Always visit dmv.org before going to the DMV.

1.  Why does everything take four visits and roughly three hours of standing in line to a DMV prolem fixed. The problem? Everything from not bringing enough or the right forms of ID to having his records confused with those of another driver of the same name. Making sense of the DMV is an $11.5 million business for DMV.org, an unofficial guide to state rules and peccadilloes.

2.  Remember those pics of flooded car lots after Hurricane Katrina? You could end up buying one of those cars today and never know it. In the past five years, the number of flooded cars sold as “used” has doubled nationwide. Unscrupulous sellers can buy them at auction, then replace the title at a Department of Motor Vehicles office in another state by fudging the document, saying it’s lost or retitling in a state that doesn’t recognize “flooded” as totaled. If you’re buying a used car, always have a mechanic inspect it first. And screen the car’s VIN through the free database at carfax.com/flood.

3.   There’s another way criminals take advantage of flimsy DMV car records: “VIN cloning,” a kind of vehicle laundering. A stolen car’s vehicle-identification number is switched with that of a junked car, and a clean title is obtained from the DMV. To combat this practice, the 1992 Anti-Car Theft Act authorized the creation of a database, known as the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System, which allows state DMVs to verify a car’s title, theft and damage history before issuing a new title. Too bad only 30 states belong to the network.

4. Identity theft is the No. 1 crime in the U.S. The simplest form, mostly used by beginners, is to ask the DMV for a duplicate license in someone else’s name. Identity thieves simply tell the DMV clerk that they’ve lost their license or that it was stolen, then provide someone else’s illegally obtained information. It’s a simple con to pull off.

5. Personalized license plates might seem like a harmless accessory, but they could make you a more likely target for criminals. Why? Because they communicate much more than the written message. The downside of doing things that tend to ‘get you noticed’ is that they can get you noticed by the wrong kind of people. Rapists, thieves and muggers.

For the rest of the list, click here.

The market for sport utility vehicles is starting to look a lot like the housing market, spreading pain to consumers, automakers and dealers. Just like hapless homeowners, countless car owners are now “underwater,” driving vehicles that are worth less than the balance on their car loans. And just like desperate homeowners, the sellers of S.U.V.’s are having to painfully cut asking prices.

Dealers normally spend this time of year raking in some of their biggest profits and breathlessly promoting Detroit’s newest models. Instead, they almost cannot give S.U.V.’s away.

Automakers are offering discounts of $10,000 or more on some S.U.V.’s just to get rid of them, so dealers have space to stock more of the fuel-efficient cars consumers are clamoring for. On average, new sport utility vehicles sold for 20% below sticker price in July.

To Lease Or Not To Lease

The decision-making process on whether to lease or buy a car has been altered by automakers’ scaling back their leasing operations under pressure from high gas prices, making leases less available and much more expensive in many cases. Here are some points to consider about leasing:

PROS

New Car Frequently: You won’t have to drive the car for more than two to four years, depending on the length of the lease (36 months is typical).

No Money Down: Leases require little or no down payment, although you can make one in order to lower your monthly bill.

Lower Payments: You can drive a more expensive car for a lower monthly payment than if you’d bought it, albeit without gaining ownership equity.

Minimal Repair Risks: A leased car is always under warranty, with routine maintenance sometimes covered.

No Resale Issues: You don’t have to take on the risk of declining resale value; you just turn it in when your contract is up.

CONS:

Fast-Rising Lease Costs: Leases for SUVs, trucks and other non-fuel-efficient vehicles are getting significantly more expensive and will become harder to find as carmakers scale down their leasing businesses.

Credit Restrictions: Credit requirements have tightened, because banks are reluctant to take on any more risk than necessary for fear the residual value will drop and they’ll lose money. A spotty credit rating could make a consumer ineligible for a lease, or raise the cost.

Mileage Limits: You’ll have to pay for any additional mileage beyond the limits specified in the lease.

Long-Term Loser: Buying saves money compared to leasing over the longer term, especially after the car is paid off.

Return Fees: The fee charged at the end of a lease can be high, depending on the contract and the company. This comes on top of the contractual monthly payments.

Buyers of second-hand cars have to follow two pointers to ensure that they do not purchase carnapped vehicles. The buyers should know the original duplicate invoice and the original owner of the vehicle they are buying.

The original duplicate invoice is an official document given by the dealer, who sold the brand new car, to the original owner. The original duplicate invoice contains all information including the name of the selling dealer, name of the original owner, owner’s address, serial and engine numbers and the original amount the first owner paid to buy the vehicle.

Going through the process of obtaining the original duplicate invoice and knowing the original owner maybe tedious but these are two ways which second-hand buyers can do to protect their interest.

The seesaw of gas and vehicle prices

For the past few weeks, dealerships across the country had begun to feel the heat with their large vehicle inventory. Gas prices had soared to $4.70 in some areas of the United States with oil nearing $150 per barrel. Incentives on SUVs and large trucks had shot through the roof. Today, however, Ford announced a hike in SUV and truck lease pricing to make their most profitable vehicles unattractive to new car lesees.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Ford sent a memo to their dealerships saying “due to extreme losses Ford Credit is taking on off-lease vehicles, it will be necessary for Ford Motor Credit Company to adjust residuals mid-quarter on the following vehicle lines.” This is an attempt to salvage whatever revenue they can because of defaults on leases extended to low credit rating individuals, which Ford will also cease to offer with this announcement.

Now is the time to pick up a lease if you’re looking for an SUV or truck. Gas prices have been fluctuating and seem to have settled down, and if the trend continues we may see an overall increase in SUV and truck purchases in the near future. The changes will effect the Ford Sport Trac SUVs, F-150s, Explorer and Super Duty Pickups. Use our fast vehicle search tool on Autobrag.com to find a Ford vehicle before the lease option expires on August 1, 2008.

Buying a car can be a test of wills, a challenging round in the sport of haggling - a game at which few Americans have much practice. According to a new nationwide survey from Zag, consumers may be tossing in the towel needlessly.

The survey reveals that a hefty majority of consumers believe car dealerships are entitled to more profit than they’re now receiving.

When Zag asked 1,000 consumers what they thought a fair profit would be for the sale of a $40,000 car - with all marketing and overhead costs considered - 72% were willing to give dealers more money than the dealers were actually netting. According to industry data, dealerships average less than $1,000 in profit per new car sold.

Singles vote for higher dealer profits. Non-married respondents were more willing to say dealers should make more money.

The oldest age group favored a lower amount as fair compensation.

On the upper end of the dealer compensation scale, education was something of a factor. The greater the respondent’s educational level, the less likely the dealer would walk away with $2,500.

Even if you have checked out some confessions of a car salesman and carefully studied the evil “four-square” technique, there are still some things you could say that tell a salesman you are a soft target.

1. I love, love, love this car
Even if you fall in love with a car, maintain your composure and don’t let the salesman realize it. It is easy for salesmen to manipulate you when they know that you will do almost anything to own the car.

2. I need to get a car by tomorrow
Even if you need the car quickly, act like there’s no desperate need for the car. If he senses your desperation he will realize that you won’t be thinking carefully about your choice and will accept most anything.

3. I need a monthly payment of…
The monthly payment is only one part of the equation. A salesman can give you that monthly payment and still rip you off in another area such as in the number of payments or trade-in value. Ideally, you should calculate what you can afford based on your monthly budget and expected trade-in value and negotiate that big number. Now, agree on a monthly payment and then negotiate any trade-in value.

4. My trade-in is outside
If you let him know it is outside he will want the keys. If the deal starts to go south, your keys may be somehow misplaced in which case you will be forced to listen to his sales pitch longer than you want to.

5. I don’t know anything about leasing
Even if you don’t plan on leasing a car, you should learn about leasing to help make you impervious to the salesman who may try to sell you the idea. Usually, leasing only makes sense if you know that you won’t be keeping the car for several years. If you do plan to lease, you should be familiar with the costs of leasing beyond monthly payments. You should also be aware of how many miles are included in the lease and any money that needs to be paid up front or at the end of the lease.

6. My credit is a little spotty
Often, consumers underestimate their own credit score. Ideally, you should try to secure a loan you can use for “plan B” in case you don’t like what the dealership has to offer. This gives you bargaining power and lets you know more clearly where you stand with your credit rating.

Find Out What You Need Before Buying A Car

An investigation into the sales taxes paid on used car purchases has uncovered a host of crimes going on in the used car business. From stolen cars, to fake car titles, to identity theft, authorities are seeing a lot of the problems at the tag office. Authorities at the tax office have seen dozens of cases of people trying to get around the taxes owed on the sale of a used car. When investigators took a closer look at the issue, they found more than tax evasion.

Crooks who set themselves up as legitimate car repairmen are taking cars from customers, not performing any work, but telling the customer they owe thousands of dollars. The fake mechanic refuses to release the car and the owner scrambles to find the money. In the mean time the fake mechanic files a mechanics lien on the vehicle without telling the owner. The fake mechanic then sells the car with the lien instead of a title. When the new buyer gets to the tax office to get a title, the fraud is uncovered and the car is confiscated. Authorities also say some car owners keep their titles in the vehicle all the time, and say it’s a bad idea. If a car is stolen and the title is with it, the car can easily be resold with a forged signature. Keep your titles somewhere safe!

Another problem is private auto title services. Officials claim some services are handing out real driver’s license numbers and insurance information to those without either. With someone else’s driver license and insurance information, a used car buyer can get a car title transferred illegally, something else officials are seeing more of.

How can a used car buyer make sure they are not falling into a scam? Before you buy a used car, you need to fill out a specific form, it’s called a form 130-U. It has to be filled out and signed by both parties.

Creative marketing strategies to avoid losing both time and money.

High gas prices mean low demand for gas guzzlers, new or used.  You And the last thing a used-car dealer needs from you is another big SUV sitting unsold on his lot. So here’s a few tips on selling your SUV.

Sell to individuals, not dealers: It is harder to get the price you want with dealers, of course, since they need to resell the vehicle at a profit. ”

Leave on bells and whistles: While SUV owners are sometimes advised to take off the rooftop carrier to remove some weight–and be able to advertise better mileage–this could be counterproductive. Any extras that could attract a buyer should be left as they are. People want it as stocked as you can get it.

Lower prices: It may seem obvious, but lowering the price of an SUV to get something for it is better than never selling it at all. Cars can be very personal objects, but try to detach your emotions and view the sale of your vehicle with an analytical eye.

Wait for winter: If you can, wait to sell your SUV until winter, when people are more apt to invest in four-wheel drives and bigger vehicles.  If you’ve got a four-wheel drive, it makes sense to wait.

Hybrids have a well-founded reputation for being sluggish, but some are downright powerful. For drivers who want a hybrid vehicle that balances power with fuel efficiency, the fastest hybrids are worth considering. The five-passenger Lexus GS 450h (which tops Forbes’s ranking of the most powerful hybrids available) is as quick as the much smaller and lighter Porsche 911.