Buying a Used Car Advice

[gamelan]

for those of you that have gone through the process, please give me some words of wisdom.

specifically, i'd be interested in recommendations on where to purchase the car (carmax, autotrader, just going to the local dealer, etc.).

also, i'd be interested in any caveats or gotchas that i need to lookup for (not getting a lemon, warranties, etc.)

thanks!

-Jeff

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

if you dont trust the dealer, or dont want to get screwed. Ask them if they dont mind if you have an independent mechanic check the car out prior to completing a deal on a car you're really interested in buying.

 

[mack11211]

Originally Posted by SkinnyGoomba

if you dont trust the dealer, or dont want to get screwed. Ask them if they dont mind if you have an independent mechanic check the car out prior to completing a deal on a car you're really interested in buying.

Independent mechanic +1

When I was in Austin, there was even a guy who would come to you & the car. Checking out cars was his business.

Also get the vehicle history from Carfax.

 

[nate10184]

Went through the process recently and did well (so far). I strongly recommend buying from someone you know. Ask around. My dad knew a guy who was looking to sell his car and was fanatical about maintaining it. I got it before he ever listed it on autotrader. Besides that:

- Get carfax
- Have a mechanic look at it
- If servicing was done at a dealer they will have records
- Carmax cars are several thousand dollars overpriced, for that I guess you get some peace of mind though I really don't trust them that much

If you are interested in an "enthusiast" car like a BMW, there are forums that have Buying and Selling threads just like here. A lot of times those guys know each other and will give their stamp of approval for cars they know have been taken care of.

 

[micbain]

I'd also get an independant body shop to take a look to see if the car has been in a major accident. I got screwed on this one, bought a car from a dealer (with extended warranty so I thought it was alright)...did a carfax but turns out the car was in a major front end collision which wasn't reported...which made the car next to impossible to sell.

 

[Nataku]

Aside from the common sense stuff (look for leaks, rust, etc. Drive it and feel for stiff/slow shifting, wierd noises.....), look up the make of the car's main forum, ie: VW Vortex for AW/Audi, Volvoforums for Volvo, Saabnet for Saabs and so on. Usually there are model sub-sections and most people in there know their car well. At the top of each sub-forum there is usually a sticky that has FAQ and purchasing advice. Each car has it's own things that go wrong, so for each make and model this will vary. For example, 99-'03 Saabs had an engine sludge issue, VWs/Audis have various electrical gremlins and so on. Good luck!