(Ask) Buying Used Car Tips

yummypinacolada on 01/08/2017 - 09:13
Last edited 01/08/2017 - 10:25 by 1 other user

I'm currently looking for a used car within student budget(±$7k), however I have no knowledge about car. I only know that I wanted to have Japanese car as they are known to be reliable and cheap to maintain. My current options are Honda Jazz, Toyota Yaris, Suzuki Swift, or Mazda 2.

I'm considering a pre-purchase inspection when buying a used car. I would like to know your opinion about it.
Is it really worth it?
Do they check the engine thoroughly? (like timing belt which is usually the problem on car with mileage 100k+)
What do I do if the inspected car is a lemon?
Do sellers usually let me negotiate the price if there's some problem found within the car?
Do I have to pay $250+ everytime I like to inspect a car?
Do they give warranty if the inspected car said to be in good condition?
What are the general test that I should do before deciding to book a pre-purchase inspection or should just walk away?

Other questions:
Do you prefer buying from a dealer or private seller?
What are other car options that I should be looking for? My main points are cheap on fuel, cheap to maintain, reliable, as well as strong enough to drive 4 people on highway or hill.

Sorry for lots of questions, any info will be appreciated.

Poll Options

• 0
  Suzuki Swift
• 1
  Other(Let me know in the comment)
• 5
  Honda Jazz
• 6
  Mazda 2
• 13
  Toyota Yaris

• 

  k-rokfm on 01/08/2017 - 09:40

  +6

  Is it really worth it?

  Yeah its always good to get before you go through with a sale if you are not mechanically minded. Dont get it done for every car you look at, just ones you are considering buying. So if you were really happy with a car and about to buy it, say ill offer you $x as long as it passes an inspection. You will normally have to pay for these. Also check to see if your state requires a pink slip on sale or not. You could also offer to buy it as long as the buyer supplies a pink slip - so if any faults come up they would need to get them fixed.

  Do they check the engine thoroughly? (like timing belt which is usually the problem on car with mileage 100k+)

  Theres only so much you can check within a pre-purchase inspection. They (obviously) wouldnt be able to take out the engine and strip it down to inspect every little piece. They generally just do an overall inspection of what they can see/hear - look over all the normal wear and tear spots, check suspension etc etc. And also normally the timing belt is not really ever a problem on cars. These are long life parts, you need to change them at 100k on most vehicles however they should last much longer. And cars with timing chains will not need to replace this.

  What do I do if the inspected car is a lemon?

  Dont buy it…

  Do sellers usually let me negotiate the price if there's some problem found within the car?

  It depends on the car and how they have priced it and of course the person. Obviously if there is a problem they know about and it has been priced accordingly, then there wont be much room to negotiate. But if they dont know about it and it comes back with a fault then most people are pretty good. It is always better to get these fixed before buying the car however just incase any other issues come up. If it is a major issue - avoid.

  Do I have to pay $250+ everytime I like to inspect a car?

  Yes. Youre the one wanting it - not the seller. As I said above you may be able to negotiate the pink slip into the sale as well. It is always good to only do this to cars you are serious about.

  Do they give warranty if the inspected car said to be in good condition?

  Have a look at the t&c where you go, but id say probably not. They cant inspect everything and arnt able to look inside the engine etc.

  What are the general test that I should do before deciding to book a pre-purchase inspection or should just walk away?

  Check the log books are all filled out, around the right time. Is the car in reasonable condition for how old it is/how many KM it has? Have you done a REVS check to check for finance/crashes? Have you taken it for a test drive, does it drive alright, no surges or weird noises? Any grey/black smoke coming from the exhaust?

  Do you prefer buying from a dealer or private seller?

  Depends really

  • 

    yummypinacolada on 01/08/2017 - 09:49

    Thank you so much for ur information. I'm also wondering whether they will give us the estimation cost to fix for the parts that is broken or not in good condition in the pre-purchase inspection report.

  • 

    Euphemistic on 01/08/2017 - 12:02

    I wouldn't count on a pink slip being any where near thorough enough to determine if a car is mechanically sound. The inspection (in NSW) is really only a lights and brake test, and they are really easy to get a dodgy one done. A pre purchase inspection shoild give you a much better picture of the cars condition.

    I bought a car with a pink slip a few days old that did not come with roadworthy tyres. I knew this though and had the price adjusted.

• 

  blonky on 01/08/2017 - 10:02

  K-rokfm has answered your question well

  Regarding Dealer vs Private - dealers will tend to cost a couple of grand more but they will come with some form of warranty (unless the car is over 160,000kms or so).
  This is where you save on the private sale, but you are taking a gamble as there are absolutely no comebacks if a problem develops after you buy it or if the seller didn't know or tell you, so factor in a couple of grand that you may need for unforeseen repairs.

  With inspections, you'd want to do it only when you are 100% sold on the car and have left a deposit "pending inspection". Yes they often give rough prices on any repairs but they don't actually do repairs themselves.

  All your car options are pretty good, really depends on which you prefer to drive/look at and more than likely, which one you can find at the best price

  • 

    yummypinacolada on 01/08/2017 - 10:21

    You're right about choosing which car to choose, it all comes down to which one I can find at the best price.

• 

  John Kimble on 01/08/2017 - 10:11

  What are other car options that I should be looking for?

  Cruise control if a lot of highway driving maybe? But dunno if you can find at your price point.

  strong enough to drive 4 people on highway or hill.

  You are asking too much if you want "performance" from these cars in these situations. They get you there in the end!

  • 

    yummypinacolada on 01/08/2017 - 10:20

    Yeah, cruise control feature is a nice to have, but not really important for me. Thanks anyway

• 

  altomic on 01/08/2017 - 10:53

  +1

  I'll assume you a buying one with a RWC - that's half the battle - in terms of the tyres are decent, all the lights work, etc- there are no glaring problems

  there are many checks you can do yourself for a potential car.

  this is my list that I used to use when checking out cars-

  check out potential cars in the morning. and make sure the engine is cold when you go to start it. does it start easily? if not then the battery could be meh, or the starter, or low on oil. an easy starting motor when it is cold is a positive sign.

  take it for a drive (obviously) don't just go for an "up and down" the road ride. go around quite a few corners to test of the steering. reverse park. feels good? do a "steering wheel wobble test" on a safe stretch of road at a safe speed - like you're doing a slalom ski run - is the car overly wobbly when you do that? - if it is then it could be a problem with CV joints or suspension. a decent car will be smooth.

  check out the radiator - does the coolant look nice and green? if yes then that's ok (though it may have been freshly changed). but if it has oil swirls in it then that isn't so good. cooling system should be solid and oil swirls may suggest a gasket is on it's way out -and that's bad.

  check out the oil/dipstick - when it is cold. take tissues/ paper towel with you. wipe the dipstick on the paper towel - any gunk? any shiny flakes? or crap? if yes then walk away as this is an unhealthy engine. an engine in good condition should have nice oil. like a dark honey.

  check the engine oil cap- screw it off the engine and look in to the engine - use the torch on your phone. it should be nice and clean - if there is just oil then ok - if there is gunk or burnt oil then no - the engine isn't healthy.

  check the log/maintenance book to see that it has been regularly serviced.

  grip the tyres with both hands and give them a good wobble - nice and firm? good. - tyres that wobble can be a sign of bad wheel bearings.

  move around the car to each corner and press down - just to check that the car suspension is ok. if the car doesn't rebound to it's normal position then dodgey suspension.

  check door seals and boot seals - all good? no water marks inside?

  ask about any prior accidents - check the gaps between panels is all even. look for different colour paint in the wheel arches, in the door frame, in the boot - i.e. indicative of a replacement panel or respray/ repair.

  and do your online checks as well.

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  supnigs super skids on 01/08/2017 - 11:05

  Private cheeper. Inspection is good u not know how to do it! Safely buy too

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  kingmw on 03/08/2017 - 10:22

  Choosing a car also depends a lot about what you are planning to do with the car.

  Are you going to be carrying passengers a lot? How many?
  Are you going to be carrying lots of luggage or other large items?
  Are you planning to drive long distances frequently?

  I have a 2015 Jazz and would recommended it for carrying large items as they come with "magic seats" that fold completely flat with the boot.

  • 

    yummypinacolada on 03/08/2017 - 10:34

    Are you going to be carrying passengers a lot? How many?
    No, I will be using it alone to commute to work.

    Are you going to be carrying lots of luggage or other large items?
    Not really

    Are you planning to drive long distances frequently?
    No, only ocasionally

    • 

      kingmw on 03/08/2017 - 10:50

      Then you should get the smallest, most fuel efficient car with a good safety rating.

      Small cars are surprisingly zippy despite small engines due to their low weight but not if you load 4 adults into it and going up a hill.