How to check if a car you are buying off craiglist wont break down

Probably have your mechanico check out the car first.

 

if you have an android phone, get a bluetooth OBDII scanner and the torque app, plug it into the OBDII port and get the codes, this is isnt always a sure fire way to diagnose a car but its a start. I would always take the car in for a pre-purchase inspection by your mechanic.

Here is a link to what im talking about:
http://www.amazon.com/BAFX-Products...qid=1376845564&sr=1-1&keywords=bluetooth+obd2

 

Took my Honda to the Honda shop before..

Pre purchase inspection is about $100-200 but worth it

 

PPI definitely. I bought my car on Ebay. It was in Orlando and I am in Houston. I had the seller take the car to a dealership of my choice and I paid the dealer to do a PPI for me. Then I flew out there and did a road trip home. Was pretty awesome.

 

There is a little box you can check next to 'has picture' -- just click 'will it break down' and hit search.

 

You can check the VIN on Carfax also to see what the car's history is.

 

Craigslist - a place to buy hookers and cars. That Ferrari's not gonna show up at your door, brah.

(BTW, almost certain this is roll bread)

 

YOU of all people should know this.

 

That's just wrech history.

 

Best way of knowing the reliability of the vehicle is purchasing one with all of the maintenance documents.

If not available, I would do a compression test to see how much life is remaining within the cylinders. I would then run an OBDII scanner to see if it isn't throwing any codes. I would also put it on a lift to check underneath. You can tell a lot about a vehicle from beneath the car. Oil leaks, deteriorating bushings, frame damage, rust issues.

I would also not have the seller start the vehicle pryer to showing up. You start it from a cold start to see how it really runs. Warm engines can hide a multitude of issues that are more prevalent when cold. The test drive is also very important. You must do highway speeds. Hard accelerations and decelerations. If somethings wrong it will pop up under those extreme loads.

 

My best advice is to not buy a car from CL.

 

Just dont pay in full if the craiglist pic shows a BMW M3 but the guy drives into your driveway in a a beat up Subaru.

 

Subaru's are awesome **** my username.

 

And another point I failed to mention is do your research on the car you are wanting to purchase.

If you're looking for something specific know all about it, so that once you're searching and looking at vehicles you know what you're looking at and what to look out for. You can find an online forum for every car and within each you'll most assuredly fine information on what to look out for in purchasing said vehicle. You can then read through the BS that the seller is trying to be convincing about and ask the hard nosed questions.

If you then find a vehicle that meets most of your requirements and has some undesirables, such as minor maintenance, you can then really haggle the price down and save yourself a ton. With that savings you can repair any necessaries and then do a rather good tune-up for future reliability and cost prevention measures.

 

just get a craigslist mechanic to check it. Then convince the nigerian prince that has botloads of money to pay for it. then convince the hooker to pick it up. If all fails you will remain clean of this cluster****.

 

Why are you worried?

You will ride it even if its broken.

 

check if there's raccoons living in the backseat. if there is then the car is a steal.

 

How about you don't buy a car from craiglist....

Furniture, electronics, even kitchenware...fine...a car? Think about your safety man

 

you quoting and responding to yourself on purpose, brah?