Have you bought a car without checking it out with a mechanic?

Question

I recently bought a used car. I trusted this person. I didn't go to a mechanic first. I had to replace the battery and now we think the transmission is going. Please don't make the same mistake I did. No snide remarks please.

Answer 1

You bought a second hand car, expected it to require no maintenance or repairs, only had to replace the battery, and blame that on the previous owner?

Ever heard the phrase "Caveat Emptor"?

Answer 2

yeah i bought my car off a friend so didnt check with a mechanic as trusted them and also didn't have access to a mechanic as the closest one was really far away and it was a sunday, but i did do some research on the car before hand, like checked how many people have owned it, if it had been in any crashes or had major repair done to it, this can all be done by visiting local motor registry, everything was fine with the car, no crashes, only 1 owner so it built my confidence up bit more in buying it, also checked on a website bout how to tell if a car isnt worth buying, like if its blowing out black smoke or greyish smoke when you push the accelerator means the engine is in bad shape, or the fan belt tension should be tight, just stuff like that definately helped if u dont have access to a mechanic or are buying from a friend but arent too sure whether to buy it or not, depending on how much you payed for the car, i say tell the friend bout the problem and see if can work out how to fix the problem

Answer 3

I have not checked with a mechanic when buying a car, and my car turned out fine...however I have years of experience around cars. The battery going is not something a mechanic could have told you anyways. As for the transmission, a transmission is suspect of "going" if the fluid is dirty, low, if it shifts funny, or is very loud. Bottom line, never trust someone selling a car...

Answer 4

I've always done good with used cars, once bought a 7 year old Nissan AS IS without driving it, only started it in driveway and I drove it for another 13 years, it was great, A/C still worked to the end. With used it can be a hit and miss, a definite risk sometimes even a mechanical inspection isn't going to guarantee you anything.

Answer 5

Oh, no. Even if you get it checked out though, you won't know if they did a quick fix job to last 3000 miles or so. We bought a car from CarMart and that's what happened. They made it look like a great car, and supposedly a cheap price. Looking back, a 1999 Taurus isn't worth 8,000.00. I mean, that's like 7 years old.

Answer 6

yes,their are a few things you can check yourself to help you decide if the car is ok.check the oil,see if it is full,what color it is and does it smell burnt,check the radiator cap make sure the antifreeze is green and not milky or oily,check the transmission fluid and make sure its full and doesnt smell burnt,look at the engine compartment and see if it leaks anything.i have bought a lot of used cars over the years because of the work i do and i havent had a real bad one yet

Answer 7

Yes, I did 3 times. I was lucky in 2 and not the 3rd one.

Answer 8

yes! big expensive mistake. remember its what you cant see thats important.