Buying a Used Automobile

Let me know if you think of important parts that I leave out. Let's make this a better resource at every opportunity. (Thanks Freddy, for a post with several pieces of info that I've incorporated.)

There are a few sources for used cars and you should know the advantages and disadvantages of each way. Here's a brief summary:

First, don't think you can't do it because you don't know much about cars. Here are a few salient tips which are not intended to be exhaustive. While this is a quick overview, it will provide you with sufficient knowledge to screen out many potential bad automobiles. It is hoped that any mistake will be rejecting a good car (false negative). Of course, it's still possible that you will screen well and still get a bad car. But I want to help you reduce those changes.

Buying a used car without a warranty (or from a place whose warranty is not reliable) is always a gamble. To be honest, even with a warranty, sometimes one is surprised at what is omitted from the warranty so careful screening is important in all cases.

Here's my Process for Checking a Used Automobile

1. Check out Consumer Reports and CarFax.com's document: Inspecting a Used Car.
2. The most important key is this: Everything should be quiet and smooth. If the car is noisy, don't even consider it. You can't tell much about a car that is noisy. I know many have high priced mufflers that are intended to be loud and some sound good, but they stop you from detecting problems. Unless you're knowledgeable, buy a quiet car, and if you want it to be loud, make it loud after you buy it. Likewise, if the car doesn't operate smoothly in any way, don't excuse it lightly. That's generally a very bad sign and it may mask other vibrations or variations, making it harder to detect problems. True, you might reject a good car, but you will significantly reduce your chances of getting a bad car.
3. Check the mileage. Low mileage isn't always an indicator of a good car, but it will always affect the resale, thus is always important. Where you draw the line is a tough question and in some cases it depends on the car's historical reliability (see section about Consumer Reports). If you know nothing about a car, you may want to restrict your search to cars with under 60,000 miles. If you know more or are willing to risk a bit more, and you know a car is typically reliable, you might choose to buy a car with 90,000 miles.
4. I like to use the statistics gathered by Consumer Reports for areas of reliability (e.g. electrical, mechanical, etc.). I don't always agree with their end conclusions about which cars are great, but the reliability statistics are the best indicator I've seen of whether I'll have problems with that particular car.
5. See my list of things to check (use your own, or use mine and add things that are important to you). I understand that my list is detailed, but it will help you catch problems with many cars that could change your mind. Don't rely on your memory and DO NOT ASSUME THAT THINGS WORK. Use a checklist.
6. For prices, you can check web sites that aren't regular dealers, but postings from individuals. I don't claim to have special knowledge here, but I've used www.cars.com and it's been good for price comparison. (Please send me good sources for price comparisons.)
7. I recommend running a car's VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) through www.carfax.com. I've never had this save me in the two times I've used it, and it won't catch all problems. But it's not expensive and it could help you detect prior accidents, flood damange, etc. (If anyone has had good or bad experiences, please let me know. I've used it twice; both times the cars were clean and ended up being good cars. Keep in mind that I check the cars out myself too.)
8. When you're finished, and you've decided that you like it, take it to a mechanic THAT YOU CHOSE (not their mechanic) and pay the money for a thourough checkout. If the owner will not allow that. DO NOT BUY IT NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU LIKE IT! They're hiding something. This step is important.
   

© copyright 1999 - 2006 Mark W. Rice