What to Do After Buying a Used Car — and How to Save Time

You’ve followed all the recommended car buying tips and you’ve secured your dream vehicle — but now what are the things to do after purchasing a used car? Before you can drive off into the sunset in Chicago, you’ll need to sort out your paperwork and repairs — at least you will if you purchase from a private seller. But if you buy your vehicle at Valley Honda, we’ll help you take care of the registration and insurance paperwork right at the dealership. Find out what to do after buying a used car, and how we can help you save a lot of time

Registration

If you buy from a private seller, you’ll need to get your registration paperwork and insurance plan in order before you can plan any big Naperville road trips. To secure your registration, you’ll need to bring your title and proof of insurance to the DMV — along with state requirements, like emissions tests or vehicle safety tests. If you buy from Valley Honda, we can take care of these services on-site.

Insurance

If you already have insurance, it’s a good idea to give your representative a call to find out what you need to do to insure your new vehicle — but you should also bear in mind that we can help you make these arrangements when you buy at Valley Honda.

If you’re buying insurance for the very first time, it’s a good idea to shop around and compare rates. You might be surprised by how much you can save with a little research!

Repairs

You never really know what you’re getting when you buy from a private seller – even if your vehicle was inspected before your purchase, it’s a good idea to head to the shop to get a more in-depth assessment. Savvy drivers might be able to handle smaller repairs at home, but it’s a good idea to schedule a service for anything major to start on the right foot.

If you buy a pre-owned model from Valley Honda, you can do so with the confidence that’s it’s been inspected, repaired (if needed), brought up to date on maintenance, and signed off on by our service team.

Exploration

We’ve gone through the less-exciting things to do after buying a used car, but now it’s the fun part!

• Take a long and leisurely drive through the Oswego area and start getting used to the controls, features, and settings.
• Check out the owner’s manual to see what information you might have missed about your new ride.
• Take a look at our Honda owner benefits guide to take advantage of all the perks available.

Purchase Your Next Used Car at Valley Honda

In case it’s not clear by now: when you buy from Valley Honda instead of a private seller, you’ll save yourself tons of time on administrative tasks, and you can also be more confident in the health and functionality of the vehicle you choose. Now that you know what to do after buying a used car, why not learn a little more about Honda? Find out about our Honda Detail Center in Aurora or learn how to check your car’s oil or check out finance features like how to get used car in-house financing.

If you’re still on the fence about which used car you’re looking for, or whether a pre-owned model is the right choice, we’ll be happy to discuss these decisions and more with you. As the highest-volume Honda dealer in Illinois, we’re well-practiced in matching drivers from throughout the greater Chicago area with the new or used vehicle that’s right for them — and we’d love to help you next!