Where/how do/did you find a good used car?

[Denly]

I had 6-7 used cars and I have not get a bad one yet.

Other then the usual things

Scan forums and see what the common problems are, see if they're something you want deal with. BMW I am looking at you.

match all the s/n

look for any oil mark

Check body panels and see if sign of accidents

Look under the car mats

Drive over speed bump and listen

Check oil cap, pull a spark coil

Check all electronics

Looks for tire wears

 

[evident]

I found mine on autotrader from a private seller. I wanted a very specific version of my car, black w/ red interior, RWD w/ mark levinson system and there was only one that showed up within 500 miles. I contacted him and we made the deal.

 

[TridenT]

Check all those places but honestly a luck and timing definitely play a (non-trivial) role.

This is the biggest thing I've found. I've found great deals on Craigslist and otherwise but like all great deals where there's only one item available... It sells immediately and is then gone. Most of what you see on Craigslist and everywhere else is either a bad deal or a bad car. That's what makes up 90%+ of the postings.

 

[evident]

This is the biggest thing I've found. I've found great deals on Craigslist and otherwise but like all great deals where there's only one item available... It sells immediately and is then gone. Most of what you see on Craigslist and everywhere else is either a bad deal or a bad car. That's what makes up 90%+ of the postings.

I'll add- watch out for "curb stoning" on craigslist. You can tell these types of listing by searching for similar cell phone numbers, same types of listing from the same zip code / town, etc. w/ similar descriptions and / or in all caps

Basically, a high volume car dealer "lends" out their vehicles to people to sell them at a different lot location or in my case, some dude who was able to keep 10 cars at his house. He told me he gets the ones that the dealers cant sell on their lot for whatever reason. In the case of the POS 2005 Acura TSX I test drove, literally everything was wrong with it, lol.

 

[TridenT]

I'll add- watch out for "curb stoning" on craigslist. You can tell these types of listing by searching for similar cell phone numbers, same types of listing from the same zip code / town, etc. w/ similar descriptions and / or in all caps

Basically, a high volume car dealer "lends" out their vehicles to people to sell them at a different lot location or in my case, some dude who was able to keep 10 cars at his house. He told me he gets the ones that the dealers cant sell on their lot for whatever reason. In the case of the POS 2005 Acura TSX I test drove, literally everything was wrong with it, lol.

So that's what the hell that is!? Man, I've seen *a lot* of obvious posts that are clearly dealers posting in private party and trying to act like they're a private party.

Jesus... Why is this crap not illegal?

 

[MongGrel]

BMW is on my "Do Not Buy, Ever" list anyway. *snicker*

From everything I've ever know from many people that have owned them, I'd tend to agree.