How can we tell if we're buying a good used car?

Question

obviously if someone buys a used car from a dealership, you get a warranty with it but with a private sale, how is one supposed to know if there are any internal problems with the car? i'm looking to buy a "beater" car do just drive to and from work. i would feel more comfortable if i had my mechanic check over the car to make sure there aren't any issues with it before buying the car but that probably is not possible.

anyone have any tips for buying a used car (private sale)?

Answer 1

HI Tom,

First, you don't always get a warranty from a dealer when buying a used car, most of the time the car is sold "as is".

Mileage is critical, too many and you may be simply wasting your money, even on a beater. Normal mileage usage is usually considered 12-15000 per year. Of course the type of mileage is also critical, is the mileage mostly in city with a a lot of stop and go, or mostly high way miles. These are important answers to find out if possible.

Education and knowledge is the key, knowing as much as you can before buying a car will help you reduce the risk of buying something that is a "lemon".

Mechanically speaking, you can't foresee into the future on what if anything will break down. This of course is true with even new cars, if they didn't, they wouldn't offer a warranty.

With a used car, the best you can do is to make sure the mechanical condition basics are up to par, this really isn't so difficult if you know what to look for.

Research the history if possible, determine if the oil has been changed on a regular basis, look inside the oil cap if you can and see if you see any oil sludge or caked up oil.

Check the National Insurance Crime Bureau’s web site at www.nicb.org, they have compiled a list of vehicles that have that have been affected by hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. While this list may not include every single vehicle, it’s a good place to start with.

You should also run an online history report, but once again, this database may not be all-inclusive, it’s simply another step in the process of elimination. (See the link below concerning online history reports)

Look at the cooling system as well, remove the radiator cap (COLD ENGINE ONLY) and look to see if the water is rusted or brownish looking which would indicate possible serious issues.

----Know how to peform a "proper" test drive and what to look for during, this doesn't include a spin around the block either. A proper road test should include 25 miles of driving, cold and hot, along with different road surfaces as well.---Listen for unusual noises, clatter, knocks etc. Make sure the transmission shifts properly--Hot and Cold

Make sure the seller has a "CLEAR" title in hand, don't pay until he/she does. Often times the title may be in another persons name and you may be forced to pay for several transfers.

See the links below for more info that may help.

Jerry
http://www.usedcarwise.com

Answer 2

You double edge your question. A "beater" is just that, it starts, sometimes, and gets you there, most of the time. You get what you pay for. Now, if what you are looking for is a solid runner, just a little too homely to marry, that's another story. A couple of things you can look at just on the walk-around. Look at the tires. Brand new? Great, maybe. Are they a good quality name brand or no-name replacements. No names can tell you that this car has alignment issues and goes through tires often. If not new look at the wear patterns. Check front and rears both. Front end problems eat tires that get put on the rear to hide the issue. Check the engine compartment, filthy or superclean? Both can signal an issue with a leaker. Look at the battery, particulaly the terminals. Are they the quick fix chain auto store repair ends or factory type. Cheap is cheap, and if the car has only seen the minimum in care, you are a buying a problem they no longer want. If the car has a good look and feel about the above, then take it to a shop, hopefully one that speciallizes in that make for their opinion. I charge $35.00 for a used car check. Includes compression check, body damage/repair check, fluids condition check, accessories check, leaks, flood damage and test drive. One other thing. If you choose to go with a dealer, still have the car checked independantly. And pay little or no attention to the CarFax report they wave in your face, it is meaningless for the most part. Good Luck

Answer 3

by all means do that, but you can get an idea of how the car was looked after by checking the condition of the tires, if they are bald or all miss matched, then the guy doesn't really give two hoots about the car, check cleanliness, inside, outside and engine compartment, if it looks unkept it most likely is, other things that could tip you off are to look at the seller, how does he conduct himself, it he is a slob that hasn't had a bath in a while, you can bet the car never got the attention it needed. I've even heard of a person who just climbs in and turns on the radio, if it is turned up so loud that it hurts he feels that the car would have been abused and he walks or talks based solely on that.

Answer 4

i own a repair shop,and take it to somewhere and have it checked out real good,and ask the owner if its alright that you do this if they say no ,then there may be something they don't want you to know about the car,but if they say yes go right ahead,then your probably going to get a pretty fair car ,but be careful,a lot of people get burnt really bad every day on bad car deals,and they cant get there money back either,good luck with it,i hope this help,s.

Answer 5

I would not buy a used car without having a mechanic check it out. Why won't the seller agree to this?

Answer 6

Have it checked by a mechanic you trust. He can tell you what repairs to expect and that'll give you a better idea of what the car is really worth. Repairs made don't increase the value of the car, but needed repairs lower its value.

Answer 7

sure, just ask the owner to borrow the car to take to a mechanic for a check over. normally the going rate of 1 hour of mechanic labor.

Answer 8

If it was me., I would have someone who knows about automobiles. to at least look at it and give me their opinion!! Also I'd check the blue book value on it!! If you can get it for wholesale your doing good!! If you can get it for below wholesale your doing "REAL" good!! You can get a quote from the "BLUE BOOK" probably from any financial istitution such as your bank and/or your credit union!! maybe for a small fee or maybe for free!! It should have an average wholesale,retail, and what the actual "BLUE BOOK" Value! In other words, what the actual vehicle is worth!!

Answer 9

Hi,

step 1: Look for milage and timing belt problem.
step2: look for car history by taking win number from the owner
step 3: go to nearest machanice and check for problems

step 4: Important....Pray to god for your car to stay for long period with out any problems.

Answer 10

For 30.00 you can go on line, carfax.com, and run as many (vehicle serial numbers)as you want. Won't tell you anything mechanical, but will show if it was wrecked, flooded. stolen etc.
As for mechanical, you must be the judge, or have a mechanic look at it.