The AA has launched a new website – theaacars.com – designed to take the stress out of buying a car by offering advice and transparency in putting consumers in touch with recognised dealers.

Every buyer using the service will be provided with an AA Cars History Check, so that they can have peace of mind regarding the car’s history and authenticity. The cost is paid by AA Cars and the check is provided free to the consumer.

At its launch the site was listing more than 110,000 used cars for sale from over 2,000 dealers. The site is designed to match cars to the needs and desires of the buyer and then introduce them to the vendor, with whom they complete the deal.

Edmund King, AA president, said: “Ten million drivers think buying a car is a stressful experience so we want this new service to help ‘de-risk’ the often tricky process of buying a car.

“One of the most common questions asked by AA members concerns advice on buying cars. For most people, buying a car is the second biggest purchase they will ever make, after buying a house.

“Before buying a home people do their research; arrange a structural survey and legal search. But too many people rush into buying a car with their eyes closed and, as a result, up to four million drivers say that they made an ‘almighty mistake’ with the car they bought. We want to ensure that drivers buy with their heads and not just their hearts.”

Before launching AA Cars the AA studied the Office of Fair Trading report into the pitfalls of buying a used car and has sought to address the issues raised around more transparency, information and checks on vehicles.

King added: “We know from past car history checks that a third of all cars checked had a significant hidden history. In fact, 1 in 10 had outstanding finance, and some debts can result in a car being seized from the purchaser; 1 in 8 were recorded as insurance write-offs; 1 in 16 had significant mileage discrepancies – for example, the vehicle had been ‘clocked’ to show a lower mileage; while nearly 91,400 had actually been reported stolen.

“This shows the importance of us providing an AA Cars History Check up front. The AA will help de-stress the buying process so that drivers don’t make the biggest mistake of their lives. It’s vital that car buyers really do know what they are getting into.”

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