Questions to ask when buying or fixing a car

What insurance will the lender require, and what will that cost on top?

Financed cars usually have to carry comprehensive cover, sometimes with a maximum deductible, and on an expensive car that premium can rival the loan payment. Get a real quote before you agree to the monthly figure, not after.

From: Questions to Ask When Financing a Car

What's the last thing you fixed yourself?

Separates people who own cars from people who work on them without implying either is better. Their answer sets the level of technical detail you can safely ask about for the rest of the conversation.

From: Questions to Ask a Car Guy

Are there two keys, and what does a replacement cost?

A missing second key is a genuine expense on a modern car, since cutting and programming one can run into the hundreds. It is also a small honesty test. Ask in the same breath about the owner's manual, the spare wheel or repair kit, the parcel shelf, and the charging cables if it is a hybrid or electric.

From: What Questions to Ask When Buying a Car

What scan tools and software have you used, and which do you reach for first?

Naming specific platforms and what each is good for shows real use. Vague references to having used the shop's tools often means they ran basic code reads and handed the hard diagnostics to someone else.

From: Questions to Ask a Mechanic in an Interview

What do inspectors look at on a truck that they would not in a restaurant?

Fresh and waste water tank capacity, hot water temperature, and the propane setup are truck specific and are the usual reasons for a failed inspection. An owner who can list them without thinking has been through it more than once.

From: Questions to Ask a Food Truck Owner

Is the title in your name and in your hand, and is it clean rather than salvage or rebuilt?

No title, a title in someone else's name, or a lender still listed on it can stall your registration for weeks or leave you unable to register at all. A branded title also cuts resale value and can limit which insurers will write a policy, so it belongs in the price rather than the fine print.

From: Questions to Ask When Buying a Used Motorcycle