I'm going out with my daughter to look at a car for her. She's an adult, she's buying it, I'm just along mostly for moral support. Doing the dad thing. However, it's out of my wheelhouse, and I want to make sure we don't miss anything.

What sort of things to you look for or check when shopping for a used car?

Do you have any suggestions?

Rust, weird noises, etc. If you get there and the engine is warmed up it's a good chance that they're hiding some issue with it running/starting. Also if the engine has been cleaned.

Also things like service history, mileage, and other general wear and tear. Ask questions about issues the car has had, if anything was replaced etc.

Ideally you'd get ab obd2 reader and check for any pending or historical codes. Also check under the car for rust levels. Sniff test for any mold smells, look for any signs of water inside. Check tires, do the shock absorption tests. Listen when revving the engine for any "odd noises" or bogging down sort of noises.

Best thing is if all that looks good, ask to take it to a local mechanic and pay them to do an thorough check of the car - what's worn, what's broken, will it pass any state checks etc. Expect to pay for an hour of labor.

If they balk I'd be really leery of buying - Wonder what they want to hide.

look underneath. if the car is from an area that salts the roads, there will be a lot of rust. don't buy it. you can't fix rust like that. and don't buy a hyundai.

Brakes-male sure their not making noise and the rotors are not all scratched up

No noise from the suspension going over bumps

Then for a particular model of car, research the common problems. Like if the water pump is known to go bad at ~100,00 miles and the car has 95k on it, try to see if it has been replaced recently

Most things aren't deal breakers and you can just fix them after you buy it, but that cost of repairs should be taken off the buying price imo

Make sure tire wear is even. Uneven wear can be cheap or massively expensive to fix depending on the issue.

Drive it from a cold start to make sure it sounds and feels good at all engine temps. You or your daughter needs to drive, not the seller.

Ask a lot of questions and if they don't seem forthcoming with answers then don't buy it.

If a trustworthy shop in your area does inspections on used cars for a reasonable price it is worth the money. Found out about some difficult to see structural rust problems and a leak that would be expensive to fix that saved me from purchasing at one point. If buying from a used car lot then definitely check their reputation and get any guarantees in writing.

If at any point there is a feeling that something isn't right don't buy. There are always more cars out there and falling in love with a used car before buying will endup costing more than it should.

First, know the brand/model you're shopping for so you can read about known issues.

For example, in some Toyota and Honda engine/transmission combinations there are known transmission cooler failures that had recalls or known failure modes. Verifying that had been addressed is important.

Otherwise I just don't buy anything other than Honda or Toyota, and maybe Mazda. The difference in reliability and ease of maintenance from those 3 to all the rest is dramatic. And if you drive one, you'll know immediately if it's alright.

It's worth spending more at purchase for these to minimize down time due to maintenance. Our Hondas just go, every time. We have some from the early 90's in my family - they ain't pretty, but they just work.

Meh, all used cars get their engine cleaned. Hell, I clean mine every few months just to make maintenance less messy.

If it's a dealership they have an intake process that includes deep cleaning.

But everything else is spot on.

How do you check historical codes?

If you don't know anything about cars its probably worth the money for a pre purchase inspection by an independent mechanic

There isn't much you can do/look for these days. Was it well maintained is the real question, and that cannot be figured out except by tearing the engine apart and measuring cylinder wear (using tools few mechanics have). You are looking for signs of trouble, but most of what you care about is hidden, while cosmetic things that don't really matter are visible.

Absolutely this. Just a note: Some surface rust is fine. But if it's rusty enough to cause holes and cracks, then it's a problem.

Older cars will be rusty to a certain degree, so being able to distinguish between surface rust and more severe rust is useful.

Surface rust can be scraped/brushed away and treated. If it's gotten to the point of compromisinh structural integrity, the only fix is cutting and welding in new steel, ir replacing entire parts, both of which can be very costly.

All makes and models have their lemons. I still have a Hyundai we bought used and it's about to turn over 300,000 miles, most of that ours. Your suggestion is interesting, it's one of the key factors in choosing it at the time (only one previous owner and never driven in the north).

Having said that, I wouldn't trust the newer ones. Know your makes, models, and years of production. Including why they changed things and the recalls of the generation. I considered once buying another one like mine I found with low mileage from the same year, as I think it wasn't a fluke, it was a golden era of engines for Hyundai (2006-2011). Just never needed two at a time.

Other makes have their great years too, so learn what to look for, or heavily reach the one in the lot before you even see it. Know what was good, what wasn't, what got recalled.

Stay away from the more modern cars. Way too many flashy things but no way to really repair or even do basic maintenance. Give me something more conventional any day and I can do something with most of it in the garage or yard.

• Check the dipstick. Black oil isn't necessarily bad, but clear oil at least means that it's maintained to some degree. And check the level, of course.

• Check the battery poles. Ideally there shouldn't be any rust on them. If the poles are greasy, the owner knows how to ensure they last for a long time.

• While under the hood, Check for any rubber hoses that seem like they're crumbling

• Yank one of the front wheels sideways. There should be no wiggle. If there is, you might need to replace the "steering knobs" (I have no idea what the English word for it is). None is good, a little might be OK. Loads is a problem.

• Some rust on the brake disks isn't necessarily an issue. Generally, they're the parts that rust the most, and some spots generally just means that that the car has been stationary for a while. Some heavy braking will wear away these spots.

• Run your finger over the brake disks. If there is no lip around the edge, they're pretty new or at least not used. Some lip is expected as the pads have worn into the disks for a while. A very big lip probably means that the brakes should be replaced (Doesn't cost much, and it's pretty easy to do yourself)

I got a mechanic friend of a friend to do this as a "nixer" before (cash in hand, he came to the buy). Worth every penny.

Brand is a poor indication of anything. It is common for brands to put their label on someone else's car. There have been many instances over the years of cars from one brand being rated higher than the exact same car of a different brand, even though the only difference is the brand logo.

I’ll update that person’s comment3 “don’t buy a Hyundai or Kia in a country that doesn’t mandate immobilizers if it’s among the years of Hyundai and Kia cars that are incredibly easy to steal”

Too be fair, aren't the years that that was a thing also the ones that kept having the engine recalls? Seems like one would cancel the other out. Stealing a car... "oh, crap, this one is a POS, never mind."

Hahaha oh you’d hope, but nope. I have a US friend whose kia, with a standard transmission, was broken into and started. They fucked the gears for a bit before realizing they had no idea how to drive standard and left it running, so he woke up to broken windows and no gas and a fucked up clutch. I’ve got another friend who has their newer, push-button Hyundai broken into. The button was very visible.

There’s nothing going through the heads of people who are breaking into these cars—they just see “KIA” or “HYUNDAI” and think “I CAN UZE USB TO TAKE CAR FOR JOY RIDE FAST EHEHEH”

The 2020-2022 generation had better engines and had less chances of dying, but unfortunately didn’t have immobilizers.

Along with what others said, look under at the wheels where the transmission or differential connect to the wheel. There is a rubber boot, make sure they're not cracked or leaking grease.

Check around the vehicle at the seams of where the body panels and doors meet, the headlights. You're looking for anything that looks like the segments aren't spaced the same. Mainly you're checking for previous damage that may have been repaired. If you see stuff not spaced evenly it could mean it was in a collision at one point. Might not be a problem but could mean damage like the frame is bent which can cause problems.

Smell the inside carpets, maybe if you can make them slightly moist, see if it smells musty or look for rust under the seats where the metal is. Could be flood damage. This can lead to weird electrical problems for example and other problems like odors in humidity.

Pull the carpet up in the trunk, check if it has the jack and spare tire, and check if any water accumulating in there.

EDIT: Also check the ceiling inside along the top, look for stains that could indicate a leaking roof.

Depending on how much the car costs, pay for an independent pre-purchase inspection. Few hundred bucks but worth it. I bought a car from Florida a few years back and had it shipped to Seattle without seeing it in person first, but getting an inspection done on it before I pulled the trigger gave me all I needed to know (and I wouldn't know exactly what to look for anyways)

Plug the obd2 reader into the obd2 plug under the steering wheel and read the device. It's pretty simple, but obd2 readers aren't always cheap

It is definitely worthwhile to do this, at my shop we would run a pre-purchase inspection for $50 and it would catch all sorts of shit that you wouldn't think to look for on the parking lot.

Anyone who wants to sell you a car but won't let you get it inspected first on your own dime is not selling a car that you want to buy.

You can get Bluetooth OBD readers for fairly cheap.

I’ve never really thought about bringing one of those to buy a used car.

Corrosion.

How rusty is the under side? Splotches can mean nothing... Flaking is bad or otw to it.

Is there corrosion or water damage in the cabin or under the hood? Run. Pull the inside fuse box cover off or look behind the glove box.

Beyond that... Definitely drive it. Listen to it cold start... Once up to temp drive it (safely) hard.

Pop the hood, trunk, open all the things... Anything look or smell weird?

Carfax/report can shed some light but isn't perfect. Came from Florida right after a bad hurricane... Pass. No oil changes until 30-40k and llc.owned? Prob rental... Possibly abused. Sporadic oil changes? Toss up... Doing your own work obviously won't generate a point... Some shops don't bother... Etc.

When you arrive, make sure the engine is cold.
Check all the fluids.
If there's milkshake in the radiator or the dipstick, that's a no-go.
if the trani fluid is dark and smells burnt, that's a no-go.
Start it.
If it's hard starting, maybe pass.
check the paperwork, make sure the VIN matches and that the title is clear.
I've never had an issue with a car that had a reconstructed title, but also I've only bought cars older than 2000, because fuck modern cars

I have a list but it's easy too long to post here. I tell the sales guy to go away since it's going to be about half an hour before I am even ready to start the car.

I guess one simple piece of advice is to get a code reader and plug it into the OBDII port to see if there are any codes. Done will verify the mileage.

Ummm, there's a lot he can do.

It isn't rust on battery poles to worry about. If there is a bunch of crusty battery corrosion then it is gasses escaping the battery and reacting with air.

It can be cleaned off but if it is quite a lot of it then the battery might be old and need replacement soon.

Not older than 10 years old, parts are going to start failing on your watch. (I make exceptions for toyotas and jeeps)

Not over 140K miles, most common engines start having problems around this time, or require rebuilds.

No Private Sales, they ask too much for the vehicle and know it's about to cost them thousands (some part is about to go) so are just looking to get out from under it. If it was worth a damn, the dealership would have taken it as a trade in for their new one.

must have 4WD or AWD I live in the north, so I'd rather not have to deal with shitty roads in the winter.

For me personally, I also have a rule against ALL GM based products. Those are hillbilly cars and cookie cutter mobiles.

Take it to your mechanic or hire a mobile mechanic to inspect it. It's worthwhile even on the cheapest used cars available nowadays. I and several of my friends have used Lemon Squad before with good results if the car isn't local, but there are plenty of similar services online. If it's local and you know/trust a mechanic already take it there.

To a degree, so definitely something to be aware of.

For example, the Toyota Matrix is largely a Toyota Corolla, but was made as a joint effort with GM. Because of this it suffers from some poor design choices that come from the GM side.

It's still a far better vehicle than any GM product.

Around 2000 Honda bought the Isuzu Rodeo and rebranded it as the Honda Pilot. Because this is Honda, they didn't re-brand garbage but rather a vehicle that was already at 1990's Honda reliability. It was equivalent in overall quality to a 90's Honda Civic. Good vehicle, but on the lower end for ride quality, noise, etc. Those things ran forever (Isuzu built incredibly reliable engines).

Today the Pilot line is fully engineered by Honda and shares parts, drivetrain, etc, with other Hondas. There's nothing Isuzu left.

Even the Geo cars of the 90's (joint projects of GM and Toyota) were way better than GM cars.

So while you make a point, it really has very little bearing on the Japanese big 3. Even their joint project cars are far better than American or European garbage.

GM has sold Toyota's under their name and for substantially worse quality ratings.