Buying a used car or motorcycle?

[Frankie675]

I always buy used cars and motorcycles off craigslist. I recently found out a cool trick that could help anyone else out.

-Sign up for unlimited searches with CARFAX
-The only way you get unlimited searches is by using the license plate #
-Either use their craigslist posted pics and get their plate or request a pic sent to you of the vehicle "head on"

My younger sister needed a super cheap car last week and it was unbelievable how many lies were posted everywhere. The most common problem was someone registering the vehicle only a couple weeks before and were now selling it - this to me means they bought it and had nothing but problems. But we also found people with damaged, stolen, and different mileage listed that said nothing on their cl post.

Hope this helps out anyone else.

[madvlad]

Yes sir, it goes for everything really including phones. Mint condition to people is scratched and just damaged to all hell lol

[3point5]

My trick is to never rely on CARFAX…it's bullshit and it's gives you a false sense of security...

I'm enough of a mechanic to know quite a bit, but I know that I may not know everything…if I buy a used car I pay a independent mechanic ~$150 to have it inspected…

(sidenote - if anyone cares: I didnt do this with the truck I just bought but the transaction included a 2year service warranty/contract…)

[madvlad]

My trick is to never rely on CARFAX…it's bullshit and it's gives you a false sense of security...

I'm enough of a mechanic to know quite a bit, but I know that I may not know everything…if I buy a used car I pay a independent mechanic ~$150 to have it inspected…

(sidenote - if anyone cares: I didnt do this with the truck I just bought but the transaction included a 2year service warranty/contract…)

Yea carfax is kind of a crapshoot, it only says info relied if the car has been through a business or a claim, however there's many DIY'ers out there and that won't show. if anyone is planning to buy a car soon I will gladly do a full tech inspection on it for free. also on the service contracts and the aftermarket warranties you have to be careful and make sure to read throughly and carefully as far as to what's being done and whats being covered

[Frankie675]

Yea carfax is kind of a crapshoot, it only says info relied if the car has been through a business or a claim, however there's many DIY'ers out there and that won't show. if anyone is planning to buy a car soon I will gladly do a full tech inspection on it for free. also on the service contracts and the aftermarket warranties you have to be careful and make sure to read throughly and carefully as far as to what's being done and whats being covered

Oh yeah definitely don't rely on carfax. It's just an easy way to get a quick overview before you even go and check out the vehicle.

[sag]

i ran a carfax on an 08 acura tl type s with 30k miles. came back squeaky clean. had it inspected and the keen tech found it had a bumper replaced and some paint work. confronted owner and got a bodyshop receipt for 9k worth of work after "a truck backed into it in the parking lot". this ticket included door and glass removal before 4.5 hrs of "3 point frame control".

[Ghettodsm]

My trick is to never rely on CARFAX…it's bullshit and it's gives you a false sense of security...

I'm enough of a mechanic to know quite a bit, but I know that I may not know everything…if I buy a used car I pay a independent mechanic ~$150 to have it inspected…

(sidenote - if anyone cares: I didnt do this with the truck I just bought but the transaction included a 2year service warranty/contract…)

Yep! Don't rely on carfax(it is a good tool though) by itself. If buying a used vehicle take it to a shop to get inspected mechanically as well as look for any prior collision damage that may not be detectable. Also to the OP simply stating that "they just bought it and are selling it=problems" is not correct. I have bought cars and not registered it (generally a project car) then register the vehicle right before sale. If you are worried about stuff take it to a mechanic or dealership and have them do an inspection (generally $100 or under for a full mech/collision inspection).

[Ghettodsm]

i ran a carfax on an 08 acura tl type s with 30k miles. came back squeaky clean. had it inspected and the keen tech found it had a bumper replaced and some paint work. confronted owner and got a bodyshop receipt for 9k worth of work after "a truck backed into it in the parking lot". this ticket included door and glass removal before 4.5 hrs of "3 point frame control".

Was this not discolosed?

[asp_125]

I used Carfax to determine where the car was serviced. Then I called the dealership and asked for their complete records of the vehicle. It's a tool but there are limits to what dealers and shops need to report to Carfax.

One Audi I looked at, seemed ok during the test drive. But I took it to the dealer in the carfax and had them do a complete inspection. $100 saved me $3K in missed services and neglected repairs.

[asp_125]

Was this not discolosed?

Often, self performed repairs or under the table repairs are not reported to Carfax. A car could have been totaled, the person can buy it back and rebuild it. Back yard repairs, friends of friend's shops, etc are often not reported.

[Wrider]

Not to mention if it was a single vehicle accident, a lot of times they're not reported.

Besides most repairs aren't reported unless it's at a factory dealer. There's really no reason to report it.

[madvlad]

Not to mention if it was a single vehicle accident, a lot of times they're not reported.

Besides most repairs aren't reported unless it's at a factory dealer. There's really no reason to report it.

As far as I understand any body shop has to report repairs if going through insurance as claims.

[sag]

^my insurance agent said its completely voluntary but body shops that work very closely with insurance companies are usually on the same page.

that acura was fully repaired at a big name body shop in colorado springs and the carfax showed zero evidence of it. the car was being sold by the owners brother in law because hes out of town on business most of the week. the owner was hiding the fact from his brother in law and me. the brother in law was super embarrassed and picked up the tab for the inspection for it and left his brother in law a wicked voice message haha

[madvlad]

No idea that was voluntary, even with more means not to trust carfox lol

[Frankie675]

Here are a few examples that doing a little research helped us out:

- seller listed 130k miles - carfax showed last listed mileage at 190k

- seller said clean co title - carfax showed salvage Texas title with major damage and was reported stolen prior to getting a colo title

These were two cars that actually looked like a good options to check out but instead we didn't even waste time to make a phone call.

When we finally bought a car the seller posted no pics and didn't give very much info. He texted me a couple pics and I was able to see on carfax the last reported mileage around the same mileage he posted, that he was the original owner, and after a quick inspection at a shop we ended up getting a 2002 civic for too good of a deal.

So yes carfax doesn't take into account all the work that has been done all the time. You also shouldn't rely only on the carfax to make a decision. But it is a great starting point to decide whether or not someone is possibly lying.

[3point5]

also on the service contracts and the aftermarket warranties you have to be careful and make sure to read throughly and carefully as far as to what's being done and whats being covered

very true…mine was $2700 for two years/24k miles and very inclusive…Im very happy that I bought it, my transmission had issues last month ($2100), I had a window regulator that broke ($200) and I have a small list of other repairs going. I'll have them all fixed the month before it expires…I fully intend to get my moneys worth!

[madvlad]

Here are a few examples that doing a little research helped us out:

- seller listed 130k miles - carfax showed last listed mileage at 190k

- seller said clean co title - carfax showed salvage Texas title with major damage and was reported stolen prior to getting a colo title

These were two cars that actually looked like a good options to check out but instead we didn't even waste time to make a phone call.

When we finally bought a car the seller posted no pics and didn't give very much info. He texted me a couple pics and I was able to see on carfax the last reported mileage around the same mileage he posted, that he was the original owner, and after a quick inspection at a shop we ended up getting a 2002 civic for too good of a deal.

So yes carfax doesn't take into account all the work that has been done all the time. You also shouldn't rely only on the carfax to make a decision. But it is a great starting point to decide whether or not someone is possibly lying.

Oh for sure, depending on the situation it can actually help. It can't be all bad info.

very true…mine was $2700 for two years/24k miles and very inclusive…Im very happy that I bought it, my transmission had issues last month ($2100), I had a window regulator that broke ($200) and I have a small list of other repairs going. I'll have them all fixed the month before it expires…I fully intend to get my moneys worth!

Yea those warranties and service contracts can help for sure on the long run, however be careful as they may trick you into a crap contract which will not cover the proper services recommended by factory and or repairs after basic warranty expires.

[Ghettodsm]

Often, self performed repairs or under the table repairs are not reported to Carfax. A car could have been totaled, the person can buy it back and rebuild it. Back yard repairs, friends of friend's shops, etc are often not reported.

i know I was simply asking "sag" if the owner/seller had not fully disclosed any prior major collision/mechanical repairs.

[Ghettodsm]

^my insurance agent said its completely voluntary but body shops that work very closely with insurance companies are usually on the same page.

that acura was fully repaired at a big name body shop in colorado springs and the carfax showed zero evidence of it. the car was being sold by the owners brother in law because hes out of town on business most of the week. the owner was hiding the fact from his brother in law and me. the brother in law was super embarrassed and picked up the tab for the inspection for it and left his brother in law a wicked voice message haha

any insurance company that works directly with the body shop in a "DRP"(direct repair process) claim has to report to carfax within generally 60 days per 100% of all insurance companies agreement. State farm i think is 30 days from the completed repair date.