Find a cheap, reliable used car with careful preparation
Being ready can prevent getting cheated by some private sellers
When shopping for a low-priced used car, three things will become evident: Some people want to swindle you. Few people take proper care of their cars. The search will take a long time. Last summer, I set out to help my future son-in-law find transportation to his new teaching job near Kalamazoo, Mich. He’s just starting out and was hoping to get a reliable vehicle for $4,000 to $5,000 (U.S.).
Those gems are there, but they’re hard to find. We searched for two months. Eventually, we got lucky. You can too, if you follow these steps: In the beginning Step one: Figure out what you want. In our case, it was a compact or mid-size car with around 160,000 kilometres on it.
In our price range, the general wisdom is to go with Honda or Toyota, which stay reliable with age. But those brands are more expensive because sellers know this, says Ron Montoya, senior consumer advice editor for Edmunds.com. He suggests going with something almost as reliable from another wellknown brand, such as Ford.
We started by searching mainly on Craigslist, but there are multiple websites that list cars for sale. We checked new postings but also searched archived ads for Ford Focuses and Fusions, the Chevrolet Malibu and the discontinued Saturn Aura.
Dealer or no dealer?
Dealers generally charge more, so we decided to focus on private sellers. We hoped for an original owner who kept meticulous maintenance records. We found only one, and the vehicle sold before we could view it.
Montoya says you shouldn’t buy a vehicle that has had more than two owners because tracking the car’s maintenance history is too difficult.
Make the call
The first car we viewed, a Ford Focus, looked great in the pictures. But upon inspection it was clearly abused, something we could have picked up beforehand by talking to the owner. Most of our communication, however, was by text message. So always call the seller. Ask if they are the original owner. If not, when did they get the car? Why are they selling? If the seller is the first or second owner, ask if the car has been wrecked. You’ll want to know how often they changed the oil — about every 8,000 kilometres or less is proper for older cars, 12,000 on newer ones. You can run the vehicle identification number through a site such as Carproof to find its repair history before going to see the car.
Uncovering lies
When you look at a car, bring a rag and a flashlight. Open the hood, check the oil dipstick. If the oil is dirty black, or it’s low, those are telltale signs of abuse. Likewise, automatic transmission fluid should be red and clear. If it smells burned, that’s another warning.
Crawl under the car with the flash- light, where you’ll likely see rust. Look for metal flaking or holes in the exhaust system. Also look for paint in odd places, a sign the car has been wrecked. Listen to the engine for squeaks. Uneven tire wear is a sign of bad maintenance. Drive the car. Does the transmission shift smoothly? Listen for front-end noises, which can signal expensive repairs.
The final step
Once you find the car, move quickly. You could take it to a trusted mechanic to check it out. Check the asking price against the values on several websites. Bring up any problems when negotiating. Try to get the car a little below the website prices. Also, you should check how much it will cost to insure the car.
We ended up with a 2010 Ford Fusion with about 264,000 km on it for $6,000 (U.S.). It has minor body damage and a rust spot that we’ll fix. But it should last at least five years.