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Do you check the car before buying?

Of course, I always make sure to check if
the keys are in the ignition before I take
a car..... Oh wait, you said buy. Oops,
sorry. Never mind, I didn't say anything.
 
I used to go over them but I dont anymore.
Nowadays I buy new vehicles , and if something
isnt right, I take it back to the dealer. A car or truck
bought new by my wife and I will last 10 years no
real fight. So I figure how many more will we need ?
2 maybe if we are lucky 3 ??
 
Why wouldn't you???? The Carvana ads on TV, buy a car and never even see or drive it??? Not for
me!!!
 
Having bought and sold more cars trucks and tractors then the average Joe I ADVISE A PERSON TO CHECK OUT A CAR BEFORE BUYING
IT even if others may do different, but hey its THEIR money and THEIR choice. If Im the Seller I have no problem if a person
wants to give me the big bucks with no check out !!!! Come on down I have something to sell you lol

John T
 
John
Why would anyone want to sell a good car with no issues?
My last 3 vehicles come with a factory warranty. First 2 were 5 years. Last one 3 years free service, then another year or two.
I feel like buying used is buying someone's problems.
I look for end of year models. Last car the dealer put 5k on it and I got a huge discount and full warranty.

George
 
Kansas ..... funny replies don't always get a laugh here but you get one from me today .... clever !!!
 
My parents bought a new car back in 1994,only new one they ever bought.It became a total money pit for them gave them more trouble than any vehicle they ever owned.
 
For sure. I want to know what Im buying. Sometimes you get a lemon but if you do your
homework before you go look you know what youre looking for. I have only bought one lemon
and that was because it was advertised as 2011 and it was a 2007. After we drove it for 3 weeks
and it did crapy on fuel started looking into it and turns out we were looking at the wrong year for
reviews. Would never have bought it with the true reviews.
 
I leased the last three cars mainly for SWMBO but buy good used for my truck. I always drove mine till the wheels fell off but with the difficulty servicing the new ones
it's lease and I don't even change my own oil on them.
 
I have not bought a new vehicle since 2003 and probably never will again. Most of the vehicles I buy are non running. I look for rust and what condition the interior is in. Last year I bought an Equinox for
$650 with a bad engine. $2500 later and I had a vehicle worth twice as much as I had into it. You really have to know what to look for. I have a brother that works in a auto salvage and knows what parts
sell from which cars and what cars to avoid. On the other hand I went with my brother-in-law last week to Texas to pickup a 2004 Chevy pickup that some people from his church found for him. He paid nearly
$6000 for it and there are issues that a blind man could have spotted. Like I said, you really need someone that knows vehicles or for yourself to know what to look for. As for buying new, I would really
check out the comfort of the vehicle. One thing to be aware of is some of the new pickups with their tailgates, mirrors and storage built in the boxes can get very expensive to replace or repair.
 

cvphoto80105.jpg

Heres one I bought sight unseen from Craigslist in Nov 2017...It was at Salina,KS and he was asking $1,600 for this 113,000 mile 1991 Ford Ranger XLT with a V-6 and
automatic..It had been for sale for about 4 weeks when I contacted him...It was bought new in McPherson,KS and was a one owner until 2017 when the elderly owner had to
quit driving..A guy in Salina bought it and after a few months decided to sell it as none of his kids wanted to drive it...I asked the seller what the bottom dollar was and he
said $1,300...I said if you will meet me at Braums in Emporia,KS I'll take it..The only thing that didnt work was the AC and he told me that.

So,I and a friend drove to Emporia,KS in late Nov 2017...It was 80 degrees that day..After getting there my friend said aren't you going to drive it..I said no because I told the
owner I'd take it no matter what as he met me halfway to save us over 100 miles...He gave me a list of things he'd done to it such as new carrier bearing, new plugs, new
wires, new fuel filter, etc plus it had a full tank of gas...

Its been a great little truck to run around in and go to farm sales, etc..When I got it home I crawled underneath and it sure enough had a new carrier bearing..It now has
129,000 miles on it and the only thing I had to do was put a new alternator on it..The original finally went bad...The Firestone spare tire had never been on the ground..

I normally dont buy a vehicle without driving it but this one worked out great..
 
I tell my kids if they insist on a NEW car, buy one maybe a few months old or a demonstrator etc etc at a huge reduced price so its ALMOST NEW but wayyyyyyyyyyy less. An automobile is typically/generally a depreciating asset if you buy new as soon as you drive it off the lot its a USED CAR worth less then you paid ........ Oh well we like to drive regardless of its investment value and buying a lot of NEW cars is good for the economy they (car dealers maybe lol) say right. Hey to each their own opinions and choices regarding their auto purchases regardless what others think regardless of economics ...

I still advise someone to check out a car BEFORE purchasing, that's a LOT of money you know but I support personal choices if a person chooses to buy new or used without checking out.......ITS THEIR MONEY

John T
 

cvphoto80116.jpg


Theres lots of reasons people sell perfectly good vehicles..One of the biggest ones is death or that the owner is no longer able to drive..In late 2016 I bought this 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix with 68,314 one owner miles...It was his wifes car and she had recently passed away from lung cancer..He had his eye on a nice Ford Ranger and as soon as I paid him off he went to buy it...I was the first of over 40 phone calls on this car..It was on Craigslist...I did test drive it before buying it...All I've had to do is buy a new battery and tires for it..I about cried when I finally took it past 100,000 miles last summer..Its still worth 65% of what I paid for it..

About 4 years ago we sold my elderly MIL's 2004 Toyota Corolla with 140,000 two owner miles on it....It was in excellent shape but she just wasnt able to drive anymore...A nice young lady from 100 miles away bought it..You can see my MIL's Toyota in the Grand Prix picture...
 
Companies like Carvana and AutoNation want to make used cars a commodity. The fact is that most used car buyers have no idea how to assess a car, and aren't willing to take a vehicle to a mechanic for inspection before they buy it. Not to mention that most folks trust mechanics even less than they trust used car salesmen. If a used car dealership is willing to put a solid warranty behind the vehicles they sell, that's probably a safer bet for most folks than to have Cousin Bubba check it out.
 
Same here....you can get exactly what you want.....mostly....and if you keep it til it's done, you only need 3 or 4 , considering average mileage. Every time you deal, the dealer makes money, so the less times you line their pocket, the better for you.

Ben
 
Lots of people want to sell cars because they are tired of theirs, or they "need" to keep up with the Joneses, or it has a certain umber of miles and someone told them it's worn out with that many miles. I like driving paid for vehicles. One year, a couple who are an MD oncologist and his attorney wife built a new house in my lake subdivision neighborhood. I'm poor folk for out here. The new neighbors drove out here in a new Italian sports car - within a week, six neighbors had bought new Italian and German sports cars.
 
Why would anyone want to sell a good car with no issues?

If a used car is less than five years old, there's a good chance it was a lease vehicle. Of course, I always wonder if anyone would bother doing scheduled service on a car they don't own.
 
There are more reasons than I can name for somebody to sell a perfectly good car. I'll list a few...

1) Death (already mentioned).
2) Can no longer drive (also already mentioned).
3) Just did not like it.
4) New model came out with more or better toys in it.
5) Better looking car came along.
6) Lease return.
7) Uncomfortable to owner. Perhaps seating position, seat firmness/softness, or any other discomfort.
8) Visibility issue.
9) Financial pressure. Just can't afford to keep it.
10) a good deal on a more desirable car came up.

So, are you really necessarily buying somebody else's problems? I would say that is a possibility, but not a certainty.
 
Went to buy the a newer vehicle a few years ago. There was a 1 year old with 11,000 miles we were looking out. Salesman said I can get you new cheaper...and did. I got GM supplier discount thru work, 2500 off for owning a competing brand and 1000 friend and family discount. If I financed over half got 1000 off. Had to make 7 payments and then can pay off. So ended up with new for 1600 less then the used and 5 free oil changes to boot.
 
The mechanics and repair shops have earned the reputation that they have. There is entirely too much overcharging, unneeded repairs performed, oversold work, and just plain fraud going on.

Now, before you shop owners get all defensive, I will say that there are honest ones out there as well. Problem is that the shysters get the headlines. And, there are too many of the shysters out there. I personally have had enough of them try to cheat me.

Since I am no longer employed by a repair shop/inspection shop, my state inspection license has since expired. I have no intention of going back to doing state inspections anyways.

I went to get my car inspected some time ago, and they handed me an estimate for over $1200 worth of work that they said I needed. When I questioned it, I found that over 75% of the work that they said I needed was really not necessary to pass a state inspection. It turns out that the mechanics (if you can call them that) are paid on commission for the work they sell in addition to the work they perform. They had every incentive to oversell. This was at a national chain repair shop.

That is just one example of what goes on in the industry. I can tell of many others. The entire system of mechanic's wages is corrupt. Flat rate pay is the biggest culprit. Flat rate benefits nobody but the shop owner. The mechanic takes the risks, customer is charged based on a predetermined book estimate, and in the end, only the shop owner walks away happy.

One thing that might help the industry is to call out the thieves and drum them out of the business.
 
EXACTLY, as soon as you drive it off the lot it becomes USED lol

I support a persons right to buy a car without checking it out, even if I wouldn't and don't think its wise...

Take care now and best wishes

John T
 
I check things but never have bought a vehicle with more than 25,000 miles on it when I did make a purchase. Probably going to be buying a truck this year. That
market is crazy.
 
[b:654c4848f0]Why would anyone want to sell a good car with no issues[/b:654c4848f0]

I usually buy new but the pickup I have now was bought used.
One year old with 4000 miles.
Still had full factory warranty intact.
It was bought new by a company doing turn around work at a oil refinery.
Had above average idle hours but few miles and not a scratch on it.
I suspect it was used by job foreman to sit in A/C on job site and drive around the plant.
It is cheaper for these big out of state companies to buy a new truck for each job than to haul them from job to job.
 
As a mechanic I never liked looking over a tractor I was not
acquainted with for a potential buyer. Just cannot see potential
serious problems. Obvious ones yes. Puts you on the spot.
 
Two years ago we bought a 1994 Dodge van that was in the local classifieds. We had to drive an hour just to look at it. Found that
it needed tires and service, but we negotiated with seller. They had bought a new one. New battery, service and tires. We then
took it for a leisurely drive from coast to coast. Plan to take it on a long ride again this summer.
 
Those are 10 good reasons...We trade our main vehicle every 3 years and they are always in absolute perfect condition..If none of us bought new,then there would no good used vehicles..Or if everyone bought new and drove them until the wheels fell off then everyone would have to buy new.

In 55 years of driving I've bought lots of used vehicles and I only got took once...It had a cracked head which I myself replaced with a used head..
 
AND never ever buy one that your looking over at dusk with a flashlight . Ya think i would have learned this years back at sales lasting into the night . Our trusty old Durango developed transmission problems out of the blue and i knew there was no way i could do one over the weekend , so i went looking for a decent used newer ride . Went and looked and drove it and looked it over again with a flashlight and bought it Three days later the WAR DEPT was back to writing a declaration of WAR with me due to the fact the windshield washer was not working . Well now it is DAYLIGHT and i go out and start looking for the problem and discover the Larry Darrel and Darrel Had repaired this car from a WRECK and OH wait Car Fax never said anything about this car being wrecked . It drove fine other then the traction control light was on and now thw windshield washer was not working . Fixed that , three days later the WAR DEPT calls me and tells me that the ft bumper had just fallen off and she is down working in her farrest distance from the house . SOOOOOOoo i have to make a road call . Fixed that till she pulled up ontop of one of stop block in a parking lot and promptly ripped it off again a week later . Then we went to address the traction control light . My scan tool was not upgraded enough so i let the Goat store plug it in . Then i would just BUY what i needed at my cost and FIX , Naah cant do that because once the pieces and parts are installed they have to be PROGRAMED . It pays to have GOOD friends in low places as the service manager at the Goat store say he i can warranty that for ya . Well after five years with this car I THINK i have everything fixed now and after five years with a CAR i have had my fill with a CAR . I now find it hard for me to get in and out of i already know it is to hard for me to work on since i do not bend and fold up into compact packages or contort to get to things . Now the redeeming quality's of said car is it does drive nice and it will do in summer on summer gas 31-33 Mpg . We have been looking for a newer ride in the SUV line and have been trying to sell the car . What ya get calling or looking are NUT cases , people that either can't understand what they read or the ones that want it for nothing .
 
Ya that can happen. My feeling is, but a model thats popular and been on the market for a while. Dont by a newly introduced vehicle. The first year or two of a vehicle production run can be nothing but trouble. I like to let the auto companies iron the bugs out on someone else. At least you have a better chance of buying a vehicle that will work as it should
 
I will add a number 11 to your list,

11) change in life such as joining military and no reason for car to sit at home and rot. Or transportation needs increase from driving only yourself to significant other and or kids.
Or the other way. Or the other way, all the kids are in thier own cars, why do we still drive this suburban or minivan?

Working at both dealership and private shop over the years, I have inspected many used cars and I am always puzzled how many more inspections I perform of vehicles just purchased and how few are pre purchase vehicles.
The look on faces of customers when thier car is on the hoist and they see big rust holes in the floor, or when the car is 3 colors from belong spliced together.
 
Never thought of that Skipper, good point. I can see you feeling that way, you're sort of putting your reputation on the line and if everything doesn't work out perfect, then it's your fault right? Tough situation, probably best to try avoiding that.
 
Last one I bought was from pictures and talking to buyer. Low
mileage car for age but all used cars need to be sorted out. I spent
on repairs/ tires what I figured so it was a ok deal for me. The vehicle
was in Delaware and the virus everywhere. Had it hauled in.

Vito
 
Ahhh, sorry to disagree, but it becomes a used car as soon as you sign the papers - even if you never even drive it or even start the engine. Once the papers are signed, it is a used car and loses a third of its value.

At today's prices, losing a third of the value is a LOT OF MONEY!!!!!!!
 
(quoted from post at 04:29:33 03/01/21) Why wouldn't you???? The Carvana ads on TV, buy a car and never even see or drive it??? Not for
me!!!
Click to expand...
Carvana is for millennials you know the ones that can't make a phone call can't look at you and converse but can text till the cows come home and that's what that outfit is aiming for
 
Throughout the 90's into the early 2000's I was racking up 70K-80K miles a year and, after having a couple, found that Buick LeSabres with the 3.8 were comfortable and mechanically bulletproof up to 150K. So every February I would call the local GM dealer and tell the sales gal I was ready for another one, preferably gray; a 1-2 year old LeSabre with under 30K on the odo. It would drive her bonkers that I wouldn't test drive them, but I knew what I was getting and that her dad would stand behind what he sold. I was also buying when their sales were slowest and I would get the best possible price. Never paid more than half of what a new one would have been for cars that were only nicely broken in.
 

By all means I have seen pert-neer new cars that were totaled and repaired it was not turned in on the insurance. Then those damm yankee cars/trucks eat up with rust the average buyer will not see.

I looked at one last week for back up camera parking aid issues it had been wrecked. She brought it back after a repair (another shop) claiming the back up camera did not work it worked when she brought it in for engine work. Lucky me I did a complete scan on it before I turned the work down on it a code for the back up camera was in the scan WITH THE DATE I scanned it : )... That and other codes for the parking aid...

She took it well as she still has the good deal in her mind. I offered no test fees no charge to install a new back up camera.

I did get this from her the car fax did not show it was a wreck and I got a good deal on it, it was a 65K truck new... It was obvious if you look a bunch of body parts had a new Ford sticker on it.

She has spent big money with me I would have looked at it for FREE a pre-buy inspection.

BTW the first time I looked at it I turned the work down I did not want to marry it. I recommended someone else I wrote his name (MIKE) to inspect the turbo inter cooler for leaks as it was damaged by the wreck... I pointed it out to her.

The bad the parking aid sensors are not there they did not put them back on... They can look great but a wreck are a money pit...

The next question if I buy this vehicle what's it going to take to get it in top condition and dependable... I recommend you pay someone that's qualified a hour of his time to smoke it over...
 
The last car I bought in Jan. 2013 was an 04 Intrepid police special that was 150 miles from me. Auctioned over the internet. The Bureau of Prisons had used it at the main womens prison hospital as their patrol vehicle. At nine years old and 39999 showing on the speedometer. The battery was down when we went to load it on the trailer. Boosted it off and I am still running on that battery. 104K on the speedo now. Only driven a few days a week as I retired in 04.
 
(quoted from post at 22:47:26 03/01/21) How did the Merk hold up?

Vito
Click to expand...
Has 325K on it as I type. Took it out yesterday for a run into town to stir the oil and charge the battery, but hadn't driven it in over a month; since before the holidays. I kept it after I bought the Colorado because it's a lot more comfortable for the occasional road trip. Thinking now that I should get rid of it before the registration expires next month. For the three or four times a year I might drive it hardly seems worth it to keep it on the road. Also noticed yesterday that the old bones creaked getting up out of it, easier to simply step into or out of the pickup.
 
HoBo
The first thing this Yankees did when he
bought this work truck new in 07 was to
have it undercoated and spray in bed
liner.
cvphoto80195.jpg

This is the pic of the ride it took
Sunday after it wouldn't start, defective
coil.

I may have the only 07 GMC that Iron
Worms haven't eaten for lunch, thanks to
Ztech. Best thousand dollars I ever
spent. Also the last year for the
classic style. Older you get the more
you wish you had a truck you don't need a
step ladder to get in and out.

Here's a neighbor's Ford. Iron worms.
cvphoto80196.jpg

This pic the Iron worms have damaged the
frame behind repair.
cvphoto80198.jpg

Not Yankees fault we have Iron worms.
George
 
> Then those damm yankee cars/trucks eat up with rust the average buyer will not see.

Ever see a truck a North Carolina fisherman has driven on the beach? Makes our Rust Belt cars look like creampuffs.
 

Yes, I have a bud that has a house on Ocracoke islands the jeep he leaves at the house is a mess the 94 dodge truck he drives has survived. He washes the underside good before he leaves and again when he gets home. He does not drive it on the beach he walks over the dunes to fish...

Its not uncommon to see a nice looking yankee car/truck on a car lot here it looks good but you know the rest of the story... Our down eastern vehicles can be put in the same category : (
 

You have a pic of where I hide my spare flat door key in your bottom photo. Put the key on a 6" or so wire with about an inch at the end bent down at a 90. Slide it inside the square part of the bed frame above the rail by the back tire. Stick the bent end into the hole by the end and bend it over so it stays there. I also keep a spare chip key in the glove box under stuff. If I accidentally lock the key in the pickup I can open the door with that key in the frame. If I ran off and left the key at home, I can still get in and use the chip key in the glove box. Get in a hurry and that key thing happens. I used to carry an extra flat key in my billfold in case I locked it in. On some vehicles that a spare door key comes with the black handle and no chip, I just grind the black plastic off.
 
(quoted from post at 14:01:55 03/01/21) Ahhh, sorry to disagree, but it becomes a used car as soon as you sign the papers - even if you never even drive it or even start the engine. Once the papers are signed, it is a used car and loses a third of its value.

At today's prices, losing a third of the value is a LOT OF MONEY!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

But not always. Bot the 2020 Subaru Forester Touring on Nov. 1, 2019 when it first came out. Hit a deer and totaled it out on Nov. 19, 2020 when the 2021 models were just coming out but still plenty of 2020's on the lots. State Farm valued it at the MSRP sticker price plus the sales tax. We had bot it for around $2500 under sticker so we came out ahead. Bot a 2021 Touring just like the other one for around that much under sticker price. MSRP only changed 2 or 3 hundred in 2021. So we came out money ahead and used the car for 1 year and 3 weeks with 12,000 miles.

I know its just a lucky timing thing and not the norm but we aren't complaining. Really like the Forester Touring and this time we picked the color I wanted. Made the deal over the phone on Dec 31 when they were giving year end deals. Had to drive 500 miles to Denver to get it. We knew what we wanted for the extra packages and had been looking for a couple weeks online at all the dealers within 500 miles looking for the crimson red colored one. The Schomp salesman offered to deliver it to us but we couldn't stand to have someone else put the first 500 miles on a new car. Made for a nice getaway on the weekend. Had found a comparable one at KC 200 miles away but I played phone tag with the salesman and the Schomp guy came down another 800 bux off the 2500 below sticker both of them were advertising.
 
Rural Mail Carrier for 35 years, I have destroyed more cars than most people ever own. I go in the show room door ugly, and get uglier as
soon as a salesman tells me he has to check with the sales manager. I do my research ahead of time and know exactly what I want, how much
the dealer has invested and what I am willing to pay. I have no trouble walking out the door and usually there is a phone call waiting when
I get home. One of the dealers is a friend and he laments that if everybody was like me, he would be broke. I tell him he would be driving
a $50K pickup instead of the $75K pickup.
 
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