Buying a Used Vehicle

[Zuljin]

Fluid levels. Fluid condition. Leaks and drips. Smoke and burning smells. Tire wear. Tool marks. Parts that aren't car parts. Wires and hoses that don't go anywhere. Plugs and nipples without wires or hoses. Pulleys that wobble. Belt and hose conditions. Knocks, pings and squeals. Gauges that don't work. Let it warm up. Drive it in all gears. Check over, and under, it before it and after driving.

Do research on the internet for issues, recalls and prices.

But what are some other things I should look for when buying a used car? Any tell tales? Is carfax worth it? Any recommended sites?

 

[NTXBrauer]

You have covered most of the important things to look for.You might also check the air filter, brake pads and rotors. In answer to your question about carfax...Yes, IMO you should get the VIN and pull one. Good Luck!

 

[TallDan]

Is it fast? Does it look good?

Does anything else matter?



Seriously though, it's easy to overthink. Any used car is going to have at least a couple of the things you listed as potential red flags. Some you'll notice, some you won't. Some will be noticed in a Pre-Purchase Inspection, some won't. The best way I've come up with to avoid regretting a car purchase is to really like the car you're buying. If you really like it, you take care of it, fix the small things before they become big things, and are willing to overlook some small problems and maintenance items as part of owning the car. If you don't like it, you won't want to fix the little things because you don't like the car anyway (that'll bite you in the ass later), and every little expense will annoy you.

 

[Santo]

Drive the car for at least 20 to 25 minutes or leave it running. If they turn the check engine light on it will come on. If it's a older car don't get the carfax, but if it's new with low miles get the carfax.

Where are you located?

 

[ChefRex]

Depends on what your looking for, Late model or an older car for transportation.
I would suggest Carfax on anything you're going to put a fair amount of money in to, not that I have ever used them but I used to work in auto salvage and regularly rebuilt cars.
A total depends on the value of the vehicle, someone that kept full coverage on a vehicle too long gets in a fender bender and the insurance and it's a write off, I fixed a lot of these, a late model rolled over and twisted is repairable but it totally depends on who fixes and what you'er paying.
I'm so glad I'm out of the business and long before Carfax.

 

[72Chevelle]

The main thing I look for in a car that is older is actually one thats been wrecked. I know it sounds weird but if the only reason that car got off the road was because of a mangled fender somebody repaired themselves I am cool with that. better than the guy that is selling the car because he knows the transmission is getting ready to go. Also if you can drive a strait drive I highly recommend getting one instead of an auto, less things that can go wrong with them. Good luck!!!

 

[Homercidal]

Depends on how old of a car you are looking for. There are some drivetrains that have proven themselves to be long lasting, low maintenance, or have simple to fix problems. If you are buying an older car, then that is where I'd start.

For a newer car, which may not have a known history yet, carfax and the basic look-over that you already mentioned. If you can find an honest mechanic, who knows that they are doing, you might hire him to give it a look-over after you've found one you like. Good mechanics are generally aware of the usual problems with different brands and models, and can often spot future potential trouble the average car guy might miss.

 

[Zuljin]

Cool.

Carfax seems like a good tool if you know how to use it. We recently traded in a car against a new car and the dealer carfaxed our old car. The body work we had done after someone backed into a door in a parking lot was on it. He tried to make a big deal over it. Of course. Salesman, right? Yeah. "It's been wrecked!" Well, not exactly. Backed into in a parking lot isn't the same as flipped over on I-30. "It had THIS MANY DOLLARS damage." Yeah. That's a high number if you're counting stab wounds. For having a door reskinned, painted and the two panels next to it blended to match, that's what that costs. It's not an indication of a lot of damage.

I've no idea what I'm getting. One minute I'm looking at used Frontiers, which is what I've put 250,000 rather trouble free miles on. The next I'm looking at a 1972 Lincoln. Then, maybe a hatchback.

 

[Homercidal]

Car Salesmen...


Yuck.

 

[estricklin]

For what it's worth, in a previous life I had an associates degree in Automotive Technology and worked as a mechanic for years.

Buying from a dealership is probably the best advice I can give you. They DON'T want to pass off something they know has mechanical problems to a customer, because it's just going to bite them in the ass. Most dealers will work with you if something breaks down in the the first month or 2 you own it. Cars dealers trade for that have major mechanical problems go to the auction along with the high mileage stuff. Drive it at least 30 minutes, do a long visual inspection under the hood.

If your buying from an individual, MEET THEM AT THEIR HOUSE! This gives you the opportunity to see just how well they take care of things. You'll find there are more honest individuals out there, than used car dealers. The prices are usually better as well.

Buying a used vehicle is a justifiable risk in most cases, you could save 10 grand because a vehicle had 30k on it! In a lot of cases it's worth it EVEN if you do have to make a repair. There is no magic crystal ball for vehicles, things can happen, and it doesn't always mean the seller knew there was a problem either.

Generally speaking, newer models with less than 100k, are pretty damn reliable these days.

Carfax, is a joke.

 

[Chadwick]

When dealing with much older vehicles, I've discovered an odd list of possible red-flags if it's a person-to-person sale. These things aren't rules, but rather guidelines.

1. Does the oil look like its fresh out of the bottle clean? If so, insist to leave it running for at least 20 minutes after the test drive. Afterwards, check that oil again. If it looks the least bit milky or foamy, walk away.

2. Is it a salvage title? This isn't always a deal breaker, but if it was salvaged due to flood damage, it is a deal breaker. Walk away from flood damage. Otherwise, get all the documentation/receipts of when/where it was rebuilt. If these cannot be produced, walk away.

3. Be prepared to spend 20% more than what you paid for it for repairs. Regardless of what is said or promised, I find that the 20% rule is a good way of putting the actual cost into a realistic perspective when buying used.

4. Drive it like you really would and make the owner ride with you on the test-drive. Use your gut instinct. I once test drove a 4x4 truck that a guy was trying to sell me. I asked, "Does the 4x4 work"? Sure, he said. I drive into a grassy flat area and engage the 4x4. I start driving around slowly and he suddenly goes "Easy Man!". I'm thinking, that bump was a whole 2 inches high...... I give it some more gas and guess what? Yeah, the 4x4 engages, but the front axles where shot to hell and just slip and grind. He then tried to accuse me of destroying his truck.....seriously, some people.

5. Don't fall for the little-old-grandma car trick. Yeah, it may be in grandma's name, but the teenage grandchildren have been joy riding it at the local rock quarry for the last 2 years.

6. Always be super attentive of pops and noises in the front end. These sounds need to be addressed immediately. There is nothing worse than driving down the road and a front ball-joint breaks. You will wreck. Spend that 20% on going over the front end with a fine tooth comb.

 

[Jayhem]

Good advice in here.

It obviously makes a big difference on what year, make, model you are looking at.

One that hasn't been covered is how to tell the car has been repaired from an accident.
1. Look at the body panels. Do they all match up perfectly? Nothing looks odd?
2. Look at the paint closely on each panel in sunlight or bright flashlight, does it truly match? Anything look a different shade or sheen level?
3. Look under the front and rear bumpers with a strong light. Look at the steel bumpers themselves. Any bends, dents? if the car is older and either steel bumper has no rust at all and looks new it's been replaced.
4. Park the car on LEVEL ground and point both front wheels perfectly straight ahead. Use a tape measure to measure from the rear edge of the front wheel to the front edge of the rear wheel. It should be within 1/4" of the same distance on both sides. I've seen a car that had suspension damage and one side was 1.5" longer than the other!

If you buy from a private seller, insist on meeting the seller at his house when the car has sat overnight and the engine is cold. Start the car up and immediately check the exhaust for any sign of smoke. usually if an engine has bad rings or valves you will see smoke at startup when the engine is cool. Also many automatic transmission problems don't show themselves when the engine is warm.

 

[Zuljin]

About those automatic transmissions. The one I have now doesn't go fully into drive until it warms up a little. 3,000 rpm to go 5 mph. Once the truck has been on a few minutes though, no more issue. Drives great. I mean, one minute of warm up and it's fine. That concerns me in a used vehicle. It's very easy to hide.

 

[Jayhem]

What type and age of vehicle are you looking for?

 

[Beernik]

Go to the library and find the consumer reports find the used car buying guide. It will tell you which cars are likely to need a lot of repairs or have things break frequently.

 

[Misplaced_Canuck]

If you arrive to check it out, and the engine is warm/at operating temperature... usually the seller is trying to hide something.

MC

 

[Jayhem]

If you arrive to check it out, and the engine is warm/at operating temperature... usually the seller is trying to hide something.

MC

Truth! The last car I bought (for a steal of a price) I knew it would need work but the engine was warm when I test drove it so I didn't get to witness it misfire on cold startup because the headgasket was leaking coolant into cylinder #2 and steaming up which would foul the spark plug.

 

[Zuljin]

Good point on warm engines and suspiciously clean fluids. :mugs:

I've no idea what I really want. I've driven either a full size or small pickup for years, but I'm tiring of 20 mpg, and don't need a truck as much as I used to. What I should get is a hatchback with good fuel mileage. But then I see something odd and it attracts me.

 

[Zuljin]

And, although a flood damaged or road salt corroded car can fond its way anywhere, those things don't happen to cars here in north Texas as much as other parts of the country.

 

[estricklin]

About those automatic transmissions. The one I have now doesn't go fully into drive until it warms up a little. 3,000 rpm to go 5 mph. Once the truck has been on a few minutes though, no more issue. Drives great. I mean, one minute of warm up and it's fine. That concerns me in a used vehicle. It's very easy to hide.

Ford?

 

[AceVeres]

Read up on craiglist, auto trader, etc to see what similar vehicles are going for. If there is a huge price difference, be careful. You can also use the information when negotiating the final price.


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[iaefebs]

When you call a listing say "I'm calling about the vehicle you have for sale" don't mention the type or model, car or truck or where you saw the add or where it was parked. If the person asks which one, or doesn't seem sure what to say. Walk away. They might be flipping them. Make sure the title is in the sellers name.

 

[Zuljin]

I've been looking at cars.com, cargurus and carmax. Carmax seems the most pricey, but they have a lot of cars on their site. Prices are crazy. I see the same year, make, model and similar mileage for one price and then half that price. Of course, both cars are "perfect".

And, yes, I think I've seen some flippers. Even accounting for people using a similar format for placing ads, some have tells that smack of being the same person. The same typos. The same broken attempts at scripting text. Seeing the same things in multiple ad's pictures. And it may not be a bad car, but, yeah, it's kinda sketchy to present it as "your car" when it's a flip car. Just come out say that. I don't care, so long as it's a good car.

And what some people call "restored". Draping the whole interior in cloth from Hobby Lobby, and using a box knife to cut the handle holes, is not a restoration.