Assistance with buying a used car ?

(2011-01-08 22:06:53)

1. sweetlady Says: So I am buying my first car and I went to a car dealership , we found a ford escape 2003 that we really like the car fax does not state any accidents or anything major wrong with the car it currently has 100,248 miles
on it , before selling the car they are going to do a full service repair and I get a 6 months warranty . When turned on the car sounds good no strange noises .. I am going to test drive it today , but before I jump and take it I need some advise from
people who know about cars before getting myself into something I will regret.

2. pickmefirstplz Says: have it checked out by your mechanic before you buy

3. n Says: carfax is a waste of money, Assuming nothing from it.

What, exactly does "a full service repair" mean ? Does it NEED repairs or not ?

A 6 month warranty could be worthless or worth a few hundred depending on the warranty. Many 50-50 warranties are effectively worthless because you have to pay half of the dealers inflated repair price which approximates what the repair would cost elsewhere.

Spend a few dollars having YOUR mechanic check the car out. Don't trust theirs. they are in the business of selling cars, not repairing customers cars.

You don't sound like you know what you are doing so i would suggest looking at and driving perhaps a half dozen similarly priced cars before you make a decision.

Also check KBB & NADA values. You should be paying less to far less than the retail prices they show.

4. Agent K Says: Is the car from a big name dealership or from a small lot that sells used cars?If the Escape is from a main dealership then I'd say it's worth it,because I believe most of them inspect their cars real well before putting out used cars on their lots and most of them have some kind of warranty.Otherwise,if it's coming from a small lot no one has hear of then I'd be cautious of doing so.

5. Ed Atun Says: It is nearing the end of its useful life. For not much more money you could buy a brand new Kia Rio and get a 10 year warranty. Only buy the Escape if you bargain hard.

6. yoojyim Says: Everytime i'm buying a used car, I go around and tap the side of the car w/ my fingers and listen to the sound and look careful at the paint. if it sound solid like you tapping a brick or sound differen from the others then look careful at the paint it'll looks new and shiny.(which mean that car had a accident and someone fix it). next, i turn on the engine, look at the speed gauge panel make sure nothing stay on and listen on the engine test the stereo or cd player and wait couple mins. test drive w/all windows close and no music and listen to the engine, vibration on the car and loose parts. and a must test in the "higway". after the test DON'T turn off the engine, check under the hook and under the engine for oil leak and check muffler for white or black smoke, good car has no color or clear smoke. also check the tire for tire wear out. if nothing show up it is a good car but if something show up and you really like the car try to knock down the price or ask the seller for lowering down the price because you still need to get these thing fix. any thing happen to the engine or see white or black smoke on the muffler dont buy it will not last you long.

I know this is embrassing but think about all the $$$,$$$.$$ you are paying for. use car are mostly "buy as is" there is no return. so becareful and check it very good or else you will regret and be at the street and spend time and extra $$ to fix your NEW used car.
hope this help and sorry for the spelling.

7. mccoyblues Says: The two biggest regrets are "I paid too much and now I can't afford it" and "I bought a piece of junk and it breaks down all the time"

To avoid paying too much you need to do a lot of research on car value. Look at the local area and determine what other similar cars are selling for. Research the online classifieds to see what is available. Go to the price guides and determine the average local selling price. Remember to ignore the retail prices and concentrate on Wholesale and private party prices since NOBODY pays full retail for a used car.

To avoid getting an unreliable car make sure you visually inspecthe car thoroughly. Look at everything. Drive it, take it for a good long drive in as many different driving situations as possible. Highway speeds, in town traffic, twisty, winding roads. Hills and valleys. Make sure the car drives as if it were brand new. Make sureth brakes do their joba nd the transmission doesn't act up. Make sure there are no noises, smells or smoke, no staines, no burns, no rips no tears on the interior. No bad paint. No signs of body repairs.

Lastly, take the car to an independent certified mechanic for a complete pre purchase mechanical inspection. Get the warranty from the dealer in writing and make sure that the warranty is good no matter who does the repair work.