Advice on buying Used Cars.

[Perfectshine]

hello everyone, can someone advice me details on what to check up on the used car before getting it?? TIA.

[Murr1525]

Re: Advice on buying Used Cars.

Are you looking at buying a used Honda from a Honda Dealership, or a car from Bills Used Car Lot?

Some used cars, for instance Toyotas from a Toyota dealer, can come with a better warranty than new cars in some ways. And in those cases, you really just want to look at vehicle history reports, and do a little research on that exact model, make sure it was a good year, etc. You usualy dont need to hire your own mechanic to look it over or anything.

Now from a small odd ball lot, you would want to do the above, and add in a trusted mechanic you can hire for an hour or two to take and look at it.

I am sure others will add in more, but that is a start...

[Superior Shine]

Re: Advice on buying Used Cars.

Check the trunk for a dead body.

[Perfectshine]

Re: Advice on buying Used Cars.

Are you looking at buying a used Honda from a Honda Dealership, or a car from Bills Used Car Lot?

my gf is getting a 2 yr used audi TT from audi dealer and im planning to get a supra at importing used car agents. In this case i would like to help out my gf first as her bank is processing the owner change thing while we can always go for a test drive just to feel and see if theres something wrong.(i seriously dont know what to check other then just hearing how the engine sounds shortly after it starts and testing the brakes while test driving.)

The agent says it's accident free, and the paint all around the car is still in top condition. Bringing a mechanic along would be a good suggestion.

Check the trunk for a dead body.

i've checked the trunk and im unfortunate not to find any.


Thanks for helping guys!

[Murr1525]

Re: Advice on buying Used Cars.

You'll certainly want to you/her to drive the Audi and listen for funny noises, but you should also be able to get a checklist of what they inspected, and what sort if any warranty or coverage is left, and anything she can add, etc.

I dont know how reputable your importer agent is, but espeacialy if they dont do their own work, have their own garage to inspct things, you'll certainly want to hire someone for an hour. You could go as far as actualy taking it to a mechanic and garage, putting it up on a lift ,etc, but that would cost more of course and the dealer would have to agree to it as well.

[SiriusRIMZ]

Re: Advice on buying Used Cars.

Read up on some Audi forums for common problems, and look up TSB (Technical Service Bullitens). See if any have been done, or if they car shows any symptoms of needing one done. While your on an Audi forum, make good friends with some who can run a CARFAX for you. This is all in addition to have a reputiable mechanic taking a good look of the car.

[sprbst]

Re: Advice on buying Used Cars.

check for recalls on the Audi model and year you are buying, do a carfax
to see if its been in any major or minor accidents, or has been deemed a
salvage, and if you have a mechanic you trust have them check it out before you buy the car.

[Kman]

Re: Advice on buying Used Cars.

Run the VIN on Carfax. Check the oil and make sure it's not black. If the car is auto, check the tranny fluid. Check all the belts, and go over the motor bay. Drive the car. See if there is anything wrong with it.

[gr8-wrx]

Re: Advice on buying Used Cars.

As others have mentioned, check out the VW/Audi forums. Is the TT a 1.8T or VR6? If it's a 1.8T, check out the 20vturbo forum...

[qadsan]

Re: Advice on buying Used Cars.

In addition to everything already mentioned, there's some simple stuff you can do. Have someone drive the car down a straight road while you stand behind it or drive behind it and watch how the vehicle tracks. If the vehicle is not tracking straight, then something is up. Here's a short list of quick things to check...

* Tracking - Make sure it tracks straight
* Steering - Steer agressively and check for noises
* Body Work - Check for fillers (i.e. bondo) with a paint thickness gauge
* Tires - Make sure they're the same brand, model, size, evenly worn, etc. Are they properly balanced, aligned, etc?
* Betls / hoses - Make sure the belts & hoses look good
* Battery - are the terminals corroded or damaged under the boots?
* Shocks - Bounce the car a few times to make sure compression & rebound are working properly
* Electronics - test the stereo, CD, windows, seats, memories, air, heat, cruise, etc.
* Service Records - Get all the service records and review them
* Observe - Pay attention to any rattles, squeaks, knocking, etc, and isolate the causes to see if they're serious.
* Leaks - Thoroughly inspect underneath the engine, trans, hoses, calipers, etc, for any leaks.
* Brakes - Be aggressive with the brakes to see how well they work and listen for signs of squeeling / early warning indicators, etc.
* Engine Oil - Look in the oil fill cap for signs of sludge, etc. Look at the oil on the dipstick.
* Trans Fluid - Pull the dipstick and check the fluid. Does it look and smell burned, etc?
* Coolant - Make sure it looks good and there's no signs of bubbles in the system (i.e. head gasket leaking). The car probably has a degas bottle, so you won't be able to check for bubbles. If it has a radiator cap, then remove it while the engine is running (only on a cold engine) and make sure there's no signs of bubbles streaming up through the coolant.

If you take the car to a mechanic, then have them do a leakdown test. Some engines are more difficult to test than others, but a leakdown test will give you a good idea of how healthy the engine truly is.

After you get the car, I would change / flush all the fluids (engine oil, coolant, trans, brakes, etc) so you know exactly where you stand.

Good luck!