When it comes to purchasing a new or used vehicle, knowing your rights will likely mean the difference between getting satisfaction and being stuck with a "lemon". All states in the nation have some kind of lemon law in place, though the specifics vary from state to state. Here are some of the lemon law basics:

When it comes to buying a used vehicle, people need to simply perform a few basic inspections prior to purchasing the vehicle. Most of us do not look forward to going to a dealer, only to be greeted by some salesman who just wants to throw a sales pitch just so he can sell a car. And truthfully, there are a lot of vehicles out there that are just not a good value.

Owning a classic car can be a wonderful and fulfilling thing. If this is your first purchase of a classic, there are a few things that you need to decide on before starting your search. Is this going to be a project car that you are going to work on yourself or are you going to have the work done by a professional? Is this going to be an investment that you will eventually sell for a profit? Are you going to be driving it on a daily basis or just weekends? Are you going to show the car? All these sound silly to be asking but they are all good questions and the answers can really make a difference in what you buy.

Do you own and drive a car? Do you have a good mechanic or technician that services it for you? Or do you just go wherever the price is the cheapest? If you answered yes to the last question, you best change your ways. You need to find an honest, well-established repair shop to insure that your car can be serviced at all.

Did you know that there is a severe shortage of "qualified" automotive technicians today? It is estimated that within the next five to ten years, maybe sooner, there is going to be a major problem in the automotive repair industry. No technicians to work on your car! Next time you're at your local shop, take a look around. What is the average age of the people working there? The average is 52. You won't see a lot of younger people. Most of the mechanics and technicians working today are getting older and closer to retirement. As they leave or retire, they aren't being replaced a lot of the time. If things continue on this path, automotive repair could become a commodity of extreme value.

If you are considering purchasing a new car or truck (this applies to used vehicles also), you should be aware of a few things about the salesperson you are about to encounter. To get the sale and maximize profit, auto dealerships teach their sales force some variation of the "10 steps to the sale". This is part one of a three part series entitled "Auto Sales Tactics" which will cover steps 1-3 of the 10 step process. These articles will help you to be prepared for your next dealership experience.

The belief is that the steps to the sale are always the same and that as a salesperson you cannot skip a step or take shortcuts. If the salesperson finds that he or she is stuck on a particular step and can't get you to move on to the next one, they will most likely make a "turn". That is, turn you over to another person. The idea being that a fresh face or different personality will be able to move you on to the next step. A turn is not always a bad thing. You may truly dislike the person you are working with to the point of being unable to purchase the vehicle you actually want.

Too many automotive centers are taking advantage of the consumer's lack of knowledge about their automobile or truck. While there are many trustworthy shops that do honorable and reliable work, there are always places that just take the consumer's money while not making the necessary repairs, if they do any work at all.

The government and press are trying to intervene, and while some shops are getting caught and being indicted with fraud, too many shops are still doing it, and getting away with it. Most likely you have seen the headlines about automotive repair shops being indicted with fraud because they lied or cheated their customers in one way or another.

The automobile is certainly a wonder of twentieth century technology. It has made its place in our American history. Though not as well known, a whole industry had to be created to effectively market this fairly expensive luxury to the general public.

The franchise system was used to lock in big profits for the auto manufacturers. Your local Ford or Chevrolet dealership is part of this system. If you want to buy a new Ford or Chevy you have to buy it from one of these dealerships.

The automobile dealership is basically a franchise granted to a car dealer by the manufacturer. These dealerships are exclusive franchises. This gives the car dealer many marketing advantages. Car dealers will use their proprietary knowledge to inflate the cost of your car purchase. Certain marketing practices could potentially cost you hundreds, even thousands of dollars that you shouldn't pay.

As you enjoy your Recreational Vehicle, the years and the miles start to show themselves in the outside lights. Running lights flicker, then fail completely; backup lights work sporadically; indicator and stoplights do not always give fair warning to other motorists.

ALWAYS START BY CHECKING THE BULBS.

If a bulb is blown, it will never work but if it works on and off, and the filament inside is sound, suspect bad connections.

No need to rush over to a repair shop to get the connections repaired. This is a job you can do yourself, even with no electrical knowledge. Repair shops like to make it look like a very tough job when, in fact, it is one of the simplest tasks.

Looks: The over all look of a used automobile or truck is a very significant sign of how the vehicle has been taken care of. Is the general look of the vehicle consistent with the miles and the price that is being asked? The appearance of the vehicle is a direct clue of how it has been taken care of.

Interior: Is the inside of the vehicle clean or does it look worn out? The seats should not sag or be worn through. Is the carpet clean or is there dirt and grime worn in? Has the interior been freshly detailed? Does the inside of the car look natural? Is there anything out of place that does not quite look right?

The internet has revolutionised the way we buy things, from paper clips to houses, and so it is with buying a used car. Now, you have access to every cyber garage and individual who lists their cars for sale on the web; the online used car market is incalculably enormous.