Home and Auto Buying older used cars

**007** · 06-20-2012, 05:25 PM

Do you purchase without having a mechanic look at it?

Found a decent car for my teen that ran and looked great but when I checked the VIN history it showed that it was in a total loss collision back in 2006 when it was only 4 years old. Since that time it only has an additional 10k miles on it for a total of 113k.

The seller was fine with me taking it to a mechanic until I told him it would take at least 2 hours because I was having them check the frame too. Then the seller balked on me. Said he has another buyer willing to purchase without using a mechanic.

Do people really buy used cars without checking them out at all?

06-20-2012, 05:31 PM

Mechanics are expensive. I just bluff that I'm taking the car to a mechanic and come back talking about all the problems. Then I lowball them.

**SAUTO** · 06-20-2012, 05:34 PM

No they're no phob. Should be able to spend less than fifty bucks and get a good check up... Hell I do it for people all the time for free.
Posted via Mobile Device

R8RFAN · 06-20-2012, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guru

Do you purchase without having a mechanic look at it?

Found a decent car for my teen that ran and looked great but when I checked the VIN history it showed that it was in a total loss collision back in 2006 when it was only 4 years old. Since that time it only has an additional 10k miles on it for a total of 113k.

The seller was fine with me taking it to a mechanic until I told him it would take at least 2 hours because I was having them check the frame too. Then the seller balked on me. Said he has another buyer willing to purchase without using a mechanic.

Do people really buy used cars without checking them out at all?

Tell them to get bent....

06-20-2012, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

No they're no phob. Should be able to spend less than fifty bucks and get a good check up... Hell I do it for people all the time for free.
Posted via Mobile Device

You know how many months of OTA TV $50 will buy? /guru

**Buehler445** · 06-20-2012, 05:37 PM

Tell them Tits or GTFO

**007** · 06-20-2012, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phobia

Mechanics are expensive. I just bluff that I'm taking the car to a mechanic and come back talking about all the problems. Then I lowball them.

I'm talking about my kids safety here. No way am I going to purchase a totaled out car without checking it out first. Hell the price is only $39. Another $31 to check the alignment for potential frame issues.

**SAUTO** · 06-20-2012, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guru

I'm talking about my kids safety here. No way am I going to purchase a totaled out car without checking it out first. Hell the price is only $39. Another $31 to check the alignment for potential frame issues.

Car could show good on an alignment and still have frame issues
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Kirby · 06-20-2012, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

Car could show good on an alignment and still have frame issues
Posted via Mobile Device

Very very true. A car with frame issues is a far you want no part of.

FlaChief58 · 06-20-2012, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guru

I'm talking about my kids safety here. No way am I going to purchase a totaled out car without checking it out first. Hell the price is only $39. Another $31 to check the alignment for potential frame issues.

This, I don't think you can put a price on your kids life.

**007** · 06-20-2012, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

Car could show good on an alignment and still have frame issues
Posted via Mobile Device

Yeah, I am aware of that. I just hate that this car has been the best looking and best running car we have tried out. Rides smooth. Engine runs great. Yet 10k miles in the last 6 years makes me wonder just how long this thing was sitting in a salvage yard.

**Bugeater** · 06-20-2012, 05:52 PM

Run, don't walk, away from this deal. Let the "other" buyer take their chances on it.

**SAUTO** · 06-20-2012, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guru

Yeah, I am aware of that. I just hate that this car has been the best looking and best running car we have tried out. Rides smooth. Engine runs great. Yet 10k miles in the last 6 years makes me wonder just how long this thing was sitting in a salvage yard.

What make?

And it probably never hit a salvage yard if it's that clean.

Someone most likely had it fixed themselves over some time.
at least that's what I would guess
Posted via Mobile Device

**Bugeater** · 06-20-2012, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

Someone most likely had it fixed themselves over some time.

That's a pretty freaking scary thought on its own.

ThaVirus · 06-20-2012, 05:53 PM

I've owned two cars in my lifetime. Both were used and right at 10 years old when I bought them. I didn't have either checked out by mechanics.

The first was a 98 Honda Civic. It was my first car and I didn't know what the balls I was doing anyhow so I just went to the lot, drove it up the street, then took it home. I bought it at 137,000 miles and never had any issues for two years. Then all kinds of problems started kicking in. Anything from power windows not responding to coolant hoses coming loose. Finally the big problem: the transmission started slipping. I was just tired of the car at that point so I took it to trade it in for pennies. The people at the dealership went to the Carfax and found out the car had been checked in at 207,000 miles about a year before I bought it. So apparently someone rolled back the miles quite a bit to get more value. That's pretty illegal but since I had bought it "as is" there wasn't much I could do.

Then I bought the car I drive now, an 03 Toyota Camry. I had been carless for like 3 weeks and felt terrible bumming rides all the time. So I went to the dealership and found my car. Loved it and took it home the next day without getting it checked out. Idiotic move based on what I had just gone through but I'm an impulse buyer. Turns out the car is in fantastic condition for a car of it's age, thankfully. Only issue it had was a pretty major leak in the valve gasket, which old cars tend to get.

Moral is, definitely get it checked out before hand. Car salesman are snakes. My friend actually works at a dealership and he said they'll take any car. They just detail it, put new tires on it, then sell it to the first person willing to pay.

06-20-2012, 05:25 PM
007 Shaken. Not stirred. Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: London Casino cash: $14060126 VARSITY	Buying older used cars Do you purchase without having a mechanic look at it? Found a decent car for my teen that ran and looked great but when I checked the VIN history it showed that it was in a total loss collision back in 2006 when it was only 4 years old. Since that time it only has an additional 10k miles on it for a total of 113k. The seller was fine with me taking it to a mechanic until I told him it would take at least 2 hours because I was having them check the frame too. Then the seller balked on me. Said he has another buyer willing to purchase without using a mechanic. Do people really buy used cars without checking them out at all?
Posts: 65,554

06-20-2012, 05:31 PM	#2
Phobia Guest Casino cash: $	Mechanics are expensive. I just bluff that I'm taking the car to a mechanic and come back talking about all the problems. Then I lowball them.
Posts: n/a

06-20-2012, 05:34 PM	#3
SAUTO Shit Join Date: Jun 2008 Casino cash: $10039067	No they're no phob. Should be able to spend less than fifty bucks and get a good check up... Hell I do it for people all the time for free. Posted via Mobile Device
Posts: 55,715

06-20-2012, 05:37 PM	#6
Buehler445 Supporter Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Scott City KS Casino cash: $2354734	Tell them Tits or GTFO
Posts: 56,766

06-20-2012, 05:52 PM	#12
Bugeater The Maintenance Guy Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Renovated Bugeater Estate Casino cash: $6252680	Run, don't walk, away from this deal. Let the "other" buyer take their chances on it.
Posts: 70,443

06-20-2012, 05:53 PM	#15
ThaVirus Settle this once and forever Join Date: Sep 2007 Casino cash: $2122369	I've owned two cars in my lifetime. Both were used and right at 10 years old when I bought them. I didn't have either checked out by mechanics. The first was a 98 Honda Civic. It was my first car and I didn't know what the balls I was doing anyhow so I just went to the lot, drove it up the street, then took it home. I bought it at 137,000 miles and never had any issues for two years. Then all kinds of problems started kicking in. Anything from power windows not responding to coolant hoses coming loose. Finally the big problem: the transmission started slipping. I was just tired of the car at that point so I took it to trade it in for pennies. The people at the dealership went to the Carfax and found out the car had been checked in at 207,000 miles about a year before I bought it. So apparently someone rolled back the miles quite a bit to get more value. That's pretty illegal but since I had bought it "as is" there wasn't much I could do. Then I bought the car I drive now, an 03 Toyota Camry. I had been carless for like 3 weeks and felt terrible bumming rides all the time. So I went to the dealership and found my car. Loved it and took it home the next day without getting it checked out. Idiotic move based on what I had just gone through but I'm an impulse buyer. Turns out the car is in fantastic condition for a car of it's age, thankfully. Only issue it had was a pretty major leak in the valve gasket, which old cars tend to get. Moral is, definitely get it checked out before hand. Car salesman are snakes. My friend actually works at a dealership and he said they'll take any car. They just detail it, put new tires on it, then sell it to the first person willing to pay.
Posts: 44,230