I’m going out with my daughter to look at a car for her. She’s an adult, she’s buying it, I’m just along mostly for moral support. Doing the dad thing. However, it’s out of my wheelhouse, and I want to make sure we don’t miss anything.
What sort of things to you look for or check when shopping for a used car?
Do you have any suggestions?
Ideally you’d get ab obd2 reader and check for any pending or historical codes. Also check under the car for rust levels. Sniff test for any mold smells, look for any signs of water inside. Check tires, do the shock absorption tests. Listen when revving the engine for any “odd noises” or bogging down sort of noises.
Best thing is if all that looks good, ask to take it to a local mechanic and pay them to do an thorough check of the car - what’s worn, what’s broken, will it pass any state checks etc. Expect to pay for an hour of labor.
If they balk I’d be really leery of buying - Wonder what they want to hide.
How do you check historical codes?
Plug the obd2 reader into the obd2 plug under the steering wheel and read the device. It’s pretty simple, but obd2 readers aren’t always cheap
I’ve never really thought about bringing one of those to buy a used car.
look underneath. if the car is from an area that salts the roads, there will be a lot of rust. don’t buy it. you can’t fix rust like that. and don’t buy a hyundai.
All makes and models have their lemons. I still have a Hyundai we bought used and it’s about to turn over 300,000 miles, most of that ours. Your suggestion is interesting, it’s one of the key factors in choosing it at the time (only one previous owner and never driven in the north).
Having said that, I wouldn’t trust the newer ones. Know your makes, models, and years of production. Including why they changed things and the recalls of the generation. I considered once buying another one like mine I found with low mileage from the same year, as I think it wasn’t a fluke, it was a golden era of engines for Hyundai (2006-2011). Just never needed two at a time.
Other makes have their great years too, so learn what to look for, or heavily reach the one in the lot before you even see it. Know what was good, what wasn’t, what got recalled.
Stay away from the more modern cars. Way too many flashy things but no way to really repair or even do basic maintenance. Give me something more conventional any day and I can do something with most of it in the garage or yard.
Absolutely this. Just a note: Some surface rust is fine. But if it’s rusty enough to cause holes and cracks, then it’s a problem.
Older cars will be rusty to a certain degree, so being able to distinguish between surface rust and more severe rust is useful.
Surface rust can be scraped/brushed away and treated. If it’s gotten to the point of compromisinh structural integrity, the only fix is cutting and welding in new steel, ir replacing entire parts, both of which can be very costly.
Rust, weird noises, etc. If you get there and the engine is warmed up it’s a good chance that they’re hiding some issue with it running/starting. Also if the engine has been cleaned.
Also things like service history, mileage, and other general wear and tear. Ask questions about issues the car has had, if anything was replaced etc.
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Check the dipstick. Black oil isn’t necessarily bad, but clear oil at least means that it’s maintained to some degree. And check the level, of course.
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Check the battery poles. Ideally there shouldn’t be any rust on them. If the poles are greasy, the owner knows how to ensure they last for a long time.
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While under the hood, Check for any rubber hoses that seem like they’re crumbling
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Yank one of the front wheels sideways. There should be no wiggle. If there is, you might need to replace the “steering knobs” (I have no idea what the English word for it is). None is good, a little might be OK. Loads is a problem.
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Some rust on the brake disks isn’t necessarily an issue. Generally, they’re the parts that rust the most, and some spots generally just means that that the car has been stationary for a while. Some heavy braking will wear away these spots.
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Run your finger over the brake disks. If there is no lip around the edge, they’re pretty new or at least not used. Some lip is expected as the pads have worn into the disks for a while. A very big lip probably means that the brakes should be replaced (Doesn’t cost much, and it’s pretty easy to do yourself)
It isn’t rust on battery poles to worry about. If there is a bunch of crusty battery corrosion then it is gasses escaping the battery and reacting with air.
It can be cleaned off but if it is quite a lot of it then the battery might be old and need replacement soon.
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Make sure tire wear is even. Uneven wear can be cheap or massively expensive to fix depending on the issue.
Drive it from a cold start to make sure it sounds and feels good at all engine temps. You or your daughter needs to drive, not the seller.
Ask a lot of questions and if they don’t seem forthcoming with answers then don’t buy it.
If a trustworthy shop in your area does inspections on used cars for a reasonable price it is worth the money. Found out about some difficult to see structural rust problems and a leak that would be expensive to fix that saved me from purchasing at one point. If buying from a used car lot then definitely check their reputation and get any guarantees in writing.
If at any point there is a feeling that something isn’t right don’t buy. There are always more cars out there and falling in love with a used car before buying will endup costing more than it should.
Depending on how much the car costs, pay for an independent pre-purchase inspection. Few hundred bucks but worth it. I bought a car from Florida a few years back and had it shipped to Seattle without seeing it in person first, but getting an inspection done on it before I pulled the trigger gave me all I needed to know (and I wouldn’t know exactly what to look for anyways)
Along with what others said, look under at the wheels where the transmission or differential connect to the wheel. There is a rubber boot, make sure they’re not cracked or leaking grease.
Check around the vehicle at the seams of where the body panels and doors meet, the headlights. You’re looking for anything that looks like the segments aren’t spaced the same. Mainly you’re checking for previous damage that may have been repaired. If you see stuff not spaced evenly it could mean it was in a collision at one point. Might not be a problem but could mean damage like the frame is bent which can cause problems.
Smell the inside carpets, maybe if you can make them slightly moist, see if it smells musty or look for rust under the seats where the metal is. Could be flood damage. This can lead to weird electrical problems for example and other problems like odors in humidity.
Pull the carpet up in the trunk, check if it has the jack and spare tire, and check if any water accumulating in there.
EDIT: Also check the ceiling inside along the top, look for stains that could indicate a leaking roof.
When you arrive, make sure the engine is cold. Check all the fluids. If there’s milkshake in the radiator or the dipstick, that’s a no-go. if the trani fluid is dark and smells burnt, that’s a no-go. Start it. If it’s hard starting, maybe pass. check the paperwork, make sure the VIN matches and that the title is clear. I’ve never had an issue with a car that had a reconstructed title, but also I’ve only bought cars older than 2000, because fuck modern cars
Corrosion.
How rusty is the under side? Splotches can mean nothing… Flaking is bad or otw to it.
Is there corrosion or water damage in the cabin or under the hood? Run. Pull the inside fuse box cover off or look behind the glove box.
Beyond that… Definitely drive it. Listen to it cold start… Once up to temp drive it (safely) hard.
Pop the hood, trunk, open all the things… Anything look or smell weird?
Carfax/report can shed some light but isn’t perfect. Came from Florida right after a bad hurricane… Pass. No oil changes until 30-40k and llc.owned? Prob rental… Possibly abused. Sporadic oil changes? Toss up… Doing your own work obviously won’t generate a point… Some shops don’t bother… Etc.
Listen for weird clanking noises when driving over bumps (ive had a brand new car with a loose bolt, but my mechanic found it and fixed it after i told him about it
Check if all doors close/open properly. I have met a guy who bought an expensive bmw that was in a small accident at the rear passenger door. But repairs were sloppy, so it leaked during rain and wouldnt open as smoothly as the other doors (not something you notice when youre a solo car driver most of the time, and only use the drivers door)
Check the brakes. Slam them when driving see if you brake evenly, so the front of the car still drives straight (dont do this with cars behind you!!!)
Check all electronics, radio, locks, window buttons, climate control, wipers, fans, fan directions etc. you dont wanna find out you cannot defog the windshield, when youre out on the highway
Check all lights, high beam, brake lights, blinkers etc
Look for rust. Rust is pretty normal on brake pads (they will be replaced eventually and shouldnt rust enough to matter) but you dont wanna find parts that have been rusted through
Check tyre patterns, bring something to measure with. I dont know if the laws are different butnin my country 1.5 milimeters is the minimum, you should have more than that though
Check if all tyres are the same brand and model. If theyre all different, could indicate former owner is a cheapskate, and you may consider the engine has been kept running as cheaply as possible, instead of as good as possible.
Take it to your mechanic or hire a mobile mechanic to inspect it. It’s worthwhile even on the cheapest used cars available nowadays. I and several of my friends have used Lemon Squad before with good results if the car isn’t local, but there are plenty of similar services online. If it’s local and you know/trust a mechanic already take it there.
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Brand is a poor indication of anything. It is common for brands to put their label on someone else’s car. There have been many instances over the years of cars from one brand being rated higher than the exact same car of a different brand, even though the only difference is the brand logo.
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GM has sold Toyota’s under their name and for substantially worse quality ratings.
Brakes-male sure their not making noise and the rotors are not all scratched up
No noise from the suspension going over bumps
Then for a particular model of car, research the common problems. Like if the water pump is known to go bad at ~100,00 miles and the car has 95k on it, try to see if it has been replaced recently
Most things aren’t deal breakers and you can just fix them after you buy it, but that cost of repairs should be taken off the buying price imo
There isn’t much you can do/look for these days. Was it well maintained is the real question, and that cannot be figured out except by tearing the engine apart and measuring cylinder wear (using tools few mechanics have). You are looking for signs of trouble, but most of what you care about is hidden, while cosmetic things that don’t really matter are visible.
Ummm, there’s a lot he can do.
I have a list but it’s easy too long to post here. I tell the sales guy to go away since it’s going to be about half an hour before I am even ready to start the car.
I guess one simple piece of advice is to get a code reader and plug it into the OBDII port to see if there are any codes. Done will verify the mileage.
