Buying a used car : 3 things to look out for (car brahs GTFIH)

[RhinoRush]

Rednecks are usually the roughest on cars.

Lmao knew someone would rise to that bait. So predictable.

 

[billiam]

Rednecks are usually the roughest on cars.

I will admit, redneck engineering can be a bit unorthodox at times.

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

I don't know about Germany but most cars you would find with 12,000 miles in the US would be rental or leased vehicles. Who sells a car with 12,000 miles unless they had trouble with it?

Yes that has occured to me. Good point.

 

[phoenixikki]

 

[jefferz]

I will admit, redneck engineering can be a bit unorthodox at times.

That's a Japanese thing, not a redneck thing. They call it Basoozuku or something like that.

 

[IIIIIIII]

Please help a bro out, since I don't know anything about cars.

I want to buy it second-hand but still pretty new, say, 20,000 Km (12,000 miles) mileage.

Could you name 3 things (to keep it simple) that I should absolutely watch out for / make sure of ?

The only thing I know of is to avoid test drivers and former rental cars.

Other than that I have no clue what can be identifiable on a car that new.

BTW : I have already chosen the model : VW Golf VII Diesel. Can't go wrong with that in Germany where I live.

you're in germany? don't think most of us americans will be able to help out much. germany has so many laws and restrictions on vehicles, it's absolutely insane. simply acquiring a license in germany requires thousands of dollars and hours upon hours of training and tests, etc. i'm talking like driving through different terrains, traffic conditions, breaking at certain distances, etc. i saw it first-hand when my friend was going through her tests. pretty intense stuff.

 

[ralphc1]

Or its a lease trade in?

Which is why i said rent or leased in my post. Most rental companies lease their cars. They are sold used as fleet vehicles.

 

[El_Dyablo619]

Which is why i said rent or leased in my post. Most rental companies lease their cars. They are sold used as fleet vehicles.

Rental companies dont sell their vehicles until its 2yr/50k miles at least

Rental companies buy them at fleet rates, then sell them i.e. hetrzcarsales,enterprisecarsales.

Sounds like it's an owner lease trade in

 

[DrDune]

What year? With 12,000 miles it should still be under a factory warranty which is tied to the vehicle, not the owner. Doesn't matter if it's been sold 6 times, if it's within the time frame and mileage, the warranty still applies.

 

[Losfer Words]

I just went through this with the wife. I am in the states so it may be different but....if you are already financed through your bank DO NOT let the dealership talk you into their financing. We left multiple dealerships because they wouldn't take no for an answer.
They said "we can beat your rate"
We said "don't care, we are going through our bank."
They said "we can finance you through us from your bank (some program they have)"
We said "don't care, we are going through our bank."
One guy even told us we were dumb for not using their financing so we got up and left.
Just be prepared for an ungodly amount of underhanded tactics to get you to finance through them. Beyond that if you are buying certified pre-owned the car should be in good shape.

In the states there is a program called "cuddle" (or something) where the dealership can write the same loan your bank approved you for (if its a credit union). Sounds good, doesn't work...they will get you with BS stuff like way over priced GAP insurance and the like. It should be like a cash buy, if you are already financed.

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

you're in germany? don't think most of us americans will be able to help out much. germany has so many laws and restrictions on vehicles, it's absolutely insane. simply acquiring a license in germany requires thousands of dollars and hours upon hours of training and tests, etc. i'm talking like driving through different terrains, traffic conditions, breaking at certain distances, etc. i saw it first-hand when my friend was going through her tests. pretty intense stuff.

Yeah I'm in Germany. My question really just pertains to the physical car and a common sense sanity check. This is universal !

Oh and yeah, everything here is retarded bureaucratic and complicated.

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

What year? With 12,000 miles it should still be under a factory warranty which is tied to the vehicle, not the owner. Doesn't matter if it's been sold 6 times, if it's within the time frame and mileage, the warranty still applies.

Yeah, there will be a warranty on the car I am buying. So there's that.

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

Definitely get it looked over by a garage you trust before buying (I don't necessarily trust those dealerships 100 point inspections) if you end up getting something with higher mileage than you mention. Carfax or equivalent is also wise.

I prefer to buy from a private seller (might be able to weasel a lower sale price and/or cheat for the registration) but as you are financing that might not be feasible I guess.

Since I will be buying a model with a very potent second-hand market, and from a big dealer, I am afraid that an inspection like what you are suggesting won't be possible.

These cars are gone after a week max.

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

TS, essentially this. Also, really take a look at the body. Not a quick skim, really investigate to make sure you don't see anything. I got a deal on a used car last year and didn't take the time to look at the bumper and noticed after I bought it that it was cracked from the previous owner hitting curbs. I went on to notice 3-4 other things that bothered me. So really look at the body.

But what liljoe said is correct

Txs for reply.

Yeah I am going to prioritise what he suggested, sounds like really good advice.

 

[DaleBoca]

You do know people can still roll back their miles, right? They don't service the car and there is no record of how many actually miles the car has.

Basically stay away from used cars. They are bad news.

 

[God_Emperor_Of_Mankind]

acquiring a license in germany requires thousands of dollars

Jeebus!

Yeah, there will be a warranty on the car I am buying. So there's that.

Bah, carry on ts, if you're buying a certified car it's fine.

 

[ralphc1]

Rental companies dont sell their vehicles until its 2yr/50k miles at least

Rental companies buy them at fleet rates, then sell them i.e. hetrzcarsales,enterprisecarsales.

Sounds like it's an owner lease trade in

Many rental companies don't buy cars because the cars would be titled to the rental company and when they sell them they have to be disclosed as a rental car. They lease cars at special deals from the manufacturers on one or two year leases through a middleman which many be another part of the rental company like a finance division. Since the vehicles were never titled to the rental company, they can be sold as leased vehicles. The lease will show them being leased by a finance company. GE Capital is one of the big ones in the US and Canada.

 

[Jack Reacheround]

When I was in high school I was voted most-likely to become a car brah

Really, how have more people not liked this post?

 

[Hattori]

 

[boingyman]

Buying used can often be a gamble. I agree that taking to a garage or bring a mechanic with you can be helpful. Checking title, carfax, maintenance records. Make sure you do a thorough test drive and check everything there is to check. If you are buying off of something like craigslist try to see if you can find if the same seller is dealing multiple cars. Sometimes the best way to get a used car is through word of mouth. Sometimes luck and timing is on your side and someone you know is selling their car at a good price. I remember my colleague was selling her Acura TL in really good condition. She would have sold it to me for a steal of a price, but I didn't need a car and I didn't want to have to buy premium gas. If it was better timing though I would have snagged it.

There are some shady people out there, however I think that most are pretty honest. If you see a price that is too good to be true, be cautious.