows up as wandering, uneven tire wear, and clunks over bumps, and on solid front axle trucks a shudder in the steering at speed is a well known symptom worth asking about by name. Grab each front tire at twelve and six o'clock with the wheel raised and check for play while someone watches the joint.
How do the brakes feel under load, and when were pads, rotors, and fluid last replaced?
Why ask it
Rotors overheated by a heavy trailer show up as a pulse through the pedal more often than as anything you can see. The fluid is the item owners skip, so if the reservoir is dark on a truck that towed, budget for a full brake service.
How old are the tires, are they a matched set, and what load rating do they carry?
Why ask it
The four digit code on the sidewall gives the week and year of manufacture. On a four wheel drive truck, tires of different sizes or very uneven wear can strain the transfer case, and a truck you plan to tow with needs the right load range, so a set of passenger rated tires is a purchase you inherit.
Has it been lifted, leveled, or fitted with oversized tires, and was anything recalibrated afterward?
Why ask it
Lifts change steering geometry, driveline angles, and speedometer accuracy, and a poorly matched kit can wear ball joints and U joints early. Ask who installed it and whether the speedometer was recalibrated for the taller tires, since without that the odometer has been counting fewer miles than the truck has covered.
Are the springs and shocks original, and have air bags or helper springs been added?
Why ask it
A rear end that sits low with the bed empty has carried weight for a long time. Air bags and add on leaves are sensible on a truck that hauls a slide in camper, and they also say it ran at or near its limit, so find out what was on it.
Does it hold temperature on a long climb, and when were the coolant, hoses, and water pump last done?
Why ask it
Overheating is a towing problem first, so a gauge that stays put around town proves little. Check the coolant level and color with the engine cold, look for crusted residue at the hose joints and the water pump, and watch the needle on the hill in your test drive.
Does it use any oil or coolant between changes?
Why ask it
Every owner who checks the dipstick knows this number, and one who does not know has told you something as well. A little oil added on a high mileage engine can be normal, whereas coolant that disappears with no puddle under the truck needs a shop's diagnosis before you buy.
Does it leak anything, and can I see where it is normally parked?
Why ask it
The ground under a truck's usual spot keeps a longer record than a freshly washed underside. Where the stain sits narrows it down: under the front of the engine, where the engine meets the transmission, below the transfer case, or at either end of the rear axle.
Do the cruise control, tow haul mode, trailer brake controller, and backup camera all work?
Why ask it
These are the features a truck owner leans on and a short drive skips. Switch tow haul on and feel for the later shifts, set the cruise on the highway, and make sure the brake controller powers up and shows a gain setting, since a dead one may be a wiring fault left by an old trailer.
Diesel
Which diesel engine is it exactly, and which generation?
Why ask it
On a used Duramax the answer is a code such as LB7, LML, or L5P, and Cummins and Power Stroke engines have their own generations. Each generation has a different list of weak points, so the code is what you take to the owner forums and to a diesel shop before you go and see the truck.
Is all the emissions equipment still on the truck: the particulate filter, the EGR system, and the exhaust fluid system?
Why ask it
A deleted diesel can fail inspection, can be refused registration in some places, and leaves the cost of refitting the original parts with you, which is substantial. The rules are strict in many countries and enforced differently from one state or inspection area to the next, so ask how it works where you would register the truck. Then compare the exhaust and its sensors with a factory truck of the same year.
Has it ever had a tuner or a custom tune, even if it is back to stock now?
Why ask it
Added power is hard on the transmission, the head gaskets, and the driveline behind them, and that wear stays after the stock program is loaded again. A tuner in the glove box, a gauge pod on the windshield pillar, or an unexplained switch under the dash is worth asking about. A manufacturer may also decline warranty work on a truck that shows a tune, so check with a franchised dealer.
Have the injectors or the high pressure fuel pump been replaced, and is there an invoice?
Why ask it
Injectors and the pump that feeds them are among the costliest parts on a modern diesel, and on some generations a failed pump sends metal through the whole fuel system. An invoice shows whether original parts were used and whether the lines and rails were cleaned or replaced at the same time. A diesel shop can also read how evenly the injectors are fuelling with a scan tool.
How often were the fuel filter and water separator changed, and where did it fill up?
Why ask it
Diesel injection runs at very high pressure and does not forgive dirt or water, so the filter interval matters more than it does on a gas engine. Receipts for filters are cheap proof of care. A truck fuelled from a farm tank or a transfer tank in the bed deserves a closer look at that history.
Does it smoke at start up or under load, and what color is it?
Why ask it
A healthy diesel may puff briefly on a cold morning and then clear. White smoke that hangs and smells of raw fuel, blue smoke, or heavy black smoke on a truck that still has its particulate filter can each point to a different fault, so describe exactly what you saw to a diesel mechanic.
Can I take the oil fill cap off while it idles?
Why ask it
Every diesel pushes a little vapor out of the filler, so a faint haze is no cause for alarm. A cap that dances on the opening or a steady puffing stream suggests more combustion pressure is getting past the rings than it should, and how much is too much varies by engine, so film it and show a diesel shop.
Has the turbo been replaced, and does it build power smoothly without surging?
Why ask it
On the drive, accelerate firmly from low revs and listen for a siren note, a flutter, or a flat spot before the power arrives. Variable vane turbos can stick with soot on trucks that were only ever driven gently, and more than a light film of oil in the intake pipe is something to show a shop.
Has it had any head gasket, head stud, or EGR cooler work?
Why ask it
Some diesel generations have a reputation for one of these, and a repaired truck with paperwork can be a better buy than an untouched one. With the engine cold, open the coolant tank and look for an oily film, then check after the drive for hoses that are rock hard or coolant pushed out past the cap.
Does the exhaust fluid system work, and has the truck ever gone into reduced power?
Why ask it
On diesels that use exhaust fluid, usually sold as DEF, a failed heater, pump, or sensor brings a dash warning and eventually a speed limit until it is repaired. Ask what was replaced and when, and how much fluid the truck goes through, because the seller's figure helps you budget.
How often does the particulate filter regenerate, and was the truck driven mostly on short trips?
Why ask it
The filter burns itself clean on longer drives, and a life of five minute errands interrupts that over and over. Many trucks show a soot level or a cleaning message in the display. A filter that has been professionally cleaned or replaced is a large expense already paid, so get the invoice.
Do the glow plugs or grid heater and the block heater work, and how old are the batteries?
Why ask it
A mild afternoon will not tell you. If your winters are hard, watch the wait to start light cycle, find the block heater cord, and ask how the truck starts unplugged at the lowest temperature the owner has seen. Most diesel pickups carry two batteries, so read the date sticker on each and ask whether they were replaced as a pair.
What does a routine service cost you, and who does the work?
Why ask it
A diesel usually takes more oil at each change than a gas engine and adds fuel filters and, on many, exhaust fluid, so the yearly bill belongs in your sums next to the price. The name of the shop is useful too: a diesel specialist who knows this truck can fill in what the paperwork leaves out, if the owner lets you call.
At a dealer
How did this truck come to you: a local trade, an auction, a lease return, or a fleet sale?
Why ask it
The dealership's own purchase paperwork says where the truck came from, so 'not sure' should be followed by someone looking it up. A local trade may arrive with its records and an owner the service desk knows, while an auction or fleet truck leaves you leaning harder on the inspection.
Can I see the history report you pulled and any service records that came in with it?
Why ask it
Dealers generally run a history report on a truck before they price it, so asking for their copy costs them nothing. Read it for where the truck was registered, how many owners it has had, and whether it was ever titled to a business, then ask the service desk whether the last owner had the work done in that building.
What did your shop inspect and repair before it went on the lot, and can I see the work order?
Why ask it
The work order lists what the technician flagged as well as what was approved, and the gap between the two is yours to inherit. If the reconditioning was a detail and an oil change on a truck with six figure mileage, ask for the brake and tire measurements and the date of the last driveline fluid service.
Did you add the lift, wheels, or tires, or did it arrive that way?
Why ask it
Some lots dress a used truck with a lift and bigger tires before pricing it. If the dealer fitted them, ask who stands behind the kit and the alignment and what the truck would cost without it. If it came in that way, nobody on the lot knows who did the work, and the questions about steering, U joints, and the speedometer matter twice as much.
How long has it been on the lot, and has the price changed?
Why ask it
Trucks that are priced right tend to move, so one that has been parked there for months is worth a why. The answer may be as dull as an unusual cab and bed combination. It may also be that earlier shoppers had it inspected.
Is it sold as is or with a warranty from you, and what does the coverage leave out?
Why ask it
Ask for the answer on paper, because the terms that count are the exclusions. A short dealer warranty may cover the engine block and transmission and leave out injectors, turbos, and emissions components, which are the expensive failures on a diesel. What a dealer must provide differs by state and country, so ask how it works there.
If it is certified, is that the manufacturer's program or the dealership's own?
Why ask it
A manufacturer's certified program publishes its inspection checklist and its warranty terms, and the coverage is normally handled at any franchised dealer of that make. A lot's own certified sticker means what that lot decides, so ask for the checklist this truck passed and where a claim would have to be made.
What is the out the door price with every fee and add on listed separately?
Why ask it
The windshield price can leave out a documentation fee, a reconditioning charge, and products fitted before you arrived. Tax and registration are set by where you live, while the dealer's own fees vary from lot to lot, so compare trucks on this total and have it emailed to you before you visit.
Is that price the same if I pay cash or bring my own loan?
Why ask it
Some advertised prices only apply when you finance through the dealership, and the condition tends to surface in the finance office. Get the answer before you sit down, and if you are borrowing, arrive with a quote from your own bank or credit union so the lot's offer has something to be compared against.
If I leave a deposit to hold it for an inspection, is it refundable, and for how long?
Why ask it
The word refundable has to be on the receipt with its conditions, or the inspection cannot change anything. A lot that is sure of the truck usually agrees to an off site inspection within a set number of days. If the reply is that their own technician already checked it, that is the seller grading its own work.
Inspection and price
Can I take it to a shop for a pre purchase inspection, and can the test drive include highway speed and a hill?
Why ask it
A shop that knows this engine charges little next to the price of a transmission or a set of injectors, and a seller who will not allow the visit has given you an answer anyway. On the drive, get the transmission to shift through every gear, hold a steady climb, brake hard once from speed, and check for vibration at highway speed.
Is any factory or extended warranty still in force, and are there open recalls on this VIN?
Why ask it
Powertrain coverage on a newer truck may transfer to you, while an extended service contract may not transfer at all or may need a fee, so have a dealer of that make confirm both by VIN. The same desk can look up outstanding recall work, which is usually completed at no charge.
What comes with the truck: both keys, the bed cover, the hitch, and any original parts?
Why ask it
A second key fob, a fifth wheel hitch, a tonneau cover, and the factory wheels or exhaust taken off for upgrades all have real value. Agree on the list before the price and write it on the bill of sale, so the hitch is still in the bed on the day you collect.
What do you pay each year to register and insure it?
Why ask it
The owner's figures are a starting point and not yours: a heavier truck can fall into a different registration class, fee, or inspection schedule, and the cut off depends on the state, province, or country. Phone your licensing office and your insurer with the VIN and the gross weight rating before you agree a price, and mention any lift or tune, because insurers treat modifications differently.
With what we have found today, how much room is there in the price?
Why ask it
Make the case with the list you built: tire dates, driveline service gaps, rust, brake condition, and anything the inspection turned up. Look at completed sales of the same year, engine, cab, and drivetrain configuration first, since a diesel four wheel drive crew cab and a base two wheel drive truck of the same year are not comparable.
How do you want to be paid, and will you sign a bill of sale with the VIN and odometer reading?
Why ask it
With a private seller, meeting at their bank or yours lets a lien be paid off and the title signed in front of staff who handle it every day. Write the VIN, mileage, price, date, and both names on the bill of sale. Whether it has to be notarized or filed depends on where you are, so check first.
If you kept it another year, what would you expect to spend on it?
Why ask it
This one is about what is coming due, not what is broken: the tires it will want before winter, the next driveline fluid service, the batteries. Put as their own spending it is easy to answer honestly, so add the total to the figure you agreed and see whether the truck still makes sense.
Buying a Used Pickup
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Match the Truck to the Job First
Work out what you actually need to tow or carry
Find the loaded weight of the heaviest trailer you plan to pull, add the tongue weight to whatever will be in the bed and cab, and compare that against the truck's payload sticker in the driver's door jamb rather than the headline towing figure. Payload is usually what a half ton truck runs out of first, not power.
Decide about diesel honestly
A diesel pulls heavy loads more comfortably and often holds value well, but fuel filters, oil changes, emissions parts, and injector work all cost more than the gas equivalent. If you tow occasionally and drive short distances the rest of the time, the extra running costs can outweigh what the engine gives you, and short trips are hard on a particulate filter.
Narrow to specific years and engines before you shop
Owner forums for a given generation will name the transmission, injector, or emissions problems particular to certain model years. Knowing which model years to avoid within one generation can save more than any negotiation will.
Looking It Over
Get underneath, properly
Bring a light and something to lie on, or pay a shop for lift time. Work along the frame rails from front to back, check the spring hangers, shock mounts, cab mounts, brake and fuel lines, and the top of the frame over the rear axle. Tap suspect areas with a screwdriver handle; solid steel rings and rotten steel thuds.
Read the wear against the odometer
A worn pedal pad, a polished steering wheel, a sagging driver's seat, and a loose door hinge on a low mileage truck do not match. Check the wear on the seat belt webbing and the brake pedal, which are hard to swap, and compare service invoice dates and mileages for a consistent story.
Drive it like you will use it
Cold start it yourself, then drive long enough for the transmission to warm and shift through every gear, including a downshift under throttle. Take it to highway speed, brake firmly once from speed on an empty road, reverse in a full lock circle listening for clicks, and if you can, hitch a trailer or load the bed.
Check the fluids yourself
Engine oil can be dark, and in a diesel it will be black within days of a change, but it should never feel gritty. Coolant should be clean and one consistent color, and transmission fluid should not smell burnt. Milky oil, sweet smelling coolant residue, or fresh gasket sealant visible at a joint all deserve an explanation before you go further.
On a dealer's lot, look the paperwork over too
A salesperson rarely knows how a traded truck was worked, so when you are going to a dealer to look at a truck, the questions about use and towing are answered on paper: the history report, the records that came in with the trade, and the shop's own work order. The At a dealer group covers what only the lot can tell you, which is where the truck came from, what the technician found, who fitted the lift, and what the warranty leaves out. Ask for the work order and the itemized price by email before you drive over.
Buying a Used Diesel Truck
Name the engine before you name a price
Duramax, Cummins, and Power Stroke are families, not single engines, and each has been through several generations with different fuel systems and emissions equipment. For a used Duramax, find out whether the truck is an LB7, LLY, LBZ, LMM, LML, or L5P, then read what owners of that generation replace and at what mileage. The same homework applies to the other two makes, and it turns the Diesel group from general questions into a short list of parts to ask about by name.
Pay a diesel shop, not a general one
A shop that works on these trucks every week can read injector data, soot load, and stored codes with the right scan tool, pressure test the cooling system, and tell a normal amount of crankcase vapor from a worn engine. Ask the shop what its inspection covers before you book, and ask the seller for an hour of the truck's time. The fee is usually small beside the cost of one set of injectors.
Check the emissions equipment against where you will register it
Follow the exhaust from the turbo back and compare it with photos of a stock truck of the same year: the particulate filter, the catalyst, the sensors, and on trucks that use it the exhaust fluid tank and injector should all be there. Inspection and registration rules for modified diesels differ by state, province, and country, and they change, so ask your own inspection station or licensing office before you bring home a truck from somewhere else.
Where Buyers Get Caught
Judging a truck by its paint
A shiny truck with a rusted frame is worth less than a scratched one with clean steel underneath. Body panels are replaceable; a badly rusted frame is rarely worth repairing and can fail a safety inspection where one is required.
Buying a modified truck at unmodified prices
Lifts, tuners, deleted emissions equipment, and oversized tires narrow your buyer pool, can complicate insurance and inspection, and often hide accelerated wear. If the seller pitches the modifications as added value, ask what it would cost to put the truck back to standard.
Ignoring the towing history because the engine feels strong
Engines usually survive towing; transmissions, rear ends, cooling systems, and brakes take more of the wear. Ask about those specifically, because a strong test drive on an empty truck tells you very little about how it behaves with three tons behind it.
Skipping the inspection to win the deal
Pressure to decide immediately is a reason to slow down, not speed up. If a truck genuinely sells while you are having it inspected, you have lost a few hours and avoided a purchase you could not verify.
Paperwork and Records to Ask For
- The title in the seller's name, with any lien release in writing
- Service invoices, especially transmission, differential, transfer case, and cooling system work
- A vehicle history report, and the VIN photographed from the dash and the door jamb
- The payload and tire sticker from the driver's door jamb
- Receipts for tires, brakes, and any major recent repair
- Documentation for a lift kit, tuner, hitch, or other modification, plus any original parts
- Remaining factory warranty details, or the transfer terms of any service contract
- A recall lookup on the truck's VIN, run by a dealer of that make
- From a lot, the reconditioning work order and an itemized out the door price
- A written pre purchase inspection report from a shop of your choosing
- A bill of sale listing VIN, odometer reading, price, and both parties' details