am thinking of buying an used car. are used cars (not pre certif) from dealers more dependable then before? i am thinking of buying from private party as i may get ripped off from a dealer. does anyone know of any mechanics willing to go and look at an used car with you and let you know whether the car is in a decent shape or not or is this exercise even useful? any idea how much the mechanics could charge for this? could the mechanic tell much about the car's shape w/out the equipment in their garage? afterall, even if i end up w/a junker, he is not on the hook. if there are such mechanics, recommendations please. thanks
buying an used car
- Thread starter ninja88
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usctrojancpa
Well-known member
I never buy a used car from a dealer because their pricing sucks. I buy late model cars and get a dealer to do a car inspection done (less than $200). I also ask to see the service history records. A lot of times it's fairly obvious whether a car has been abused or babied plus I've learned what to look for in terms of examining the body to see if any parts of the car have been repainted (which will be a red light). So my advice would be to go to a dealer or a good indy service shop to do a car inspection for you but don't let them charge you more than $200. Also, be sure to get your financing at Penfed if you aren't paying cash.ninja88 said:
thanks. i am thinking of a 4-8 years old car. so car dealer would do an car inspection on any car (for less than 200) or just their own brand? what do they look for? is it worthwhile to get the carfax service? the one where you type in the vin# to see the car's history? it seems that the price of late model used cars from dealers arent that much cheaper than new cars.
usctrojancpa
Well-known member
Depends on the dealer but when I bought a 05 BMW, I had the seller take it to a local BMW dealer to do a pre-purchase inspection (I think I paid $165 or $185). So whatever make you select, you might want to call a near by dealer and ask them if they would do a pre-purchase inspection for you and ask what they check and how much they charge. You should also be able to pull the service records from the dealer too. My experience has been that all of the sellers that I dealt with had carfax prints with them but yeah I would buy one if the seller didn't have one. Finally, test drive the car and take a close look at it yourself...you'll have a sense rather quickly if the car is in good shape or not.ninja88 said:
homer_simpson
Well-known member
What kind of car is it??
Most mechanics will charge anywhere between $100-300 (depending on if it's an import/domestic and of course if it's a MB/BMW/Jaguar/Audi expect to pay higher) to do an inspection on the engine of the vehicle checking the: oil, fluids, battery, belts, leaks, ac/heat, tires). If you can do this yourself, you can save some $$ as it's not hard to perform those services yourself.
Most mechanics will not check the body of the car for any bondo fixes/repainting as it's not their specialities.
When I buy used vehicles I mainly do the checks myself and I follow these simple rules which may or may not apply to you:
First run a carfax on the vehicle... IMO there's no point in seeing the car when it already has a branded title or has a few known history of accidents or theft as it may be dangerous to drive and I already know the resale value is :-X.
Second if the carfax checks out I go see the vehicle. Do a quick walk around car jotting down any dings/scratches/imperfections you see. Pop open the doors/hood/trunk and check to see if all the VIN #'s are there untouched and matches. Depending on vehicle makes and models, the VIN#'s should be located on the fenders or near the engine bay, door jams, trunk, and sometimes on the bumpers. Also run your hands through the edges of the fender/door jams and feel the paint... the paint should be smooth and not have any hardened drippings or rough spots. Check the inner wheel well for any paint overspray or missing rivets/screws.
Third, if all that checks out you now move on to the engine. Turn on the engine when it's cold, listen for any ticking/knocking with the hood open. Look for any leaks around the engine bay, leaks underneath the vehicle, check the oil and other fluids... errr forget it.... just take it to a mechanic. It'll probably save you a headache
Most mechanics will charge anywhere between $100-300 (depending on if it's an import/domestic and of course if it's a MB/BMW/Jaguar/Audi expect to pay higher) to do an inspection on the engine of the vehicle checking the: oil, fluids, battery, belts, leaks, ac/heat, tires). If you can do this yourself, you can save some $$ as it's not hard to perform those services yourself.
Most mechanics will not check the body of the car for any bondo fixes/repainting as it's not their specialities.
When I buy used vehicles I mainly do the checks myself and I follow these simple rules which may or may not apply to you:
First run a carfax on the vehicle... IMO there's no point in seeing the car when it already has a branded title or has a few known history of accidents or theft as it may be dangerous to drive and I already know the resale value is :-X.
Second if the carfax checks out I go see the vehicle. Do a quick walk around car jotting down any dings/scratches/imperfections you see. Pop open the doors/hood/trunk and check to see if all the VIN #'s are there untouched and matches. Depending on vehicle makes and models, the VIN#'s should be located on the fenders or near the engine bay, door jams, trunk, and sometimes on the bumpers. Also run your hands through the edges of the fender/door jams and feel the paint... the paint should be smooth and not have any hardened drippings or rough spots. Check the inner wheel well for any paint overspray or missing rivets/screws.
Third, if all that checks out you now move on to the engine. Turn on the engine when it's cold, listen for any ticking/knocking with the hood open. Look for any leaks around the engine bay, leaks underneath the vehicle, check the oil and other fluids... errr forget it.... just take it to a mechanic. It'll probably save you a headache
homer_simpson
Well-known member
Depending on location. I know Shane at Aliso Viejo's Autoservice is good with imports and european vehicles. I've always had him work on my cars in the past.
If you are willing to travel to the Westminster area, Dynamic is good and so is Khoa's autoservice. They both specialize in imports.
If you are willing to travel to the Westminster area, Dynamic is good and so is Khoa's autoservice. They both specialize in imports.
BunkMoreland
New member
This is everything you need to know:http://www.carbuyingtips.com/