If I were going to buy a used car, I would do some research first. If I only had 2000 dollars than I would be limited in how choosy I could be. But if I had 6,000 or 10,000 dollars, I would do a lot of research on any car I liked and wanted to buy. Especially the vehicles engine.
The things I would look at or have looked at are as such:
1. Drive the car and get an overall feel for it. If it drives the way the car you choose is supposed to, no matter how much you have to spend, you will get a good vibe for it.
2. Look it over. Again depending on your finances, you will have to determine how choosey you can be. I would not want a car at any price that had obvious multi issues to deal with.
3. Examine the body and look for signs of having been in an accident. Shy away from cars that have been crashed.
3. Look for leaks of any sort. Engine oil, transmission fluid, antifreeze or coolant. You get the idea. Leaks are not good.
4. If you feel like you have found a worthy vehicle for the money, then I would recommend having a professional mechanic look at some of the things that can make a good deal turn bad. It is worth the money in the long run.
When my neighbor bought his new-used motor-home, the first thing he asked for was to see the maintenance records from the prior owner. Once he looked them over and was satisfied no hanky was going on he took it to the dealer.
He had them check the compression in the engine, check the transmission and fluid, examine the brakes and the front end. And so on and so forth. It was worth the money to make sure the vehicle had a solid background.
He even date checked the tires, even though they were new looking, they were 7 years old. That is too old for a tire on a motor-home, the rubber will start to dry rot after 5 years. Often inside, where you can’t see it. Safety first.
The bottom line is, use good judgment and don’t rush into anything. The effort and expense you put into your homework in the process, is well spent. Our Snap-On tool man turned down a used truck he flew all the way to Kansas from Florida to look at, and hopefully drive home. He said that the return airline ticket was the best money he ever spent. He flew back without the truck, it turns out it was not a good value.
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