Some people refrain from buying a used car because of a few scratches to the paint, but if a new material invented by scientists at the University of Southern Mississippi becomes available to the public, dented cars could fix themselves.

According to research published in the journal Science, scientists at the school have invented a polyurethane coating that if applied to some surfaces, can heal scratches when exposed to ultraviolet light.

“In essence, you create a scratch and that scratch will disappear upon exposure to the sun,” Urban said in an interview on the Science website.
Researchers say the paint could be made into any color and while applications to cars is the first thought that comes to mind to many who hear about the coating, many other products could benefit from it as well.

While the findings may seem like a miracle find for used car buyers, the scientists warn that the paint can only heal the same area once. Repeated damage to one spot will not be able to be fixed – expect through traditional means.

Consumer Reports suggests that used car buyers inspect a car before making a purchase, including looking around the car to point out dents and scratches as it may point to other, more serious problems.

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The FBI is warning Americans to beware of a scam that attempts to victimize people looking to purchase cars over the internet.

According to the warning from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), cybercriminals attempt to lure in victims by advertising inexpensive cars for sale on various online classified sites. The FBI says that the ads often claim to use a protection program which the cybercriminal says will lead to a safe transaction.

However, once payment is sent, victims are out both money and a car.

The FBI says that while the scam has been around for some time, a new element of the crime has cybercriminals posing as member of the U.S. military and claiming they need to sell their car quickly and cheaply because they are being sent to Iraq or Afghanistan.

U.S. News and World Report says that when buying a used car, consumers should view and drive the car prior to purchase. The magazine also says that drivers should look at the going price of a car using the websites of the Kelley Blue Book or the National Automotive Dealers Association. If a price seems too low, it may be a sign of an underlying problem.

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With the demand for used cars rising as the economy continues to flounder and the interest in hybrids lagging as gas prices remain low, some people think it might be a good time to trade in a late model used car and buy a used hybrid.

Writing for the Freakonomics blog on the New York Times website, Daniel Hamermesh says he’s thinking about doing just that.

Hamermesh says that history has shown that when economic times are tough, people gravitate toward used cars, which could greatly benefit him by trading in his 1999 Honda Civic SI with only 64,000 miles.

He says the trade in would allow him to then make a purchase of a car that’s not in such high demand now meaning it can be had for a steal. Plus although hybrids aren’t selling well at the moment, they’re likely to become popular again in the future when oil returns to more than $100 per barrel.

“I could then buy a new Prius: there are no special price premiums today on the Prius, and I would save money on gasoline now and when gas prices spike again,” he writes.

In a report from USA Today last week, Juan Flores, director of vehicle valuation for Kelley Blue Book said sales of used hybrids are down 23.5 percent since last summer.

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When making a used car purchase, many people take into consideration the amount of depreciation that vehicle will see in the next few years. According to experts, most manual transmissions will lose more money as they age than their automatic counterparts.

According to Ask.cars.com, the amount of depreciation of a manual transmission vehicle depends on a couple of factors, including the make and model.

Automotive Lease Guide general manager James Clark tells the website that in a car segment which is predominantly automatic, a manual transmission is expected to lose more value.

The exception to this rule is sports cars where some drivers like to have the feel of being in more control of the car.

Manuals are also less expensive when purchased new, so it goes to reason that a used manual transmission version of the car would be cheaper than its automatic cousin. For people on a tight budget, this might be a good option to save some additional money.

Whether manual or automatic, according to Cars.com, more people are choosing to make used car purchases because of the economy. A recent survey by the website finds that 32 percent of car buyers who would have normally purchased a new car, bought a used car last month.

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Statistics have shown that more Americans are turning to used cars when they decide to make a car purchase, but according to some experts, there are tips car buyers should know before heading to a car lot of used car auction.

According to U.S. News and World Report, although drivers should look for the best price available for a used car, often when the sticker looks too good to be true, it is. The magazine suggests looking at the Kelley Blue Book or National Automotive Dealers Association prices before looking at cars. If the price is well below the suggested price from those sites there may be something wrong.

Experts suggest that you drive a car prior to making any purchase, and the news provider agrees. If a car selling won’t let you drive the car first, you should be a little skeptical.

Another thing to watch out for is missing paperwork. Although it could be just a case of losing some records over the years, it’s best for a potential buyer to do their own research on a used car through sites like Carfax which gives a detailed maintenance report of most cars.

Consumer Reports also suggests that used car buyers do a thorough inspection of any used car before they put their signature on the sales forms.

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