The paperwork matters, too.

The title is the document your state uses to record who owns the vehicle. Before money changes hands, make sure the VIN on the vehicle matches the VIN on the title and the purchase paperwork. On most vehicles the VIN appears in two places you can check yourself: through the windshield at the base on the driver’s side, and on a label inside the driver’s door frame.

Check that the seller’s name matches the name printed on the title as owner, and that everyone who has to sign is present. If two owners are listed, the word joining their names usually decides it: “and” generally means both must sign, while “or” generally means either one can. States show this differently, so confirm with your state DMV/MVD if you are unsure. If the vehicle has more than one titled owner, an estate, a business owner, or an electronic title, confirm the transfer process with your state before you pay.

A salvage, rebuilt, flood, or other branded title is not automatically a reason to walk away — but it can affect value, financing, insurance, and resale. Ask what the brand means for that vehicle and price it accordingly. A brand applied in one state does not always appear on a title later issued by another state, so if a brand matters to your decision, check the vehicle’s brand history against the VIN rather than relying only on the paper in front of you. The Department of Justice’s National Motor Vehicle Title Information System is one low-cost place to do that, through its approved providers.

Stop before paying if the VIN does not match, the seller cannot show authority to sell, required signatures are missing, or the title information does not line up. Requirements vary by state, so check your state DMV/MVD process before completing the sale.

A lien means a lender or another party may still have a legal claim on the vehicle. If a lien has not been properly released, the seller may not be able to transfer ownership free of that claim.

Ask whether there is a current or recently paid lien. If there is, identify the lienholder, confirm the payoff amount, and agree how the title will be released. The most common way to handle this safely is to pay the lienholder the payoff amount directly and pay the seller only the difference, or to complete the sale at the lender’s office. In states that hold titles electronically, the paper title is often issued only after the payoff clears, which can take days or weeks — so agree in advance on when and how you will receive it. A seller may legitimately not have a paper title in hand for this reason.

A title that shows no lien is not proof that no lien exists. The title may have been issued before the loan, or your state may hold the lien record electronically.

Do not rely on a seller’s statement that the loan is “almost paid off” or that the paperwork will be fixed later. A payoff or release may need to be confirmed by the lender and processed through your state’s title system. If the seller cannot explain how the lien will be satisfied and the title transferred, do not pay until that is resolved.

A purchase record documents who sold the vehicle, who bought it, which vehicle changed hands, the price, mileage, date, and agreed terms. It can be useful evidence of the transaction even when a state does not require a separate bill of sale.

The CaptainWorth Private Party Vehicle Purchase Record is designed to document the vehicle, buyer and seller, purchase price, odometer, disclosures, included items, agreed repairs or promises, and signatures. Depending on your state and the circumstances of the sale, it may serve as your purchase record or bill of sale.

Use it to put the important facts in one place: VIN, names, price, payment details, mileage, title or lien information, included items, and promises that are part of the deal. Complete every section — a record with the buyer’s details left blank is worth much less than a completed one. Both buyer and seller should keep a signed copy.

Your state may still require an official DMV/MVD form, separate odometer disclosure, tax form, title application, notarized signature, or other paperwork. Check your state DMV/MVD requirements before completing the transaction.

An odometer disclosure records the mileage shown when ownership is transferred. In most transfers the disclosure is made on the title itself or through a state form or electronic system, not on a private document.

For model year 2011 and newer vehicles, federal rules generally require a mileage disclosure until the vehicle is 20 years old. Model year 2010 and older vehicles fall under the earlier ten-year rule, which means they are now federally exempt. Your state may still require mileage information even when a federal exemption applies, and states use their own forms and processes.

A title will usually mark the mileage as actual, not actual, or exceeding the odometer’s mechanical limits. The last one often appears on older vehicles with five-digit odometers and does not by itself mean anything was tampered with.

Compare the mileage on the odometer, the title, the purchase paperwork, the listing, service records, and any history information you have. A difference does not always mean fraud, but it should be explained before you sign. If the mileage is inconsistent, the title marks it as not actual, or the seller cannot explain the gap, do not complete the sale until you have an answer and have checked your state’s requirements.

The dealer purchase agreement is the document that should show the actual deal — not just the monthly payment. Read it before signing and compare it with what you discussed.

Confirm the exact vehicle and VIN, agreed vehicle price, taxes, government fees, dealer fees, trade-in value, down payment, financing terms, add-ons, warranty or service-contract charges, promised repairs, accessories, credits, and any other material term.

Ask for a printed copy before you sign. If there is a charge you do not recognize, ask what it is and whether it is optional. If the dealer promised something — a repair, accessory, credit, key, tire, or cancellation option — make sure it appears in writing.

Do not sign a document with blanks you do not understand. If the paperwork does not match the deal you agreed to, ask for it to be corrected before signing.

Financing paperwork shows what you are borrowing and what the loan will cost over time. Focus on the Annual Percentage Rate (APR), amount financed, finance charge, total of payments, payment amount, number of payments, payment schedule, loan term, and — in a dealer-financed purchase — the total sale price, which is the full cost of the car on credit including your down payment.

Compare those figures with the deal you expected. A lower monthly payment can still mean a more expensive loan if the term is longer or if more products and fees were added to the amount financed.

Review any optional products separately, including service contracts, GAP coverage, credit insurance, theft products, or other add-ons. Ask what each item costs, whether it is optional, and whether it has been rolled into the loan.

Before you take the vehicle home, ask whether the sale and financing are final. Some dealer transactions are conditional or subject to later lender approval. If the deal is not final, understand what could change — and if you traded in a vehicle, ask in writing what happens to your trade if the deal is unwound. A dealer that has already sold your old vehicle leaves you with no way back to where you started.

If you trade in a vehicle, the paperwork should show the agreed trade value and how any existing loan is being handled. Do not assume the dealer’s promise to “pay off” your old loan means the balance disappears.

Get your lender’s current payoff amount in writing, with the date it is good through — a payoff can differ from the balance on a recent statement and interest keeps accruing. Compare that payoff with the trade-in value. If you owe more than the trade is worth, the difference is negative equity and may be added to your new financing, which raises what the new loan costs.

Check the purchase agreement and financing documents to see where the trade allowance, payoff amount, down payment, and any negative equity appear. Make sure the numbers match what you discussed.

Keep making payments on the old loan until you have confirmed with that lender that it was actually paid off. A payoff processed late can show up as a missed payment on your credit while you believe the loan is closed. If the trade terms or payoff treatment are unclear, do not sign until you understand how the numbers affect your new loan.

If a promise matters to the deal, get it in writing before you sign or pay. Verbal promises can be difficult to prove later.

This includes promised repairs, paint or body work, replacement parts, extra keys, tires, accessories, credits, service work, shipping, cancellation terms, or anything the seller or dealer agrees to provide after the sale.

For a dealer purchase, ask for the promise to appear in the purchase agreement, on the Buyers Guide, or in a due-bill, “we owe,” or repair-order document that clearly says what will be done and when. If a dealer writes a promise on the Buyers Guide, that document becomes part of your contract. For a private sale, write the agreement into the purchase record and have both parties sign it.

Be specific. “Fix the warning light” is weaker than “Dealer will diagnose and repair the check-engine light before delivery, at no charge to buyer.” If the seller or dealer will not put a material promise in writing, treat that as a reason to reconsider the deal.

A warranty and a service contract are not the same thing. A warranty is a promise about repairs or coverage from the manufacturer, dealer, or another warrantor. A service contract is usually an optional agreement you buy for an extra charge that covers certain repairs under its own terms. Separately, most states give buyers implied warranties — basic unwritten protections that a vehicle will work as a vehicle should — which is what an “as is” sale is meant to remove.

For most used vehicles sold by dealers, the FTC’s Buyers Guide tells you whether the vehicle is being sold “as is” or with a warranty. The Guide is not just information: under the FTC rule it becomes part of your sales contract and overrides anything in the contract that contradicts it, so the version you are handed at signing should reflect the final terms. State law affects whether and how an “as is” sale can be used, so do not assume the rules are the same everywhere. This applies to dealers — a private seller does not provide a Buyers Guide, and in a private sale your protections come mainly from what is written down at the time of the sale.

If there is manufacturer warranty remaining, confirm the vehicle’s eligibility, transfer rules, remaining time or mileage, and what is covered. If you are considering a dealer or third-party service contract, read the actual contract, not the sales description. Check the price, deductible, covered components, exclusions, waiting period, repair authorization process, cancellation terms, transferability, and who administers it. Do not assume “extended warranty” means every repair will be covered.

One thing worth knowing: if a dealer sells you a service contract within 90 days of the sale, federal law bars that dealer from disclaiming implied warranties on the systems the contract covers.

Title problems range from a correctable paperwork issue to a serious reason not to pay. The dividing line is whether there is a clear, verifiable path for you to end up as the recorded owner.

Do not pay if the seller does not have the title, has a title in someone else’s name, cannot produce the required signatures, presents a title the owner signed but never transferred into the seller’s name, has a title where the buyer section is blank or filled in with someone who is not standing in front of you, has an unresolved lien, or says the paperwork can be fixed later. The same applies when the VIN on the vehicle does not match the title, or when the title shows a brand the seller did not mention.

Some of these can be legitimate. An electronic title, a replacement title, or a recently paid lien are all ordinary situations. What separates them from the rest is that the seller can tell you exactly how you will receive proper ownership documents, and you can confirm that path with the state DMV/MVD and, when a lender is involved, the lienholder. Do not assume a vehicle-history report, a photocopy, or a verbal explanation proves ownership or clears a title issue.

If a vehicle genuinely has no title, ask your state DMV/MVD what applies before you buy — some states offer a replacement, bonded, or reconstructed title process, and eligibility and required documents vary. Find out what the process is, what it costs, and how long it takes while you still have the option to walk away. A title problem you agree to solve after paying becomes your problem alone.