Autos Discussions

Look for evidence that the miles shown on the odometer are wrong. For example, if the car shows 30,000 miles but the brake pedal is heavily worn, the car probably has more than 30,000 miles.

Look at the tires to see if they are worn evenly. Tires worn on the inside but not the outside (or vice versa) means that the car probably needs an alignment.

Look to see if the tires are all the same make, model and size. If there are any differences, this is a sign of poor maintenance.

Try *everything* in the car to make sure it all works. Try the windows, trunk release, hood release, sunroof, A/C, wipers, cruise control, stereo, seat adjustments, blinkers, high beams... everything. Anything that doesn't work means you will either have to fix it or live with it.

Check the inside of the trunk to make sure it is dry and not damp. Water leaking into the trunk could be a sign that rust is imminent.

Ask for repair records and be willing to pay more for a car that has good maintenance records. It can cost $500 to replace a timing belt on many cars and you might have to replace it if there is no record of its replacement.

Brakes that squeal probably means you will need to do some brake work. Generally, modern brakes don't squeal unless they are nearly worn out.

Lift the hood and look for signs of either good maintenance or poor maintenance. Are things dirty or clean? Are the edges of belts frayed or in good repair? Is there corrosion on the battery connector? Not everyone knows what to look for but just go with your gut feeling as to the cleanliness and tidiness.

When in doubt, take the car to a mechanic you trust and pay for his/her opinion.

--Bob (who has a car turning 200,000 miles)

We recently purchased a used car that looked great and drove wonderfully....however the blinker went out on the way home, the clutch switch had an issue ($100 repair) and now the a/c went out over the weekend!!  What a disaster! 

I purchased my 2005 Honda CRV via Craig's List, despite it's reputation. As long as you investigate, keep in touch with the car owner, and examine the car in person at EXTENSIVE length, you can find really good cars! :) My car runs beautifully, haven't had a single problem yet and I've had it almost a year.

Guy we bough the car from was a good honest guy, admitted to faults with/on the car and was more than willing to bargin the price. We looked at a few falsely advertied cars and let the people know in person that we didn't appreciate being falsely led on. It's all a matter of where and how hard you look. :)

Over the years I have bought three used cars from my local CarMax dealership and all have performed well, though one, a Chrysler Town and Country had to have it transmission replace about a year after we bought it.  But it was (4) years old when we drove it off the lot, so...

I personally would not buy a used car from anywhere else except a dealer as a Certified Used Automobile that has undergone a comprehensive multi-point inspection and even then I would take the vehicle out for an extended test drive.  

Always take it to your own mechanic first, that would be a good start.  I also believe in making sure you PAY WHAT YOU WANT TO PAY FOR THE CAR...do NOT pay what the sticker says.  Never tell them what car payment you want- they can manipulate that number into anything they want it to be. Go in there with a figure for what you want to pay for the car then talk numbers.  I also reccomend having them look at your trade first thing (if you have one) don't go any further with looking, test driving, etc until you hear what you want to hear for the amount on your car. 

  One dealership wanted to pay us $1,500 less than the car dealership right down the street.

We go for CPO - Certified Pre-Owned - like with our Ford pickup.  It had a full warranty and 3,000 miles on it.  New it would have been 21K, and we got it for 14K at the dealer.  I don't drive it, my husband does.

I bought my Toyota pickup new back in 1991, and collectively ~ it's lasted longer than all the cars I've ever had in my life!  (knocks on wood) Hopefully, we'll replace it someday with a CPO model, although it will probably be hard to find.

Check Blue Book!!! Used car prices are usually over the Blue Book value!! And take a mechanic to look the vehicle over. Drive it and turn everything on, everything!! You need to know what is broke and what works properly. Come back the next day and test drive it one more time. If the saleman seems scummy he probably is and leave! If I get a bad feeling about a salesman Im outta there.