what should i look out for when buying a 2nd hand car?
Posted by samismissing_@reddit | askcarguys | View on Reddit | 17 comments
hello hello!! i am a highschooler & i am getting my first car next year ! ! ><
i want a volkswagen beetle ( a convertible ) but im hearing so much abt trash them :( but i still want one bc yolo i guess . .
however id still like some general advice & and some explanations could be great with them. not too complicated ( i dont know Shit about cars ! ) but detailed enough so i can know what to ask the owner & what to look up for more info and / or look out for .
thank u for reading & to any eventual helpers :3 have an amazing day / evening !! <3
Tundra_Dragon@reddit
Things to look for in a second hand car.
Not Korean. Korean cars are single owner, disposable vehicles that get sold right before their warranty is up, and then have the engines fail.
Not German. They're high precision extremely engineered vehicles, that are absolutely awesome until you need to repair one. Parts are expensive, labor is expensive because of all the stuff they have to take off to reach the broken part, and as they get older and more parts start to wear, the monthly maintenance bill makes you wish you still had a car payment instead. It's not that they're terrible, most owners don't follow the strict maintenance regimen required to keep them performing properly.
Not anything by Chrysler/Stelantis. When a company fails, and everyone thinks they're about to get fired, they quit giving a shit about their jobs, and quality drops. Chrysler has failed and been bought/sold like 5 times in the last 20 years.
More generalized stuff:
Bring an OBD2 scan tool, and make sure that there are no codes or pending codes, and that the ECU wasn't just reset to hide any codes.
Check for rust on the underside. Even if you don't live where they salt, cars move over their lifetimes.
Check for uneven tire wear. This denotes suspension issues.
Don't be afraid to ask them to pop the hood, and tgen check the color of the oil, and transmission fluid (assuming it's not a sealed trans)
lunchbox651@reddit
That German stereotype is bullshit. It very much depends on the car, there are some amazingly reliable euros out there and they aren't expensive to maintain these days because VAG/BMW/Merc are everywhere these days.
Tundra_Dragon@reddit
The german stereotype has affected every german car I've had the misfortune of being asked to look at. While my sample size is only what I've seen vs all the millions that get imported, the maintenance bills on the best maintained audi A4 I've ever seen were about $1500 every 2 or 3 months. It got bad enough my room mate finally bought an Acura with a $700 month payment instead.
samismissing_@reddit (OP)
ok i Think i got a part of this . . ? would a suzuki be good then? if we are aiming for non-german cars, unless i misunderstood this (sorry 😓)
bryanus@reddit
The swift hasn't been sold in the USA for 20+ yrs? So no if you're in the USA. A friend of mine had the geo metro version and it was a total POS and I say that definitively! Finding parts would be a nightmare.
If they still sell them in Europe then maybe they are better known and more reliable now.
Rum_Running_Sailor@reddit
One of the easiest things you can do is run a VIN number. Every street legal vehicle has a VIN number. CARFAX is the standard but there are other services out there like EpicVIN that will provide a lot of the same information.
Here are some basic things that you can do yourself even if you're completely unfamiliar with cars:
It should start and run with a cold engine. Be wary if you show up to check out a car and it's already running. Be wary if the owner started it for you on a warm engine. Many times that can mean that they had to start it and let it run until the engine is warm, to let it work out any starting issues or quirks that it may have.
After you start the car, let it run a little bit. Look under the vehicle to see if it's dripping any fluids. Leaks could be minor and easily fixed or they could be a sign of something severe. Either way, nothing should leak. If you're running the AC and you see water dripping under the car, that's not a leak, that is perfectly normal as part of how the AC system.
Does the AC run cold? Does the heater blow hot? Answering no to either of those could be signs of larger mechanical problems.
Open the hood. Look at the underside of the hood and the walls of the engine bay for any fluids or stains where fluids were. This could be a sign of something leaking, spraying, or having leaked or sprayed recently. Nothing under the hood should do that.
While you're looking under the hood and the engine is running, do you hear any unusual sounds or any sounds that are not rhythmic? Do you hear ticking or knocking? Are there any funny smells (burning, hot electrical, foul smells, etc) that don't seem quite right to you? An engine that is running well does none of those things.
If you live somewhere where you get snow regularly or they salt the roads look underneath the vehicle for excessive rust, places where the body or frame have rusted out completely, or places where the body or frame are about to rust out completely and they're just one good snow storm away from it. Surface rust looks completely different than chunks missing out of the car.
Take it for a test drive and drive it the way you would plan on driving that car if you owned it. If you experience hard shifts, obvious lack of power when you accelerate, lurching, unusual sounds, pulling to the left or the right, all of these could be signs of underlying problems. When you're stopping, do the brakes squeal or grind? That means you're going to need brake work soon and that can get expensive.
Finally, check the tread on the tires. If the tread looks like it's wearing in an uneven pattern that could be in alignment problem. If the tires look like they're worn out and going bald, you're probably going to need to replace tires soon. Are you ready for that expense?
Pay for a pre-purchase inspection, from a reputable mechanic or shop, on any car you're seriously considering buying. You will be amazed what a trained eye will uncover that you may have overlooked. If you noticed any of the things that I listed previously make sure you tell the mechanic before he starts the inspection so he can target things that you've noticed.
This is a really basic guide of things to look for. You'll set yourself up for success if you keep your eyes open for all of these things. Good luck on your car purchase! I hope you find a car you love!!
samismissing_@reddit (OP)
thank u so so much !! 😁💗
Rum_Running_Sailor@reddit
You're welcome!
thymewaster25@reddit
What is your budget? Where are you located? Probably not he US, as Suzuki left that market 15 years ago.
VW Beetle with the 2.0 or 2.5 non turbo engine could be OK. Or a diesel. They are better with a manual transmission.
I like the Peugeot 207cc / 307cc, but I am not sure how durable they are long term.
matiasylatalo@reddit
please dont buy any vw unless it has the 1,9tdi engine or an older 1,8t, which i guess are both pretty rare in the states. ofc if you want to dump 3x the cars price in it to keep it running for a year or two then you can go for it.
if you dont like to spend a ton of money on it or do stuff yourself, get a toyota. camry, corolla, hilux, tacoma, 4runner, rav4, whatever. it will be the cheapest and probably the best option. also any lexus will be a good purchase.
and if you want to learn how to do stuff to the car and have a good driving experience, get an e46 bmw or something like that, but be prepared for it to break almost as much as the vw, its just easier to work on by yourself.
ifulbd@reddit
Honda Fit
Talentless_Cooking@reddit
Vw is ok, but you will own vw for the rest of your life. I suggest something easy for your first car before you drink the coolaide. Civic or some small Toyota. It's reliable and easy to fix when you need to. Not everyone can work on vw, special tools and whatever, so get something easy.
DreamingDrommer@reddit
Look up common issues with that particular generation of car so you know if it will need to be fixed later on or not (looking at Nissan here) check for rust spots and always have them agree to a receipt as well as signing the title over.
lazarinewyvren@reddit
If the owner isnt willing to agree to a pre purchase inspection (you will have to pay for this) at a local German shop, find another car.
samismissing_@reddit (OP)
noted !! tysm :3
Chitownhustle99@reddit
Find a car that’s been regularly used. Get it checked out by a garage. Save at least 20% of what you have to spend for fixing. Don’t worry too much if it’s not exactly the car you want-you’ll have more cars later.
StreetKhorne@reddit
Nothing. Hire someone to do a pre-purchase inspection, PPI. Maybe a tech at a local VW dealer or a Euro specialist shop nearby