car history info image
Jade Orchi
I'm in the market. Where are some places to look for used cars? What do I need to check out on the vehicle when I test drive it? How do I politely haggle over the price? Any tips and suggestions are appreciated. :D Thanks!
P.S. I've got about $4000 to spend. I'd rather buy outright but I'm not opposed to financing.
Answer
Good reliable vehicles, under $5,000 are hard to find, but they ARE out there.
Searching for them, and researching them, is a bit time consuming but a little time spent researching is well worth it in the long run.
The vehicles in this price range are likely to be older and/or have higher miles on them. Most lenders (banks) won't finance a vehicle with over 100,000 miles on it so try to find one with less miles.
Also most lenders will not finance smaller balances these days. The average lender will finance no LESS than $7500. But there are always exceptions.
Even higher mileage used cars can be a good value if they have been maintained well.
The internet is your friend for researching, but NEVER buy a vehicle (or even commit to buying one) BEFORE having it thoroughly inspected.
Samarins has some good tips on what to look for when inspecting a used vehicle:
http://www.samarins.com/check/index.html
And so does Edmonds:
http://www.edmunds.com/advice/buying/articles/160166/article.html
Car "Histories" are $old by companies like Carfax ( http://www.carfax.com/ )and Autocheck (http://www.autocheck.com/?siteID=0&WT.mc_id=0 ). But they also give up "some" (limited but valuable) info for free.
(hint: from the carfax site.. scroll down to the bottom and see some of the info that is public "free" info)
I always recommend buying (even a used car) from a reputable NEW car dealer.
Why? Because a new car dealer has their reputation to protect. (too many complaints against them can make them lose their new vehicle franchise agreements). They always get trade-ins and if a car isn't worthy of their lot... it gets shipped off to auctions or sold to the wholesalers, salvagers, and the little used car lots.
If a trade in is worthy .. and has some good life left to it, a new car dealer has the facilities and the wherewithal to spruce it up and do any reconditioning, maintenance, and repairs BEFORE you buy it.
It's a good idea to befriend a trusted salesperson too. Even if they don't have "just the right car" at the moment... the car of your dreams could get traded in 10 minutes after you leave the lot, so get to know a few good salespeople that can keep their eye out for the right vehicle for you.
Buying from a private party can be tricky too. You'll be handing over your cash to a perfect stranger and that stranger has no obligations to you after they take your money. Same goes for the little used car lots ( like the ones that buy the beater cars that the reputable new car dealers wouldn't put on their lot) They can disappear in a heartbeat, and anything that goes wrong, including the proper documentation for licensing and titling, could get hung up in "red tape snafus" forever.
You can get some ideas as to what is a good value by doing some research on the vehicle (at sites like KBB.com )
Remember that KBB (Kelly Blue Book) does not buy nor sell vehicles.. they just collect data as to what vehicles LIKE the one you are researching are selling for (on an average) and they post the data.
Good reliable vehicles, under $5,000 are hard to find, but they ARE out there.
Searching for them, and researching them, is a bit time consuming but a little time spent researching is well worth it in the long run.
The vehicles in this price range are likely to be older and/or have higher miles on them. Most lenders (banks) won't finance a vehicle with over 100,000 miles on it so try to find one with less miles.
Also most lenders will not finance smaller balances these days. The average lender will finance no LESS than $7500. But there are always exceptions.
Even higher mileage used cars can be a good value if they have been maintained well.
The internet is your friend for researching, but NEVER buy a vehicle (or even commit to buying one) BEFORE having it thoroughly inspected.
Samarins has some good tips on what to look for when inspecting a used vehicle:
http://www.samarins.com/check/index.html
And so does Edmonds:
http://www.edmunds.com/advice/buying/articles/160166/article.html
Car "Histories" are $old by companies like Carfax ( http://www.carfax.com/ )and Autocheck (http://www.autocheck.com/?siteID=0&WT.mc_id=0 ). But they also give up "some" (limited but valuable) info for free.
(hint: from the carfax site.. scroll down to the bottom and see some of the info that is public "free" info)
I always recommend buying (even a used car) from a reputable NEW car dealer.
Why? Because a new car dealer has their reputation to protect. (too many complaints against them can make them lose their new vehicle franchise agreements). They always get trade-ins and if a car isn't worthy of their lot... it gets shipped off to auctions or sold to the wholesalers, salvagers, and the little used car lots.
If a trade in is worthy .. and has some good life left to it, a new car dealer has the facilities and the wherewithal to spruce it up and do any reconditioning, maintenance, and repairs BEFORE you buy it.
It's a good idea to befriend a trusted salesperson too. Even if they don't have "just the right car" at the moment... the car of your dreams could get traded in 10 minutes after you leave the lot, so get to know a few good salespeople that can keep their eye out for the right vehicle for you.
Buying from a private party can be tricky too. You'll be handing over your cash to a perfect stranger and that stranger has no obligations to you after they take your money. Same goes for the little used car lots ( like the ones that buy the beater cars that the reputable new car dealers wouldn't put on their lot) They can disappear in a heartbeat, and anything that goes wrong, including the proper documentation for licensing and titling, could get hung up in "red tape snafus" forever.
You can get some ideas as to what is a good value by doing some research on the vehicle (at sites like KBB.com )
Remember that KBB (Kelly Blue Book) does not buy nor sell vehicles.. they just collect data as to what vehicles LIKE the one you are researching are selling for (on an average) and they post the data.
How to avoid paying too much repair cost for my old car?
justice_ba
I drive 2000 Chevy Impala, which has several minor problems. I want to take it to a Chevy dealer for a check-up and fix somewhat major problems only. The thing is the car is only worth a few grand, so I don't want to end up spending more than the value of the car to fix it. After all, I'm only going to drive it for a few more years.
How can I avoid unnecessary repairs and reduce repair cost?
Answer
Well first of all How many miles are on it . Also what some of the major problems are you having with it.
There are other options you can take to repair your car. Dealers are incredulously expensive when it come to repairs. And they are not about taking care of the customer.
Do you know of any auto repair shops around you that are reputable, if so Talk to the person in charge ask what type of cars they specialize in. Or what certification there Techs Have. You looking for someone who has a back ground In later GM cars and more than just 7 years of exsperiance.
I could help you more if I had more info about you car. Like the manufacture date make model size of engine and type of transmission. The amount of millage and what the history of it like what you had repaired on it in the pass. What repairs are you exspecting know. Contact me at mck3sams@yahoo.com
Well first of all How many miles are on it . Also what some of the major problems are you having with it.
There are other options you can take to repair your car. Dealers are incredulously expensive when it come to repairs. And they are not about taking care of the customer.
Do you know of any auto repair shops around you that are reputable, if so Talk to the person in charge ask what type of cars they specialize in. Or what certification there Techs Have. You looking for someone who has a back ground In later GM cars and more than just 7 years of exsperiance.
I could help you more if I had more info about you car. Like the manufacture date make model size of engine and type of transmission. The amount of millage and what the history of it like what you had repaired on it in the pass. What repairs are you exspecting know. Contact me at mck3sams@yahoo.com
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