how to buy a used car

[nonlinear]

i'm looking to buy a used truck or suv for around 10k, but looking at all of the ads in truck trader, kijiji, and craigslist, it seems like a lot of the vehicles are being sold by shady-looking used car lots. then, i read the thread about the flood-salvaged 2000 corvette drom automaxx (http://forums.beyond.ca/st/172549/warning-dont-buy-from-automaxx-calgary/), and it's got me worried that I could fall victim to the same thing and never know it.

how can one avoid buying a salvaged car? are all used car lots full of these things, are there any to avoid or any that can be trusted? what about a carfax report - would that contain that information? how much does that cost?

i guess i would prefer a private sale, but it jsut seems that so many of the ads are cars from these used lots. what's a guy to do?

also, does anyone know if there are any good mechanics that can take a look at your car, and tell you what repairs you can expect to make after buying the vehicle? what would be the usual charge for this.

[Proboscis]

don't we all

[Weapon_R]

First thing you should do is run a carproof (www.carproof.com). This will cost you about $50 but it'll check liens across the country and search for any accident/salvage history.

If that checks out, take the vehicle to the dealership and ask for a pre-purchase inspection. A good one can cost you up to $350 if you want things like a compression test, but they'll do a pretty thorough job of checking for problems and it can be used to negotiate the price if they find issues.

If you are really paranoid, take it to an autobody shop and see if they'll look to see if they can detect any body work. They will also check for signs of rust, flooding, and any other body related problems.

Finally, stay away from small car lots. They offer no advantages to buying privately, you have to pay tax, and they are almost always shady.

[nonlinear]

thanks a lot weapon_r, that's the info i was looking for :thumbsup:

[Jesus]

Carproof is a definate must. I was about to buy an 04 Subaru Impreza, and after telling the guy I was going to carproof it and run the VIN, and him reassuring me the car was clean, I found it had liens in Ontario and Alberta, and 3500 dollars worth of repairwork done due to a collision. Be careful, and ask lots of questions.

[94boosted]

Originally posted by Weapon_R
First thing you should do is run a carproof (www.carproof.com). This will cost you about $50 but it'll check liens across the country and search for any accident/salvage history.

If that checks out, take the vehicle to the dealership and ask for a pre-purchase inspection. A good one can cost you up to $350 if you want things like a compression test, but they'll do a pretty thorough job of checking for problems and it can be used to negotiate the price if they find issues.

If you are really paranoid, take it to an autobody shop and see if they'll look to see if they can detect any body work. They will also check for signs of rust, flooding, and any other body related problems.

Finally, stay away from small car lots. They offer no advantages to buying privately, you have to pay tax, and they are almost always shady.

Good post weaponr. I had no idea that an inspection could cost that much the most I've ever seen was $150 but carproof is worth it's weight in gold.

[BigMass]

i've long given up on trader.ca for that reason. It's worse than Ebay now where %99 of listings are just businesses. I use kijiji now

[88jbody]

where I work a pre-purchace inspection is $100 but extra if you ant compresion tested as well

[AE92_TreunoSC]

Title and lien checks are vital, as are the mechanic inspections.

I wont let friends buy a car over 2000$ unless I inspect it for them.

[nonlinear]

is it best to take it to a dealership that sells that brand new, or to a good indie shop? i'm not sure about in canada, but in the states the dealerships always had the crappy mechanics... those without ASE certification, etc. my dad is a mechanic and they would always make fun of the dealership mechanics.

but, i'm thinking that at the dealership they would know what to look for on particular cars, cause they see the same ones all the time (?)

what are the best independent shops in the city that could do an inspection?

[CelicaST-162]

Originally posted by nonlinear
is it best to take it to a dealership that sells that brand new, or to a good indie shop? i'm not sure about in canada, but in the states the dealerships always had the crappy mechanics... those without ASE certification, etc. my dad is a mechanic and they would always make fun of the dealership mechanics.

but, i'm thinking that at the dealership they would know what to look for on particular cars, cause they see the same ones all the time (?)

what are the best independent shops in the city that could do an inspection?

Bang On! Take a look at it, if you're interested any further then take it to the dealer and have them look over it. Lien check, etc.
Dealers see their own of vehicles more than any indep shop would, they would know of any TSB's, Recalls etc....

[nonlinear]

^^cool dude, thanks!