What should I look for when looking for a used car?


Items to look for when looking to purchase a used car:

* First of all, ask about any major work done to the car like engine, suspension, body work. If it's been in any accidents that may have impacted it's chassis at all. Later on when we're examining the car we may find evidence of damage or repair work, and it's good to know if the seller is lying to cover up any issues before we start negotiating price with them. Pulling the carfax can also be a good way to check if the seller is lying since it often contains detailed information about repair that has been performed to the car. If you notice that the seller is lying either after pulling the carfax or after inspecting the body, it's best not to purchase the car.

* Ask the owner if they have any maintenance records. If they do, that not only means that the car has received the proper care but it also illustrates that the buyer is the kind of person that is very organized and likes to keep their processions in good condition, which is super important. That's the kind of person you want to be buying a car from. Also note that if the owner has been taking the car to the dealership or to an independent shop it's very easy to obtain these service records using the VIN number either online or by calling the mechanic directly.

* Cars having a timing belt needs to be replaced every 70,000-100,000 miles. You can easily check if the car you're planning on purchasing has a timing belt or timing chain. Typically timing chains do not need to be replaced for the life of the car, so finding a car with a timing chain means that you have to worry less about this aspect. Depending on the car replacing the timing belt can be from 1,000 to 6,000 dollars so it's a pretty significant expense that you should take into account.

* Ask how frequently the owner has been changing the oil. In most cases changing it every 3,000 to 6,000 or every year (whichever comes first) is ideal. Many owner manuals mention that you can go over this mileage. In some cases manuals mention oil change intervals of 10,000 or 20,000 miles. Personally, I would not consider a car that has its oil replaced this infrequently. In many cases, these longer intervals are an attempt by the manufacturer's marketing department  to make the car more appealing to buyers if it requires less maintenance. Also ask if they've been using synthetic oil. Typically synthetic oil doesn't break down over time so longer intervals might be ok.

* Ask when was the last time brake pads and rotors have been replaced. Typically brake pads need to be replaced every 50000-100000 miles. Brake rotors can be trickier because whether or not needs replacing depends on its thickness, however if during the test drive you notice vibration when braking, it's likely due to the brake rotors. If the owner hasn't replaced the brakes recently there might be a good opportunity for negotiating the price.

* If the car is a manual ask if the clutch has been replaced. This is a wear item and the time to replace it depends on the usage (cars driven in cities with a lot of stop and go traffic will need a replacement more frequently than cars driving long distances on the freeway).

* For automatics ask when was the last time the transmission fluid was changed. Typically this needs to be replaced every 50-60k miles. Again many service manuals mention that the transmission fluid does not need to be replaced at all, but that's arguably again due to marketing reasons.

* Examine the tires and note how much tread is on the tires. If you were to imagine putting a penny into the tire's tread, a new tire would take up 1/3 - 1/2 of the penny. Also tires need to be replaced every 5 years. The tire sidewall has a 4 digit number which shows the week and year it was manufactured, so it's easy to check if it's due for a replacement. Lastly check if the tires (especially the front) are worn evenly. If the interior part is more worn compared to the exterior, they might indicate suspension or alignment issues. So these issues will need to be addressed and the tires will need to be replaced to fix that problem.

* Ask for and look for any interior problems, bulbs, gauges, AC, power windows not working, stuff like that.

* Check for rust in the wheel wells and rocker panels. Stand back from the car and look for any slight differences in color between it's exterior panels that may indicate they were replaced, also look for dents. The best and easiest indication that a car was repaired or in an accident is if the gaps between body panels is uneven. A good way to identify body panel issues is by running your finger across a body panel, if you feel that one part of the body is lower than the other or if that gap is not consistent, this might mean that the car has been in an accident.

* Look for any signs of fluids, greasy stains on metal, anything that would indicate that it's leaked something. Oil leaks would look dark and greasy. Battery leaks look white and powdery. Coolant leaks look dark and smell sweet. Look at the bottom of the hood, if there are any leak stains there too. Also looks underneath the engine for any greasy spots, because fluids always drip down.

* Do some parts on the car look newer/cleaner than others? A new radiator could mean that the car was recently in a frontal collision.

* Listen to the engine. Does it sound like it's keeping a constant RPM? You may hear some ticking caused by piston slapping or poorly lubricated valves. These are signs that the engine is old, but isn't that big of a deal. Grinding noises are very bad and expensive to fix. Older engines can be pretty noisy until they warm up which is normal.

* Ask the owner to rev the engine while you look at it. Does the engine hop violently when it's revved? This might mean that the engine mounts might need to be replaced.

* Again, ask the owner to rev the engine, this time look at the exhaust. If any blue smoke comes out, or (if it's a warm day outside) any dense white smoke comes out it may indicate that the engine is burning oil, and unless you like adding oil to your engine as often as you fill up your gas tank, it'll be expensive to fix.

Time to take it for a test drive!

* Look at the gauge cluster, is the check engine light on? Keep an eye on the temperature gauge during your trip, does it fluctuate at all? A good car's temperature stays constant during it's trip.

* Take some sharp turns at speed and listen to any thumping or squeeking noises that may come from the suspension or drive train.

* Does the steering wheel shake at all? (when driving it could mean bad alignment or bad steering, when braking it could mean warped rotors)

* Make sure you take the car in and out of all it's gears.

* Listen for funny noises, rattles, squeeks, clanks, vibrations, etc. It's inevitable that older cars will have some interior panels rattle.

* Accelerate hard and brake hard. If the car has ABS does it activate or do you feel that the wheels stop moving?

* Go over some speed bumps, or go on a bumpy road. The car shouldn't be bouncy when recovering from a bump, and neither should it feel like riding over a bump in a shopping cart. It should absorb the bump in a firm but smooth manner.

* After driving for a while, pull over to the side of the road and turn off the car. Pop the hood and look at the coolant resevoir (DON'T OPEN IT!!!) and check if the fluid inside is bubbling or boiling. If it is then the headgasket is blown.

* Remember when we asked the owner when they changed their oil? New oil should look like honey, old oil should have the same color as dark coffee (dark coffee color is a good thing). If the oil is brown or any other funky colors or smells funny something might be wrong with the engine.

* Once you let the car rest for a few minutes check the oil level by using the dipstick if it's not all the way to full, it might be burning or leaking oil.