How to Order an Owners Manual When Purchasing a Used Car

Vehicle owner's manuals teach you everything you need to know about your car, including proper maintenance, correct replacement parts and problem solving. The manual is typically your best source of useful information about your car, outside of an auto mechanic. If youve bought a used car and the owner's manual was nowhere to be found, you can usually find a copy of the manual by looking in a few different places.

Instructions

1

Go to or call a dealership that specializes in the make of the car youve purchased. Ask if they can order a manual for you and what the price will be.

2

Check the website of the car manufacturer for a portable document format file (PDF) you can download. Car manufacturers typically have free owner's manuals available for vehicles made in the past five to 10 years. An example is General Motors Corporation, which requires you to have a Yahoo log-in to register on their website as the owner of a GMC vehicle. The site then provides a link to a PDF manual for the car model and year specified.

3

Order an owner's manual from the manufacturer through the website. You may need to do this if you want the actual book, or if the manual is old enough that the company does not make it available online. This will typically cost anywhere from $10 to $30. Dodge, for instance, sends you to a third-party website that sells owner's manuals for $20.

4

Check out a website that sells rare owner's manuals. Examples include books4cars.com or factoryautomanuals.com. These stores commonly sell repair manuals as well.