It’s holiday season, that means it’s great time get all your loved ones just what they want. That includes your used car. Don’t know what get four-wheeled your family? Don’t worry, we can help. Check out our list great goodies your used car or used truck.

1. A Tune Up

With all hustle bustle this time year, it’s easy forget your vehicle’s scheduled maintenance. Before you your family go dashing through snow this season, take time make sure your used vehicle up task. A quick simple tune up should take care all problem areas get your used car running like top no time.

2. Snow Tires

Going somewhere frosty this time year? A good set snow tires may worth their weight gold. Snow tires specifically designed handle cold temperatures cut through slippery snow ice give your car best traction possible. While there studded tires extreme situations, most used cars for sale can benefit non-studded version.

3. Windshield Wipers

No matter where you live, odds holiday season means foul weather. How long has it been since you changed your vehicle’s windshield wipers? If it’s been longer than six months, odds you need new ones. New windshield wipers make all difference when it comes seeing where you’re going. Just remember, better you can see, better chance getting where you’re going without getting an accident this season.

4. De-Icer Windshield Washer Fluid

Do you hate having scrape your windshield every morning? There’s simple solution – de-icer windshield washer fluid. Just spray your windshield frost, snow ice instantly melts away. While usually few dollars more than standard fluid, amount time you’ll save mornings will worth it.

The Smell

One of the easiest ways to tell if a car has been flooded is if the interior has a musty, damp smell. No matter how hard you try, that smell is almost impossible to get rid of.

Odd Colors

Be sure to check out the interior thoroughly. Is the carpet discolored? Do the seats match the rest of the interior? It’s easy to swap large pieces of interior like seats, but carpet and door panels may be more difficult to replace in good condition. Keep an eye out for dark stains toward the lower portion of the used car or truck, too.

Debris

When a vehicle is an a flood, water carries all sorts of debris everywhere. That includes lots and lots of soil. When the water recedes, all that dirt is left behind all over the used vehicle. No matter how thoroughly a car has been cleaned, caked on mud will remain. Give the car a good once over and look for any odd build up.

History Report

If the vehicle has been reported as being in a flood, that information will show up on the history report.

We don’t need to tell you just how tight the economy is right now. Everyone’s tightening their belts, making the most of every penny and trimming the budget where they can. For some organizations, that means selling off portions of their vehicle fleet for a great price. But does a slim dollar sign mean a great deal? Not always. In general, there are two lines of thought when it comes to buying a used fleet vehicle. On the one hand, a fleet vehicle is almost certain to have had all of its maintenances performed on time or before it was needed. What’s more, most cars or trucks that have spent time in motor pools have more highway miles than privately owned vehicles.

Of course, the flip side to that coin is that fleet vehicles tend to suffer quite a bit of abuse at the hands of their drivers. Since the people behind the wheel generally aren’t responsible for maintenance or repairs, they don’t tend to care how hard the car is driven or how brutal they’re being to the car’s brakes and suspension – imagine the rental car race scene in Top Gun and you’ll get the picture.

So does that mean you should pass by all fleet service vehicles entirely? Absolutely not. Fleet vehicles offer a great deal compared to their standard civilian counterparts, but you do need to be careful when it comes time to look the vehicle over. Take the time to have the car examined by a mechanic you trust, and if he or she says it’s best to keep looking, take their advice. If the car you have your eye on gets the ok from the shop, just be aware that replacement prone parts like starters and alternators may need attention soon, and factor those costs into your budget.

Similarly, big-ticket maintenance items may help you negotiate a price you’re comfortable with. Does the vehicle need tires? Tires are incredibly important to how safe your used vehicle is to drive, and a good set may cost upwards of $500. If the used car or truck you’re searching for needs new rubber, don’t hesitate to bring it to the seller’s attention. They’ll likely be willing to come down to a price you’re more comfortable with.

How long has it been since the used vehicle you want to purchase has been serviced? Maintenance like brakes, timing belts, water pumps and fluid changes will all require money out of your pocket if they haven’t been tended to recently. Get a good picture of what your used car or truck will require and ask a local shop for a quote. Doing so will give you a good idea of what you can barter with and how much money you’ll have to sink into the car post purchase.

More than likely, one of the last things on anyone’s mind as they’re buying a used car is whether or not the vehicle is stolen. Unfortunately, cars with a shady past get bought and sold in this country every day. Take this story from the National Insurance Crime Bureau. According to a press release issued by the bureau, a Cadillac Escalade was stolen from Coral Gables, Florida. The thieves then manufactured a new VIN plate to obtain a clean title and sold the vehicle to an unsuspecting buyer all the way in Orange, California.

The buyer specializes in converting vehicles into limousines for fleet service, and set about converting his new, high-dollar SUV into a stretch limousine. Once the work was complete, the limo-builder sold the vehicle to a Texas business man for the princely sum of $125,000. When the buyer went to obtain a new Texas title for the truck, he was alerted to the fact that Cadillac had never produced a vehicle with that VIN, and the authorities seized the vehicle. Now the buyer and the limo builder are out a truck and their money. The authorities are currently attempting to locate the offending thieves and con artists.

The NICB urges buyers looking to pick up a used vehicle to check the VIN against the bureau’s free database. Doing so could alert you to a possible stolen vehicle, saving you thousands. [Source: NICB]

If you’re looking to sell your used car or truck, now couldn’t be a better time. According to Bloomberg News, used car prices continued to rise last month. That makes June the sixth month in a row where wholesale car prices have climbed. The figures are up 5.8 percent from June, 2008 and 16.4 percent since January, 2009. Unfortunately, the reason for the increase in used car value has less to do with buyer demand and more to do with the number of cars available.

It’s no secret used car sales are absolutely dismal, and as such, there are fewer trade-ins available. What’s more, rental companies aren’t replacing their fleet vehicles with the same frequency as before. The result is fewer available vehicles than the market is accustomed to. What’s more, lower gas prices have spurred an interest in big, thirsty vehicles like SUVs and pick-up trucks – causing their value to climb as well.

While supply may be the main factor, the Bloomberg article says that while a rise in wholesale used vehicle prices is usually a precursor to higher demand for new vehicles, this time that may not be true. With credit still frigid in most parts of the country, few analysts predict the masses will come running to new car dealers anytime soon.