Cars do not always die at the most opportune moment. If your car was totaled in an accident or needs an expensive repair that is not worth making, you may find yourself car shopping before you were ready to. If your finances are tight, the last thing you may want is an expensive car payment. As such, you may be looking for the top 10 Disneyland secrets or to buy a car at a discounted or bargain price. Knowing where to begin your search is half the battle. You aren’t likely to find a discounted price at a dealership, as they mark up their cars to make money. Fortunately, there are plenty of other places you can look for a bargain when you are car hunting. Here are three of the best places to buy discounted cars.

From Private Sellers

One of the best places to look when you are looking for a discounted car is with private sellers. Some private sellers just want to sell their car. They do not want to deal with the hassle of meeting person after person to test drive the car or they may want the money because they already bought a new car and don’t want to insure two cars. Whatever the case, some private sellers price a car low in order to move it fast. Drive around your neighborhood and look for people who have for sale signs in the window of the car or look on street corners for make shift car lots. Also, be sure to check out online classified sites. However, when you are buying a car from a private seller, be aware that the car has no warranty and lemon laws do not apply. Be sure you inspect the car well to ensure there are no problems.

From Auto Auctions

Another place to look for discounted cars is from auto auctions. There are many different entities that offer auto auctions. You can find auto auctions being held for repossessed cars, police impound cars or government car auctions. A repossessed car is a car that someone took out a loan and did not pay for. The lender wants to get what they still owe on the car, not necessarily what the car is worth. A police impound auction is done on cars that were impounded by the police and never picked up. This may be because someone had outstanding traffic tickets, did not register their car or were involved in criminal activity in the car. Regardless, these cars can go for less than blue book value. Government car auctions typically include cars that were used by government officials. When the government is ready to sell the cars and buy new ones, they auction off the old cars. Most agencies take good care of the cars, so this can be a great way to get a clean, well-maintained car.

Through Insurance Salvage Programs

The last place you can look for a discounted car is through insurance salvage programs. When a car is involved in an accident, and the cost to repair the car is more than blue book value, the insurance company salvages the car out. However, they take these cars and auction them off. Some of them are only good for the parts that are not damaged. Others can be repaired and become great cars. If you are handy with cars or don’t mind investing some money to make a car operable, buying a car through an insurance program may be a great way to get a car inexpensively. No matter where you purchase your car, auto insurance companies will usually give you a better rate if you have passed a defensive driving course.

If your current car is no longer operable and you need a new one quickly and cheaply, be sure to look for a car being sold by private sellers, through an auto auction or being offered from an insurance salvage program.