Don’t get taken for a ride.

Consumers looking to buy a car are already dealing with an array of mounting pressures, from higher car prices to skyrocketing interest rates — and now, plant strikes that threaten to push costs higher than ever before.

And as inventory dries up and turning a profit becomes more of a challenge for the seller, experts are warning of a rise in scammy behavior at dealerships and on car buying websites.

“There is a good chance you will get a test drive car, or maybe the car you bought has been in an accident,” warns auto TikToker @chequanxiaoqiao, who floods her popular channels with videos revealing various tips and tricks.

Shoppers are too often missing out the obvious red flags, according to the auto hack auteur, who boasts more than a million followers on Instagram and TikTok combined.

One little gesture can save you years of agony dealing with a lemon, she advises her viewers.

For example: “Squat down and touch the inside of the exhaust pipe. If there are a lot of black [marks] on the inner wall, it means that the engine of this car may have a serious failure,” she says in voiceover in one popular clip.

Checking a small symbol on a car’s tires is another critical “tell” that helps consumers quickly find out if a car has seen better days. On most car tires, a four-digit number can be found showing its production rate.

In the clip, the TikToker uses the example of a tire stamped 5222, explaining that said tire was made during the 52nd week of 2022.

“The production date of the tire must be earlier than the [car’s] production date,” she says.

“Otherwise, it means that the car may have changed tires due to an accident.”

Another tip: Use a similar method to check the age of a car’s glass — a good place to look is in a windshield’s lower corners.

She also suggests checking the color of a car’s oil, to ensure it wasn’t previously a test model. New oil should look red and be somewhat transparent. If the oil is dark and contains debris, the vehicle may already have seen some use.

Gregg Fidan, founder of RealCarTips, tells his users not to feel too badly about missteps — he himself was “ripped off” buying his first car.

Now, he has assembled a lengthy list of advisories that customers should heed — such as how dealership cars often get dinged up from being moved around tight spaces.

Fidan also warns that dealers may put misleading stickers next to the car manufacturer’s suggested retail price.

“It will look official, but the only purpose is to fool buyers into paying more for the vehicle,” he writes of phony add-ons like fabric protection or a “special value package.

“They’re usually worthless and some aren’t even options at all, but simply made-up charges.”

The sucker turned savvy shopper also recommends to never give a dealer any sort of deposit for holding a car — something commonly done in high-demand and low-supply markets.

He says, “The only time a dealer should legitimately ask for a deposit is if they’re doing a dealer trade on your behalf.”