Used cars in 2026 are a total scam lottery... anyone actually winning it?
Posted by Traditional-Mix-258@reddit | askcarguys | View on Reddit | 36 comments
Bought a 2020 Honda CR-V with 48k miles for $24,500 from a private seller. Looked decent at first but it was a nightmare, hidden rear damage from an unreported accident, transmission started slipping after a few months, and ended up costing me almost $4k in repairs before i gave up. Mechanic said it was basically a dead car with a polished up history.
Now im in the market again but this time i refuse to repeat the same mistake. I want something reliable that wont leave me broke and stressed. Been looking hard but everything feels sketchy lately. I occasionally check listings on vin decoders stuff when something catches my eye. But even with that, how do yall actually avoid the lemons and cleaned up salvage titles? Any real tips for spotting red flags before you buy? Or should i just go new and be done with it?
Tired of this crap, would appreciate some solid advice bros
Substantial_Team6751@reddit
To me the problem with the used car market is $25k for a 5 year old CRV with 48k miles.
The base CR-V (hybrid now) is only $32k. $7k for 48k less miles and a warranty.
Mrjugglestheclown@reddit
Same price for cars with 80k miles
Substantial_Team6751@reddit
Yeah, it's crazy. I guess it's people that can't afford new cars falling for those deals.
jrileyy229@reddit
Doesn't sound like you bought a cleaned up salvage title.
If your mechanic said "it's a dead car with a polished history"... Both are idiotic statements... You should find a new mechanic
FISH_ON_for_life@reddit
Yeah, he mixed in a few adjectives in his post that leads me to believe some critical details were left out.
As far as I am aware, once a salvage title, always a salvage title.
Yes, there are vehicles out there that have undocumented damage repairs. It happens now, it has always been there. Nothing new since the dawn of time.
If you’re unable to look and see tell tale signs, then ya gotta start buying as others have said.
TealSapphire@reddit
Pre Purchase Inspection
Mundane-Director-681@reddit
Someone should make a bot that automatically replies with "Get a PPI before you buy."
It would be a real time saver.
Efficient-Shallot684@reddit
Lol
Loveschocolate1978@reddit
I've had good luck with minivans. No one wants those any more because those are considered "uncool", so the prices on the used market are rock bottom, even for Hondas and Toyotas. You can get all of the legendary reliability of old Hondas and Toyotas for rock bottom prices.
Less_Campaign_6956@reddit
Ugly cars but very good point you're making
Choice-Newspaper3603@reddit
Facebook marketplace just seems to be full absolute crap so I would be very careful with that form of buying
Craigslist seems to be a little better, but in all my research people don’t like to disclose accident so definitely Carfax on the car you serious about
I also like to put the vin in Google search because I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done that and then found the wrecked pictures of the car on an insurance auction website and it wasn’t disclosed in the ad
I did this one time and went and looked at the car anyway on a local little used car lot. And I knew where the damage was and I was looking at the rear axle which was shoved over like an inch and a half so I knew it wasn’t fixed right and I wasn’t willing to pay the money they were asking because it had been wrecked and not fixed right
Eastern_Team6904@reddit
Water under the bridge, but before spending $24k, pay $50 for the CarFax report. Maybe the accident wasnt listed but it's $50 well-spent.
Choice-Newspaper3603@reddit
The one post I don’t see on here is how somebody bought a car and then they got a pre-purchase inspection and then it turned out to be a lemon anyway
SailingSpark@reddit
what do you mean "gave up on?" You walked away from a vehicle you spent $24,500 on?
dxrey65@reddit
I've seen people do that - over-pay in the first place, spend another small fortune fixing everything, then trade it in for something else because they don't trust it. Sometimes people make no sense.
Korfusan@reddit
Corolla costs 33 500 usd in Europe, entry level :)
More_Shoulder_9210@reddit
Successfully buying used cars takes a skill set not many people possess and plenty of research. Finding "hidden" damage after purchase means it wasn't hidden; it just wasn't disclosed. If you can find it after you own it, you could have found it before you bought it.
Buying from a private seller does not mean he is not a flipper. I would never buy from a private seller that was not the actual owner/driver of the car. And even if he is the actual owner/driver, if he has owned it for a short period of time, you can bet he is selling it because it has problem. Buying from a private seller that obviously bought a newer replacement car might be ok.
Buying from small dealers, you almost always will get less than what you pay for and always run the risk of buying garbage.
Salvage titles are always marked as salvage titles, so there should never be any surprise about that.
Do your homework. Research used cars. Forget about shopping until you figure out 2-3 models than are reliable and that you would drive. After you have figured that out, then start looking for those, and ignore all others.
The best scenario is a private seller that bought a newer model of the same vehicle as an upgrade. That tells you he was happy with what he had and just wanted something newer. Nobody buys the same model if the first one was junk.
Avoid used "starter" cars. They are rarely taken care of properly.
No not buy from professional mechanics if they sell cars as a side business.
Be pessimistic. Expect every car you look at to have problems and try to figure out what they are.
Zanna-K@reddit
If you are willing to spend $24,500 for a 6-7 year old used car you should 100% drop some money to get a pre-purchase inspection done.
If you just need transportation there are soooooo many cheap crossovers $25k and under: https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/advice/best-suvs-under-25000
If you don't know much about cars and don't particularly want to dedicate the time to learn in this market I feel like financing new is a better option.
Calm_Income6781@reddit
CPO Hyundai/ Kia- you pay 2/3 new and get the remainder of the 10 100 Warranty
Smitty-TBR2430@reddit
Cars are inherently a scam lottery. They’re expensive machines that depreciate in value no matter how well you maintain them.
If you want “something reliable that won’t leave (you) broke and stressed,” buy a pair of shoes. You could spend $500k on a Rolls Royce or Lamborghini and it break down the very next day… But you’ll have a factory warranty to mitigate the stress.
I laugh my f’n ass off at the numerous posts in these car forums asking “what used car should I get?” when ANY used car is a frikkin roll of the dice…. As if a 2009 Japanese Something will be highly reliable but you should avoid the 2023 American / European / British junk. “Those 2004 Toyotas are indestructible, you should find one of those!!!” Hilarious.
Once a car reaches a certain age, its value is what the local junk yard will pay for it ($250?) as the NADA and Kelly books only go back so far. Value for a trade? Zero. The dealer might offer $500 just to make a sale happen. But you found it for sale on Craigslist or Facebook for $2500 and “DAMN! I gotta buy it!!”
SMH.
Everyone has a story about the one certain car that ran forever and the other car that constantly was in the shop. Forums like this feed into that frenzy of searching for that perfect 2007 Honda while avoiding most everything else.
Good luck with that.
Top_Lynx3410@reddit
Have a mechanic inspect the car before purchasing it’s on the buyer to do due diligence
FrankCastillo95@reddit
So firstly something like that, you should be checking the service history via carfax and/or autocheck. Major services needed will be reported and if you don't see them, it's not for you. Next thing on the list- look closely at the paint match and underbody. Lazy underbody reassembly and poor paint fading can give away undisclosed damage.
Also honestly If you just put a new transmission in a 48k mile CRV it should be far from dead. Sure you may've gotten screwed and it may not be as good as you thought and not so well maintained, but frankly it really shouldn't have so many issues left to throw at you anytime soon.
Everything feels sketchy because you thought you bought something totally safe but it's more complicated than just "that choice is right." You've got to be diligent.
Even-Further@reddit
Sadly its human nature, greed, lack of morals. People have been scamming on used cars since cars were invented, nothin new. Over 20 years ago I knew someone that bought a used Nissan Z. Didn't inspect the car thoroughly. Later found out it was 2 cars welded together, from front and rear collision clips. Its like buying a house, the better and deeper you inspect it, the more you know abut it. Pre purchase inspection is something you must do, get the seller to agree to it, and the buyer pays for it. Bring a car friend too, someone that's worked on cars professionally.
The last used car I bought was outstanding. I use to be a repair tech and auto body painter. The car had complete maintenance history, dealer serviced every 6 months, elderly owned, garaged and well cared for. Even with all that, it was a 10 year old car with minor cosmetic flaws here and there.
Ok_Concept_4245@reddit
Go down a trim level or two if needed (budget constraints) and buy CPO or New with Extended Warranty
I’m 100% a used car buyer. Buying used (non cpo) just hasn’t made sense recently.
MayhamMonday69420@reddit
Less options more reliability too. Ive had a base model in all my cars no regrets
WeinerBarf420@reddit
I may be flaunting my ignorance because I'm not a brand new car guy, but why at $24,000 are you not just buying a beand new economy car? Isn't that roughly what a Corolla costs?
miserylovescomputers@reddit
Yeah if I had $30k~ to spend on a car (because OP spent $24.5k to buy it and $4k to try to fix it) and wanted to be sure it’d be reliable I would just buy a Corolla LE hybrid, which is just over $30k brand new.
Few-Mastodon-4105@reddit
I was in the market a month ago for Honda civic and when I went to look at Facebook marketplace cars. I test drive them but for some reason my heart wouldn’t trust it. So I ended up getting a CPO from Honda. Yes it did cost Meee 3k more but it gave me a peace of mind with a littler warranty on it too
upsidedown-funnel@reddit
If possible, consider a used EV
Loveschocolate1978@reddit
Even used Teslas are below ten grand now, which sounds like a steal compared to how those used to cost ~$70,000 a decade ago. Some of the more modern Nissan Leafs, from cooler climates, are available for $3,500. If people only knew...
d3m01iti0n@reddit
"Scam"
Doesn't get an inspection prior to purchase from private party.
redcodex14@reddit
be patient in facebook marketplace. have it inspected. test drive it. get the service records. if they do not have them, do not buy the car.
Mr-Dumbest@reddit
Get a person who knows cars and go check used cars with him
Become a person who knows cars
zrad603@reddit
stchman@reddit
And people wonder why I don't buy used cars.
MagnusAlbusPater@reddit
Have it inspected by an independent mechanic before you buy. Spending a little to have it done could save you a lot in the long run. If the seller won’t allow it then maybe it’s not for you.
You can also buy a CPO vehicle that comes with a longer factory-backed warranty. It will cost more but come with more peace of mind.
Alternatively for the most peace of mind, buy or lease new, then you know everything is good with it and if it’s not it’ll be handled at no cost to you.