Buying a used car

Anyone buying a used car should get a car history from CarFax. Quazen has a checklist that you can use. Here is a list from Consumer Reports about best and worst models of used cars.

One thing that has changed over the last few decades is the expected life of a car. Back in the 70's, most people felt they were lucky to get 100,000 miles out of a car before it was so worn out in all its major components that it was essentially worthless.

Since then, the Japanese (primarily) and the Ko reans have raised the stakes, and many makers have responded. American and European have also improved in quality--with the possible exception of Mercedes and Volkswagen. Today it is very common for a car to last 150,000 miles, and many of them last 200,000 miles. This means they last that long without a major failure of a main component. Mercedes and VW have not so much gotten worse as simply stood still, so that now what would have been a perfectly good quality car in the 60s is now below average.

So if you are looking for a "new" used car, do not dismiss cars with more than 100,000 miles.

Do you have a friend who is a mechanic? Does your school, or the HS in your attendance district, have an auto shop program? Do you know its teacher? Ask them what they would charge you to give any used car you buy a good going over and tell you about any obvious mechanical problems. A pressure test on the cylinder heads can give you a good idea of how much the engine is worn. A careful check of the brakes, suspension parts (tie rod ends, shocks, etc.), transmission, differential, and exhaust. Ask them to give the car a quick once over before you buy it--looking for things like blown head gaskets or sawdust in the transmission or differential, and let the buyer know that if the after-purchase check shows something major, you will want a refund of part of the price. If the owner refuses, walk away.

Expect to replace hoses and belts, the fuel, oil, and air filters, the oil, battery, and coolant. If you can do any of these yourself you can save a lot of money. Changing the battery is very easy: AutoZone or CarQuest will test your battery for free and help you change it.

There are a lot of people who are "junk shoppers." They usually have a measure of mechanical knowledge and enjoy working on cars. They will buy a real junker car for $100-$500, then keep it working for a year or two, then sell it for scrap, and buy another. They often do this for a second car, but some will do it for their only or primary vehicle.