Buying a used car

[blackribbon]

I am looking to buy a used car that is newer and in better shape than the one I have. This isn't the first time I have bought a used car from a private party but it is the most I have to spend on a used car. It still isn't much but it does give me options.

I was amazed to find a couple of my dream cars in the listings ... a Dodge Nitro and a Jeep Patriot...both which are usually out of my price range and limitations. I need a vehicle with 4 wheel drive so I can get to and from work regardless of the whether. I don't care how old the car is but I am looking for less than 130,000. And I want a clean title. One Nitro I drove is off the table because it looks like it was in an accident even if she denies it and she wasn't willing to bring it to my mechanic. The other Nitro had some cosmetic issues but otherwise seemed to drive well and he would be willing to take it to my mechanic for a check up. I am going to look at a Patriot on Thursday and they say in their ad that they are willing to take it to a mechanic.

I know I am not buying a new car and that it will come with some issues that will be common in a 10 year old car with over 100,000 miles on it. I also know that minimal mechanical issues are more important than pretty. But I am human and I like pretty and I like luxury items. (Knowing that luxury items can break and can add to the repair bills). My question is how to determine which cosmetic things are just not important. For example, the edge of the drivers door is sort of beat up. It isn't obvious with the door shut from the inside or outside, but it is sort of ugly when the door is open. I also don't see any evidence that the door leaks. I suspect that the door was pried open at some time (maybe a repo at one time??) Also the back seat belt doesn't work and I don't know how big of a deal that is to fix. Is there anything else that anyone thinks I should be checking out? I may pay to run a car fax check up on the car I actually take to my mechanic...but am saving that for when I am ready to say that I want a particular car. This one also has some loose place pieces on that door which maybe means the door was damaged at some and repaired pr replaced.

 

[Cement]

Funny I was only recently browsing car videos trying to fix my broken ac. In short you definitely want to check the seams where metal plates meet to make sure the car was not in an accident. Furthermore check to see if there is any water damage. alot of cars get flooded. Check the underside of the car the brakes for wear the tires for uneven wear ect. Lastly make sure to check the computer with a code reader to make sure its not giving you any serious errors.

 

[TuxAme]

I bought a used Volvo almost a year ago. It's about 27 years old- older than I am- and I can tell you, cosmetics might not tell you much.

I looked at another Volvo- same model, one year newer- before buying the one I did. It had very little rusting, far as I can remember, but no mirrors. I also think it had no tail lights. Then there was the cracked windshield. These were all things that were easy to rectify and didn't suggest any other problems existed. Aside from these, it looked great. Then I took it out for a test drive and heard a terrible rumbling coming from under the hood, and the car was trembling. As a student on a budget, that wasn't OK.

Then I found the one I actually bought. It looked a bit rougher, despite being in a climate controlled garage for the past several years. There was (and is) rust along the fenders. A (manual) car wash made it look a lot nicer, but I just found out about a month ago that my moon roof seal was broken while going through the automatic car wash. I got soaked, the interior got soaked- not OK. Before that, my catalytic converter fell apart- then my gas line was compromised (in my car's defense, that one was kinda the mechanic's fault). The cosmetic appearance of the car didn't suggest that would happen. It has its own problems, but I didn't find them out until March of this year (I bought it in November).

So, my advice to you is to not worry too much about what things on the outside look like. Find videos online of the car you want being test driven, and pay attention to what it sounds like. Compare that to your own test drive.

Then, look for images under the hood- compare those to what you see. And check the undercarriage if you can- my car had horrible rusting that I hadn't been aware of until the mechanic said something. He disturbed the rust, and that's what did in my gas line. Bring pictures along if you must.

Aside from this, I can't add much- but do some searching for parts for the cars you're looking for. I was so concerned with finding a car so old it wouldn't need to pass E-check (again, student on a budget) that I didn't consider the availability of parts. Getting new tires proved to be a chore- and did you know that Advance Auto Parts doesn't carry European fuses? That was a trip to Amazon and a delivery a week later before I could drive it again.

Hopefully someone else has more to offer you.

 

[morse86]

Jeep and dodge has some of the worst reliability and maintenance ratings.

Just get a corolla and be done with it.

 

[blackribbon]

Funny I was only recently browsing car videos trying to fix my broken ac. In short you definitely want to check the seams where metal plates meet to make sure the car was not in an accident. Furthermore check to see if there is any water damage. alot of cars get flooded. Check the underside of the car the brakes for wear the tires for uneven wear ect. Lastly make sure to check the computer with a code reader to make sure its not giving you any serious errors.

Thank you. Good tips. Scotty is my favorite "car guy" and I used to watch him on the news when I lived in Houston. I think my mechanic pulls the codes but that is a great thing to buy since the last car I bought my daughter was such a great deal that I was afraid that someone with cash in hand would come look at the car before he had time to take it to my mechanic. (I did take it immediately after I bought it with my fingers crossed and it was the awesome deal I thought it was.)

 

[blackribbon]

Jeep and dodge has some of the worst reliability and maintenance ratings.

Just get a corolla and be done with it.

Jeep and Dodges have always been extremely reliable for me. A corolla won't get me to work in 4 feet of snow and nurses don't get snow days. My Durango drove me out of a ditch when the cops couldn't even get to where I was because of the snow and ice. In the panic of the situation, I forgot that I had 4 wheel drive as an option. I switched the switch and drove out of the ditch no problem.

 

[blackribbon]

I bought a used Volvo almost a year ago. It's about 27 years old- older than I am- and I can tell you, cosmetics might not tell you much.

I looked at another Volvo- same model, one year newer- before buying the one I did. It had very little rusting, far as I can remember, but no mirrors. I also think it had no tail lights. Then there was the cracked windshield. These were all things that were easy to rectify and didn't suggest any other problems existed. Aside from these, it looked great. Then I took it out for a test drive and heard a terrible rumbling coming from under the hood, and the car was trembling. As a student on a budget, that wasn't OK.

Then I found the one I actually bought. It looked a bit rougher, despite being in a climate controlled garage for the past several years. There was (and is) rust along the fenders. A (manual) car wash made it look a lot nicer, but I just found out about a month ago that my moon roof seal was broken while going through the automatic car wash. I got soaked, the interior got soaked- not OK. Before that, my catalytic converter fell apart- then my gas line was compromised (in my car's defense, that one was kinda the mechanic's fault). The cosmetic appearance of the car didn't suggest that would happen. It has its own problems, but I didn't find them out until March of this year (I bought it in November).

So, my advice to you is to not worry too much about what things on the outside look like. Find videos online of the car you want being test driven, and pay attention to what it sounds like. Compare that to your own test drive.

Then, look for images under the hood- compare those to what you see. And check the undercarriage if you can- my car had horrible rusting that I hadn't been aware of until the mechanic said something. He disturbed the rust, and that's what did in my gas line. Bring pictures along if you must.

Aside from this, I can't add much- but do some searching for parts for the cars you're looking for. I was so concerned with finding a car so old it wouldn't need to pass E-check (again, student on a budget) that I didn't consider the availability of parts. Getting new tires proved to be a chore- and did you know that Advance Auto Parts doesn't carry European fuses? That was a trip to Amazon and a delivery a week later before I could drive it again.

Hopefully someone else has more to offer you.

Thanks. I have been doing my due diligence and reading reviews on the car before I even call to go see it. Both my favorites have really high ratings in all areas from owners of that year...even owners who bought the car used and as an older car. I am not worried about being able to get Jeep parts because that SUV is still very popular. They have stopped making the Nitro but it rolled off the same assembly lines as the Jeep Liberty which is definitely still available. The factory is within 100 miles of where I am. I think I like the Nitro better because it is bigger but if the Patriot I am going to see on Thurs is the sweet deal that I think it might be (10 years old with only 89,000 miles) and owned by a "mother" who lives in a neighborhood full of elderly people. 4-wheel drive vehicles are cheaper and there are more of them available in the summer when it isn't snowing and people are wishing they had better gas mileage. Both cars get decent mileage for an SUV and very similar numbers. They are both better than my current SUV.

I may panic about spending the money and just get a slightly older Chevy Trailblazer like I bought my daughter. It has been a good car but I am hoping to get something slightly better.

I appreciate having some place to "talk" this through with some outside input.

 

[Trogdor the Burninator]

Mechanics checks are usually worth doing, but if you want to test something yourself, there's an easy method that will help sort out the good stuff from the rubbish.

Go find the best, lowest klm example of the same make and model of the car you want (even if you have no intention of buying it) and test drive it. That car will tell you how an example of the car you want should drive. Then go drive the cars you're actually thinking of buying - if they feel very similar, chances are it's a decent buy (though I'd still go for a mechanical check for an older car).

As for the stuff that matters - anything mechanical is the first place to look. Transmissions that are slow to change gears (go from drive to reverse and back again) or hold gears at higher revs than you'd expect, or have jerky changes are likely to cost $$$. For a 4WD, drive the car in all drive modes - 2WD and 4WD - and make sure it's not jerky or making strange sounds or grinding - as problems there are also expensive. Drive around tight corners and listen for noises too.

The car should steer straight even if you take your hands off the wheel - if not it could have been in a crash. When you go to inspect a car try to get there in the morning when the car is cold, start it up and watch for smoke and listen for clicking or tapping noises from the engine.

Underbody damage (it's a 4WD after all), rust and oil leaks are the other things to check. Also take a rag with you and check the oil level and condition - also unscrew the oil cap and have a look - if the oil smells burnt or is black give the car a miss.

Cosmetic stuff like scratches aren't a big deal if you can live with them. And the seatbelt you mention should be an easy and cheap fix. Check all the electronics like power windows, seats, central locking, radio etc. - they don't cost much to repair, but they're dead easy to check and if something doesn't work you can use it to bargain the price down.

Good luck.

 

[blackribbon]

Mechanics checks are usually worth doing, but if you want to test something yourself, there's an easy method that will help sort out the good stuff from the rubbish.

Go find the best, lowest klm example of the same make and model of the car you want (even if you have no intention of buying it) and test drive it. That car will tell you how an example of the car you want should drive. Then go drive the cars you're actually thinking of buying - if they feel very similar, chances are it's a decent buy (though I'd still go for a mechanical check for an older car).

As for the stuff that matters - anything mechanical is the first place to look. Transmissions that are slow to change gears (go from drive to reverse and back again) or hold gears at higher revs than you'd expect, or have jerky changes are likely to cost $$$. For a 4WD, drive the car in all drive modes - 2WD and 4WD - and make sure it's not jerky or making strange sounds or grinding - as problems there are also expensive. Drive around tight corners and listen for noises too.

The car should steer straight even if you take your hands off the wheel - if not it could have been in a crash. When you go to inspect a car try to get there in the morning when the car is cold, start it up and watch for smoke and listen for clicking or tapping noises from the engine.

Underbody damage (it's a 4WD after all), rust and oil leaks are the other things to check. Also take a rag with you and check the oil level and condition - also unscrew the oil cap and have a look - if the oil smells burnt or is black give the car a miss.

Cosmetic stuff like scratches aren't a big deal if you can live with them. And the seatbelt you mention should be an easy and cheap fix. Check all the electronics like power windows, seats, central locking, radio etc. - they don't cost much to repair, but they're dead easy to check and if something doesn't work you can use it to bargain the price down.

Good luck.

Thanks for the suggestions. There are a few things in your list that I hadn't thought to do. I guess if I decide to consider the second one that I drove, I will go back and look closer before we even make an appointment with my mechanic...and you reminded me of a red flag on the first one which means I am done even considering it.

 

[blackribbon]

I bought the Jeep. Mechanic cleared it. I need to detail it but it barely feels like a used car since it is in such good condition. The woman I bought it from is a Christian and it was literally the situation where a little old lady drove it back and forth to church....and exercise class....and twice to Florida with her sisters. She is 84 now. The condition of the car and the very low mileage back the story. She had her son leave the Christian license plate cover in the car because she said that "she bought it for that car." I plan on using it because I honestly do believe this car was an answer to prayer and evidence that God really is acting in my life even when life is feeling overwhelming.