Buying used vehicles .

Ladies , gentlemen , regular posters & lurkers , I would really appreciate a lot of feedback on these two questions . If you buy used vehicles instead of new , I would like to know , when you look for a vehicle how many miles on the vehicle is too many & how old is too old ? For the purpose of this thread lets say that the vehicle has a good body , nice interior , runs well & everything works . Let's also say that the price is not above the book value of the vehicle for the condition it is in . Thanks in advance .

[salmonslayer]

We are going to buy a 4 door sedan after the first of the year, we will be looking for under 100K miles (preferrably about 75K), something like a Mercury Marquis, Buick, Caddy or something like that under 10 years old. We look for that because usually they are owned by older folks who dont hot rod them and can afford to maintain them well.

We want something with a V6 that gets pretty good gas mileage (at least compared to our trucks) but we dont wanbt to go too small because of the many deer we encounter on our rural roads.

Our price range is 8K or under...preferrably under of course.

[arabian knight]

I bought a '94 Buick back in '02 had 64K miles on it paid 4K for it. I now have more then 165K on it, still runs great, good gas mileage, 30 to 31, and the body is holding up great, even in this area with our salty roads in the winter.
I have never bought a new one, the Newest I ever bought was a Suburban, the one that is in my avatar. it was only 6 years old had 105K on it and a 9500 window sticker. Traded in a old truck got 1500 for that, and paid 500 cash so I "financed" 8,000.
I put on another 160K Miles before I sold it. Which isn't not bad for dollars spent verses, miles put on.

[Darren]

I look for a drive line that is known for reliability. On some models I won't touch an overdrive trans. Do the usual checks.

I also look for vehicles with at least 100K that others sell because they think it's going to fall apart any day.

Keep on the look out for a vehicle that someone has spent a lot of money on with many new parts. Chances are they figure it's so unreliable they just want rid of it. They may have repaired it to the point it's ready for another 100K.

Don't get hung up on a brand name. They've all made lemons.

Look at the general condition of the vehicle. Has it been beat to hell? Not necessarily a deal killer

Try to buy a year without the more extensive electronic control systems. Early 90's is a cutoff for me.

Expect to have to spend some money for repairs especially if the vehicle has been setting for some time.

Don't worry about what people think about your ride. If it's rusty, a can of Rustoleum and a throwaway brush works. All I want is something that gets from A to B and back reliably.

The one I bought two years ago had 165K. Still running.

The one I bought recently was an 1988 with just under 100K.

About 35 years ago I learned about a man in NYC that never paid more than a $100 for a car. When it broke down, he abandoned it. Then bought another one for $100. He never repaired a car.

[Ross]

In Ontario the body and frame have to be 90% or better. Then it has to be cheap, because all used vehicles need something. Ontario has .... millions of people and a reasonably good economy, lots of crazy people to buy new and depress the used market. Great. So I want less than 200k kms (120,000 miles ish) and less than 2/3 the average asking price. Within 2 months I'll have at least 4 to choose from.

[lonelyfarmgirl]

My husband is a mechanic, so here is what he says.
He prefers things earlier than 90's, because they dont have computers. The more electronics, the more mess to deal with, the more stuff breaks.

I agree with who ever said it, buy something that has already had parts replaces. DH also says, if the oil has been changed religiously, it will last twice as long, so look for something with records of oil changes. He also says, "A car that someone has driven the s*** out of will last longer than one that has been sitting because it is being used, lubed, cared for, and oil changed, regardless of miles."

Your best bet would be to find something in the 100-150K mile range, between 1980 and 1995.
Pick something common that they made lots of, Examples, Chevy/GMC trucks with 350's in them, Dodge Caravans, Ford F150's. Parts are easy to find.

as far as body goes, look at the frame rails, rocker panels, fire walls inside front tire wells, and where the door meets the floor on trucks. These are your critical rust spots that lead to body falling apart.

I am adding, I see you are in WV. Dont buy whats listed as a 'local truck' To me this says, "I 4-wheeled or mudded this to death, gave it a bath and now I am selling because there is a secret critical problem that you will discover later."

Buying from an old person is usually a safe bet. Older people drive more careful, keep their vehicles for a long time and tend to be maintenance meticulous. (sorry for the stereotype)

[MO_cows]

We have bought a couple of vehicles brand new off the lot, and also plenty of used ones, and will probably not buy brand new again. What you are really buying is "peace of mind". It is brand new, it has a warranty, just drive it with no worries. But that peace of mind is expensive.

The car I drive now, I bought used from Enterprise. I worried about that at first, but it has been a great car. Had it since 2004 and have put well over 100k on it. It has needed zero repairs. It has had good maintenance.

Looking at used cars, you will usually save money buying from an individual versus a car lot. Just check them over well, listen with the hood up for warning noises and thoroughly test drive them. Don't hesitate to walk away and keep looking. There are plenty of good cars out there. Even some money up front to get it in the right condition or the occasional repair is better than making a big payment every month.

[plowjockey]

Start asking around to everyone you know. Tell them what you are looking for.

I found an 01' Silverado pickup through a guy at work, which was his son's. The whole family is nutty about maintenance, so I knew it could be a "creampuff". High miles, but great price and almost in new shape.

I would have never heard about it if I did not start asking around. There should be less of a chance to get a "lemon", or one that is just worn out, through someone you know.

Somebody, somewhere, has a Grandma, with a creampuff, that she can no longer drive.

Good luck.

[agmantoo]

I buy used or salvage. I have never owned new. I had rather invest the saving in land. Salvage are the best deals for me as I can get low mileage vehicles for cheap and fix them myself. Used vehicles I want a little warranty remaining. I feel that I can find and faults and get them fixed before the warranty expires. Currently I have 3 used trucks, oldest one has 151,000 and was bought salvage at 13,000 miles, next truck was bought salvage at 31,000 and now has 91,000, third salvage truck had 23,000 and now has 28,000. Car was bought at auction with 32,000 and now has over 100,000. No dealer work done to any of them. All are relatively reliable with a few tune ups, brakes, tires, muffler, batteries being the major expenses, one truck has a clutch replaced which I did myself and the car has had one wheel bearing replaced by me.

[Beeman]

Originally Posted by WV Hillbilly

Ladies , gentlemen , regular posters & lurkers , I would really appreciate a lot of feedback on these two questions . If you buy used vehicles instead of new , I would like to know , when you look for a vehicle how many miles on the vehicle is too many & how old is too old ? For the purpose of this thread lets say that the vehicle has a good body , nice interior , runs well & everything works . Let's also say that the price is not above the book value of the vehicle for the condition it is in . Thanks in advance .

Is this for a daily driver primary vehicle?

Take this any way you like but seeing how you live in WV I would travel for a good vehicle. I'm in TN and all it takes is a glance underneath and I can tell if a vehicle is from here or not. Anything north of us, KY,VA,WV,PA and up I stay away from. I like being able to remove bolts from 30+yo vehicles without a torch.

I stick with tried and true models, simplest is best. For my "good" vehicle that my wife drives I went a couple of years old and very low mileage. Less chance of buying an abused vehicle and it's nice to have a good vehicle that gets good fuel mileage and doesn't nickel and dime you to death. For my pickup truck I wanted a GM pre 99 and that's what I found. In this case I needed a good base to work with and price would reflect it. I was willing to accept over 100k but found one with 80k that needed a little work and tires. I go through everything thoroughly before driving it so doing a little work wasn't a big deal as I have a shop and all of the necessary equipment.

Best thing is to have someone evaluate the vehicle, an independent party that will give you a complete checklist and a good opinion of the vehicle. I offered this service when I had my shop, few spent the money on it instead they paid me later.

[houndlover]

Under 10K per year, and less than 20 yrs old. The last two vehicles I bought, I bought from people who were older and took very good care of their cars. Both were like new and both were about $3k.

[blufford]

Do you have any retirement or over 55 communities. Check their driveways and parking lots. Many of them have clubhouses. Maybe check the corkboard or leave a 3X5 index card with what you after.

[marinemomtatt]

I've never been included in the car shopping, hubby always shows up with the vehicle and he's usually wearing a silly grin that I can't say no to (the latest car is a 1996 Firebird with 43,000 miles, he's got me figured out)
He usually does pretty good too, only three stinkers in 29 years!
I think the hardest part of car shopping is keeping one's heart out of the deal. Research all recalls for the year of car/truck (even if the recall was for faulty tailights it can foretell other issues)

[PhilJohnson]

I tend to buy vehicles that I've had good luck with in the past. I also try and buy vehicles with only manual transmissions. I buy mostly old Ford trucks. I got a lot of parts for them, I know them inside and out, parts are super cheap, easy to work on, and they have all been reliable good trucks. I haven't had a stinker yet. Current vehicle is a 65 F100. I got a collection of older 50s era cars but none that I would consider to be daily transportation. My age cut-off for a daily driver tends to be early 60s. Before that one starts running into cloth covered wiring, hard to find parts, 6 volt systems, and generally the inability to keep up with modern traffic. The best daily drivers in my experience are ones where the motors have been made for a very long time (like three decades or more). I've found mileage matters less than how well a person kept up a car. I would pass on a dirty beat up car with low miles and go with a high mileage cream puff. Most modern cars of any make will go at least 250,000 miles. Usually one can expect to replace a transmission, head gasket, and a fuel pump over the course of those miles. I've seen cars with 300-400k on them still going strong. The trick seems to be not to let them sit for too long. A car that sits all the time is an invitation for mechanical trouble.

[foxtrapper]

Miles and age. I am a car nut, so my answers may not be what you're looking for.

Daily drivers for myself, and especially the wife, I prefer to keep the mileage under 200k as a starting point. I've taken them up over 400k, but I knew their history for the last several hundred thousand.

Age wise, Daily drivers I like newer than mid 70's for me. For my wife, I've gone all the way up to the 90's. For collector cars, I won't go older than the late 1800's.

[DryHeat]

You should definitely shop for used with enough years on them to have lost value from depreciation, really only maybe 3-5 or so. I've never ever considered buying a new car, although DW did that on her dime for a Honda CRV ten years ago and a Toyota ten years before that. Both did fine but I sure wouldn't want to pay that $10K for the first few years' usually smooth operation. I would say a key is to get started far enough in advance of your real purchase deadline that you're not under time pressure. Do online research, a lot of it. For my most recent used cars, I've looked for basic offerings locally on Craigslist, noted the models and prices and stated info like mileage and repairs needed then gone to Cars.com and clicked through their menus trying to match conditions available to me with a wide geographic area of their data to see how their prices listed run. Then, you can click on their menus to find Blue Book values, how much is added or deducted for extras or deficiencies, and also some reviews and ratings. THEN if you're getting narrowed down, do a Google in general for that year and model combined with "reviews" or "frequency of repair" and such.

All of that takes some time, like several weeks in my experience. However, it'll give you good negotiating leverage, at least. You can say, "An '02, over 100K, these have some transmission problems beginning that mileage, I'll need a mechanic to check it. Do you have any tranny service records?" You may know to check to be sure a particular year/model isn't popping out of a gear, or having valves burning, or desperately needing an expensive timing belt replacement ASAP or whatever. Maybe ask at a repair place you know about any narrowed-down possibility to see if they see any particular problems with them being brought in.

If a more recent model than '95 or so, as others have noted, there's more computer control of fuel injection, monitoring of emissions, and so on. Beware of the yellow "check engine" idiot light coming on with these, that'd likely mean, at the best, it won't pass emissions inspections until repairs like the catalytic converter and/or oxygen sensors are replaced, something that can run another $1000 or more in a hurry. Not long ago, I had a fellow pull a fast one on me by having a loosened battery terminal so he could reset that warning light for 20 miles driving at a time by easily disconnecting the battery between prospective buyers. Didn't find out until after I'd bought the car; it ran fine and got good mileage but still wasn't worth what I paid. If the "vibes" seem funny (this seller had the car parked away from his house so I'd not know his address, plus there were a couple decals on it that didn't fit with his declared 'two owner' history), don't be shy about just walking away.

[||Downhome||]

I would never buy a car based on odometer miles ,

they are not always correct (tampering) the odometer does not tell you what kind of miles they are either. high way vs city regular maintenance vs infrequent or none.

not saying don't take them in to account or use them as a bargaining tool but do not make your decision on them alone.
most newer cars are rated to make 100 to 150 thousand before they start requiring maintenance and repair over the regular schedule type stuff.

inspect the car oil,coolant,power steering fluid take it to a shop for a shake down-- tie rods, ball joints ,brakes be able to take a look once it on the hoist. most shops do this free as a way to drum up business and push service sales. ask for a saftey inspection if they sell tires they should tell you the condition of those tread etc.
look at the wipers,leaks in the engine compartment,pay attention to the exhaust when its first started. and just general care of the vehicle. if its a private owner look around the place at least what you can see, if its in disrepair and overly cluttered good assumption the car has received no better care.

at a dealer it will be business of the day to change all those operating fluids and detail the thing up. so its harder to gauge the overall condition. most private party's though
would not go through the trouble but some would more so if they knew there where issues and the hoped to hide them.

any flaws you find , dents dings cracked glass tires/brakes in need of replacement should be taken into account. book value is based on a perfect or near perfect car at least mechanical then part is based on the appearance, any repairs or replacement or soon to be replaced should lower the purchase price in like. I would also offer if book value was asked 20% less off the bat.

being here in Michigan chevys are my pick lots of parts, something else to consider. Honda and other imports hard to get parts
new are all speacial order and hardly anything from a scrap yard available.

after 5 year in age aftermarket parts are normally available.

[Kevingr]

I've only purchased one new car and will never do that again. We always have two vehicles, a mini-van and a cheap car that gets good gas mileage.

The mini-van is always a Dodge and never over 2 years old when I buy it and never has over 25k on it. I never pay over 12 grand for those, and 10 grand is the norm.

The cheap car is never over $3,000 and usually in the 90,000-110,000 mile range. This car has to get really good mileage, at least 30mpg. So these are usually Saturn's since they fit that price range and mileage.

[MushCreek]

We shop for cars, and when we find a good candidate or two, we check the carfax on them. That will tell you if it's been a flood, wreck, or if the mileage doesn't add up. If you can, shop in a non-rust belt area, like FL. There are lots of low mileage cars here that old folks drive. It would be worth the one-way airfare to fly down and drive it home, rather than a rust bucket that's been on northern roads.

My truck is a '96 F-150 that was a power company truck. I paid $2500 about 4 years ago, and haven't had a lick of trouble. The body doesn't have a scratch on it. No frills, though. They don't even put A/C in them, because they don't want the workers sitting in the truck rather than getting their work done!

[Kevingr]

Originally Posted by MushCreek

We shop for cars, and when we find a good candidate or two, we check the carfax on them. That will tell you if it's been a flood, wreck, or if the mileage doesn't add up.

Be careful with CarFax, we had a 2005 Chev Blazer that was in an accident that caused extensive damage to the front end and the bill was just over 5 grand. When it came time to sell it I pulled a CarFax report on it to see what it said and the only thing that showed up iwas an air conditioner repair and a kingpin repair. Wasn't clear that it was the result of an accident, even though the rack and pinion was replaced, a bunch of sheetmetal, radiator, both kingpins, air conditioner coil etc. etc.