What should I look out for when buying a car on Facebook marketplace?
Posted by FrontCheesecake2233@reddit | askcarguys | View on Reddit | 10 comments
Im looking to buy my first car on marketplace cause being a junior in college without a car is kinda embarrassing. What should I look for in listings to make sure im not getting scammed?
4158264146@reddit
Start by looking for a car with good reliability like a Crown Victoria
Independent_Mark_761@reddit
Step 1 imo. Google the car you are looking at for common issues. Are those things you want to deal with? Getting a pre inspection is great and all of you can trust your mechanic. They might say it checks out and then shits the bed 10k miles later cause they didn’t warn you about xyz going bad at xyz miles.
jrileyy229@reddit
Sure, that's the thing with cars... They sometimes don't always show a problem. If you need wheel bearings, that's easy.
A transmission wearing out might not always display the same type of shifting issues. This is why a lot of cheap cars get sold... Something is starting to be a little cause for concerns... And people will just dump it before they have to deal with it.
Even aside from that when the mechanic checks out the car, it can absolutely be fine. The transmission going out 10k miles later doesn't mean he or she did something wrong.
Independent_Mark_761@reddit
Wasn’t necessarily putting full blame on a mechanic not seeing an issue. It’s more so about them not wanting to disclose future common issues the car may have. Mind you they are in the business to fix your car so pre inspection should be taken with a grain of salt imo. I come from experience where I tell someone not to get a car due to xyz happening at xyz miles unless they don’t mind going through that. Then they go with what their “mechanic” says and buy the car. Few months later they are forking over hundreds to thousands of dollars when they could have just informed them selves with a simple google search and found a car with common issues they don’t mind dealing with. All cars have their own issues and all people have certain issues they don’t mind dealing with.
jrileyy229@reddit
I agree that it's basic common sense to research any car before buying it... But it's not the mechanics job to predict the future. They're not advising you on what car to buy, they're just going to give you a current assessment of the vehicles condition.
They may give you insight.. like "my one customer had a bunch of problems with his XYZ around the fuel pump dying" or whatever the case may be.... But there's no reason for them to lie for their own personal/future gain.
A lot of the time it's a one-time transaction.... Maybe not in a small town... But in a city you are probably not car shopping exclusively in your neighborhood.... You find the car you want other side of town, they're going to let you take it somewhere local or have a mobile PPI done... You're not driving the dealers car back across town twice to get to your normal mechanic
GlassCannon81@reddit
Honestly? Somewhere other than Facebook marketplace to buy.
Gunk_Olgidar@reddit
Never buy a used car when:
1) the owner is not present and the title is not accurate. You know the owner is present when the signature on the title matches the signature on the driver's license and the names match and the addresses match. The vin# on the title matches the vin# on the vehicle. If ANY of it does not match, you don't buy the car.
2) the owner will not send you a picture of the VIN#.
3) the owner will not let you take the car for a pre-purchase inspection to a nearby mechanic of YOUR choosing and at your expense, for at least 8 hours (up to 24 if the mechanic requires overnight cold start).
4) the vehicle is not registered in the owner's name and/or license plate sticker is out of date and/or the vehicle is not current on its inspection.
5) there is a lein on the vehicle. You call the DMV (or use their website) to check the title status with the VIN# on the vehicle.
6) the owner will not complete the sale transaction at the DMV office WITH the vehicle. There is never any valid reason why any owner will not sell any vehicle at the DMV office. The DMV is there to protect YOU from scams and criminals, and is the single best source for validating all data in #1, #2, #4, and #5.
7) the vehicle fails inspection to your (or your mechanic's) satisfaction in #3.
8) You run a carfax on the VIN# and the vehicle has insufficient maintenance and/or accident/flood/salvage/etc. history that does not meet your your (and your mechanic's) satisfaction. You pay for the Carfax report. Give a copy to your mechanic with the vehicle during step #3.
That's going to pretty much cover most of the pitfalls. I'm sure others will chime in with anything I've missed. Understand if you're buying a running and driving vehicle for sale at or under $3000, there will likely be some issues with the above, including up to another $3000 or more in necessary catch-up repairs and maintenance. No vehicle is perfect, and the cheap ones almost always come with plenty of issues.
Good luck.
Efficient-Shallot684@reddit
Have it inspected by a reliable mechanic before going through with the purchase.
mtrbiknut@reddit
This is the way, get a PPI (pre purchase inspection) before making the deal. If the seller refuses then move on to another car.
And don't be emotional about a car, they are a tool to get from one place to another- you get emotional and you are more likely to get scammed, you should make the seller think that it doesn't matter to you if you buy the car or not. Especially at a dealer.
CarGuyKy@reddit
If anything has been listed as rebuilt or replaced. Make sure they have documentation of the job.