Buy Car Private or Dealer?

[Reformed Roman]

After my previous post I have decided to keep my car for awhile.

But I have never bought a car from a private party. As someone who is not a car person AT ALL, I know there is a lot to buying from a private party. At the same time, when you sell your own car privately you make 1-2 thousand more typically, and you can get a car 1-2 thousand cheaper by buying privately.

At the same time, from my understanding dealers typically look for issues and fix all issues on cars when they come in. Also, dealers are MUCH easier to deal with. As someone who has a car note, it would be easy to just buy from a dealer and have them do the paperwork.

So I want to know what to look out for, If I ever do buy privately how I should handle it, and if I buy from a dealer how I can get a similar price maybe?

What's your experiences buying and selling cars?

 

[Edward]

1) Get a Carfax. It won't tell you everything, but you'll know more than you would without it.
2) If you get to the serious 'about to lay out money' stage, pay a few hundred bucks to have your mechanic check it out.
3) If you buy from a respectable dealer, you should be able to get some sort of limited warranty (in writing, of course). You buy from a private party, you are on your own. And you lessen the chance of getting robbed and shot.

In either event, run the VIN through the recall website and see what it says. https://www.recalls.gov/nhtsa.html

The most expensive way to buy a used car may be through a rental agency. But remember, they dump their dogs at auction. They ones they sell off their own lots are probably already the pick of the crop. Second would be buying a used car from a dealer that sells that brand new. Cheapest way is find someone with elderly relatives that need to have their keys taken away and who has a power of attorney. Although there is a risk that the elderly relative may not take it well and call 911 to report the car stolen - keep a copy of the paperwork handy for a while.

 

[Afterthought]

Make sure you do your research on particular cars before buying. Each car make and model has its own peculiar set of issues. Try to identify them and stay away from ones that have expensive issues to deal with. You can find a lot of information on the internet about common vehicle problems, but you have to be careful in searching: oftentimes, complaints will come from those who tend to complain, so you will need to try to sort out what the real problems are from the imagined.

Also, I personally found the car gurus website useful when searching for a vehicle last year; perhaps you will find it handy too.

 

[Herald]

Buying from a private party usually offers the best price for the buyer. Private sellers are more open to negotiation. The problem with buying from a private seller is the risk if the vehicle has problems immediately after sale. Most reputable dealers will offer at least a 30-day warranty (you can always purchase a warranty for a longer term).

 

[timfost]

I've only ever purchased cars through private party sales. I've had mixed results. Some things to consider:

1. Get CarFax. An R title is not a deal breaker for me, but it's good to know.

2. Pull the oil dipstick. I like to see brown oil, not deep black as this suggests infrequent maintenance. A fresh oil change is also suspicious unless they can show detailed records on maintenance. Be sure the oil isn't milky brown, as this could suggest a cracked head gasket (the coolant would be leaking into the oil).

3. Pull the tranny dipstick and smell the fluid. If it smells burnt, you could have a failing transmission.

4. Test drive and know how many gears you have. You should feel most cars shift under load and you can count the shifts (the tachometer will help you count as well).

5. Do a very thorough inspection. Even if you don't know much about cars. Don't talk much. The more you look at every detail, the more pressure it puts on the owner to start talking. Often they'll volunteer information because they think you found something.

6. Make sure there is no lien.

7. You can purchase an OBD2 scanner and do your own diagnostic test. They make inexpensive scanners that show text results on your phone. https://www.amazon.com/iKKEGOL-Wire...1489204883&sr=8-14&keywords=Obd2+scanner+wifi

8. Does it start up quickly? Does it run smoothly?

9. You generally get what you pay for. I drive a 1993 Ford Ranger that I purchased for $800. I bought it knowing there were some major problems, though there were some unexpected ones. However, I treated it as a learning experience and fixed it myself, starting with ball joints, tie rods, steering gearbox, and eventually when the 5 speed transmission went I rebuilt it simply following instructions I found online. I'm a piano teacher/accompanist, and sometimes it just feels good to get my hands good and dirty.

Even though the used car can throw some unexpected curve balls, not having a car payment generally offsets the occasional headache in my thinking.