Member-only story
Things to Look for and Avoid When Purchasing a Used Car
The ultimate checklist for shopping used.
Avoid most cars out of a used dealer lot. They’re either overpriced in comparison to a private party or not well taken care of. Their end goal is to transact for a profit, not help you get into a decent vehicle. Lemon law applies to new(er) cars, not old ones (2013 and up in California as of writing). Also, always take an OBD II scanner to check for codes.
Avoid salvaged vehicles you know nothing about repairing. If you have experience, chances are you aren’t looking through this list for help, anyway. They can be a far bigger headache than you’re expecting.
Avoid the car if the owner’s name according to his driver’s license does not match the registered owner’s name on the title. A number of things could be happening at this point, maybe fraudulent identification, maybe stolen car.
Avoid the first year of any generation of a vehicle. For example, the 2004 Prius is infamous for head gasket issues, 2005–2009 are fine. 2010 Prius is infamous for problems with the coolant pump. The 2011–2015 are fine. 2016 Prius had issues with the axle on one side (usually driver side). All other models are fine.
Avoid cars that have had too many owners. When purchasing a vehicle, go over the Carfax…
