Know what you’re buying before you buy it.

What to check on a used BMW X5 in South Florida: the starter recall, oil level, transmission behavior and why a BMW specialist should look first.

Toyota is recalling 105,794 Land Cruiser Hybrids over a fuel leak fire risk, so check the VIN and repair proof on any used one.

Hyundai has no fix yet for a seat-motor fire risk on 94,622 sedans, so a used Genesis can be sold with an open recall.

What a pre-purchase inspection costs in South Florida, who pays, how long it takes and what the higher price of a specialist inspection buys.

Hurricane Isaias flooded cars may reach the used market, and a car without a flood brand can still be a water-damaged car.

Flood cars from hurricane zones move fast. A buyer in Boca almost wired the money before our inspector opened the trunk wells.

As-is doesn't mean no recourse. The federal Used Car Rule plus Florida's Motor Vehicle Repair Act, in plain English.

Title-washing thrives in the gray spaces between state DMVs. How resellers exploit it — and how to spot the trail.

Three years of pre-purchase inspections show just how often problems are hidden or unknown at the point of sale.

Carfax only knows what's been reported. The five categories of damage that never make it onto a vehicle history report.

A layered Florida checklist: databases first, then smell, silt and corrosion, then a specialist scan, with Hurricane Isaias in mind.