His is such a great video for avoiding potential pitfalls when shopping for a used car. Especially for unsuspecting new drivers, eager to buy that used car that they can afford, who would benefit from this advice.
A young guy at my work place told me he found a great deal on a Audi convertible ,showed me the picture , it was a sharp car and the price was indeed low for the year and model, Then the guy says all it needs is a engine part and the error code confirmed it , I cant remember what it was but the car had a hesitation while accelerating and would stall while idling on occasion , The seller said the part was cheap to buy on Ebay or other places and just bought a new car as the reason he was selling it and just wanted it gone, we looked up the part and it was relatively cheap, but I told my co worker, I don't know those European cars can be a money pit, But I think my Co worker thought it was a steal and figured he could flip it for a 1 thousand dollar profit or more, so he bought it, Then that first week he took it to a local garage that did all his auto repair work and quoted him a price of 1600 dollars to put that part on because of the extensive labor required where the front of the motor had to be taken off to get at the part, He shopped around and found another mechanic that was several hundred cheaper and had the work done , but the car still had idling and stalling issues and nobody seemed to be able to pin point the problem next he had the fuel injectors checked and replaced one or two but the annoying problem remained , till it was suggested there might be a electrical problem somewhere and the car needed to go to a place that specialized , so over a period of several weeks he had dumped thousands into that car till finally he threw in the towel and called Car Max or one of those on line car buyers and sold it for half his investment into it and took a beating. Later I told my Co worker, I bet that's why the owner sold it, That car probably nickeled and dimed him and was unreliable till it wore him down and was glad to get rid of it, Sure it looked good , fun to drive and you look cool with it but eventually it will drain all your money, the same way a attractive woman that is a gold digger would
I too was the same way, until I got married with two kids, I told myself No More Used Overpriced European Cars for Me. I only buy Japanese, brands like Toyota, Honda, and Mazda. Why not Audi, Mercedes, BMW, or even VW? Because they are all soo over engineered with unessesary complexity and are purposely designed to fail after their new warranty expires and that's a fact I have been a fool falling for or that status hoopla in the past and almost goin totally broke with exorbitant maintenance costs. Not no more, when my kids are in college and go to university I want to have cash reserves for emergencies, and that's something you can't do if you own any of the European brands save money because they are All Money pits. Sure my friends and neighbors in my nice affluent neiborhood look down on me for driving a new Honda Civic, and a Toyota 4RUNNER, but my Civic Sport Touring Hybrid handles as well or even better than any European car, and it puts a smile in my savings account and my face.😊 A European vehicle would make you cry in agony and pain when their warranty expires. 😢 I choose to be happy 😊 and go Japanese.
Yucky yuck… Since it’s an Audi, I suppose it depends on what motor but if it’s the 4.2 V8 maybe he also missed out on a place to check, the intake valve carbon buildup. When enough char is accumulated it could actually cause misfires and stalling. Could’ve easily avoided those thousands if he knew more about these engines first.
That's one hell of a story alright, but I already have the 100% fool-proof way to fix every single car problem with Audis and Mercedes! I bought a Lexus instead - it's fool-proof
Some used car sellers are more honest than others, But in truth, many models these days are full of sensors, electronics, and so convoluted that they are simply too much of a risk for second or third ownership.
I bring a piece of cardboard with me to slide under the car to check for oil leaks. I also bring a cheap code reader. If they reset the CEL it will show monitors not ready and you know they’re hiding something. You can also bring a small magnet to check for Bondo repairs.
@@TimP-p2h Yeah, certainly the rockers and fenders but there’s still a lot of older cars with metal. I’ve used the old spray foam and Bondo repair on my own rusty cars. In states like Vermont where rust will fail you on inspection many people use that trick.
I bought a used car from a reputable dealership. I did decide to buy the extended warranty, and it's a good thing I did. A few months of ownership and the car developed an oil leak from the rear main seal. Fortunately, due to the warranty I bought, it only ended up costing me the $100 deductible, where it would have probably been several thousand out of pocket to fix the leak. So basically the warranty already paid for itself, and I have three years left on it.
@@chinoyhouse8247 I bought the Ford Protect Premium Care Extended Service Plan. It covers 1000+ components of the car, up to 8 years or 150,000 miles. You can't beat that with a stick, if you ask me. I would never trust a third-party warranty company.
When buying a sports/muscle car, avoid ones that have been modded. Sounds good to get a vehicle with extra HP, but you can pretty much guarantee the owner raced/ragged on the car. On top of this, the vehicle's engine/rear end/transmission may not be able to handle that extra HP, which can lead to future expensive repairs.
Reminds me of an episode on "Married with Children". Al and his friend purchased a 65 Mustang and spent money and time restoring it only to have the police confiscate it because it was stolen.
On my cars I change out parts regularly. I don't wait for them to fail. Change oil (synthetics only), coolant, power steering fluids bleed and replace brake fluid, replace rotors (with ones not made in china) and pads when required (before they fail). check and replace steering and suspension components. My service centre said that it would be great to buy one of my cars because I sell them when there isn't anything else to fix or repair. Yea I am like that. I enjoy the ownership and the repairs most of the time. The BMW X5 was the exception it cost me usually $2000 every oil change (changed at 5 K) for leaks, and engine issues. Sold that before I could fix everything because it kept breaking faster than I could fix it. Even though the VW is suppose to be a problem design, my two VW are going great. The 2.0l Turbo and the 3.6l VR6 have been great, because I do the maintenance.
I’m suffering from OCD when it comes to my cars lol … I have couple nice ones I really love and enjoy , they’re always nice and clean , outside and inside , I do wash the engine on occasion as well , not too often tho , maybe once a year , just to keep it nice and clean … I also use pretty good mechanic who reports everything he does on my cars to Carfax , so all the maintenance , services and repairs are documented
Just hand waxed my 110k mile car in the garage over a couple days. When i do sell a car, the first who shows up has bought the last 5 cars I've sold. I enjoy keeping'em nice. Makes me never covet a new car. Saves a lot of money.
In 2001, I went to buy a new car. I had already gotten an estimate on my trade-in (1997 Lincoln Mark VIII) when the check engine light came on. My friend helped me take apart the dash to remove the bulb, only for us to discover 6 other warning light bulbs removed! No wonder I was having problems every other week with that thing!
My 40 yrs of experience in car business taught me a few things. The odd of buying most of the rental return, off-lease may be a better option than a trade in, a few late model trade-in may have some known problems. A slightly better odd buying from a dealer with good reviews than buying from private owners. I have seen some very good private owned vehicles too, not many , best to have good reference or know the prior owner. A $3K used BMW is a paper weight if it has engine problems with a leaky fuel tank. Just beware.
Great video Mark you hit on all the things you should look for and avoid. Sometimes people think well that is not too bad not realizing how expensive repairs are in this day and age. I am one that refuses to pay the astronomical prices of today. I could buy new if I wanted to, but I cannot invest a large sum of money into something that depreciates as fast as an automobile does. I am getting ready to just put a new engine and transmission in my 2003 GMC Sierra and keep it. 5k for a new engine installed and 3k for a transmission vs. 70k for a new truck with same options. Not to mention the 1999-2006 GM trucks are super reliable and last hundreds of miles while the new models are riddled with reliability issues and do not last. I am hanging on to my GMC!
Thanks very much and great play especially in this nasty gouge fest market. If you can put a few bucks into some parts and buy another 150,000 miles then you are so far ahead finically
I clean my cars and trucks engine bays all the time, with water spray and degreaser. No, I dont go full high pressure jet stream directly at electrical connections. But I hit it with a pretty high flow of water overall. Ive never had a water / electrical problem from this practice. I also own quality Japanese cars. I think your Mercedes electrical problems may have been more related to the fact it was a Mercedes than the cleaning that was done to it. If anyone walks away from the purchase of my car because its clean under the hood, theve made a huge mistake. I do agree I am more the exception than the rule. I often do it with the engine running as well. This helps the dirt rinse off better as the engine remains warm/hot and If I do cause a water related issue, I will know about it immediately. I also do my own repairs so if I would cause an issue its not a big deal. I think more people should do this which is why im writing this book of a post. Its really not hard at all with a little common sense to wash your engine bay without cause for concern. I hate seeing nasty greasy engines. Would I trust another person/mechanic to do it? No, most mechanics these days are absolutely clueless parts changers with zero ability to problem solve. Also, if your inspecting a used car and looking for leaks, the easiest way to spot them is on a clean engine, not a dirty one.
Mach141, you've got most of this right so far BUT... I would very strongly advise you, and everybody else for that matter, to NEVER - NOT EVER clean the engine while it is running!
@@robertmaybeth3434 You going to back that up with a reason, or just talk shit? let me guess, possible electrical sort? I think I covered that. If not I can go into more detail. Electricity will take the path of least resistance, which isnt the path of a light water spray. So what you got?
I bought my certified pre-owned 2018 Honda HR-V four years ago with 60K miles on the OD coming off a three year lease, from the dealership that I had purchased many of my previous cars, albeit all the others were brand new, and the car was detailed inside and out including the engine and entire engine compartment. It came with a 7 year/100K powertrain warranty and a one year bumper to bumper warranty. So in this scenario, just because the engine was cleaned doesn’t mean it was a red flag because it didn’t look like an engine with 60K miles on it. That’s why I only looked at well known dealerships and not private sellers for a pre-owned vehicle. With a private seller you can drive away after a sale and have a major issue and you’re on your own due to having no warranty.
#1 is a massive red flag. All are great advice. Parts don't need replacing on say a 60,000m vehicle unless it's been abused folks. I was a 2nd owner of a 2002 Yaris 1.3L 4sp auto with FSH (Full Service History) here in the UK on ebay (i was the lucky ones) with 65k in 2008, no parts were added apart from brakes,service items the normal kinds of parts...i owned the car for 13yrs till 2021 at 99k with no parts added apart from the normal service bits,front pads,serpentine belt (which i wanted to change) & both sway bar rubber bushes as was advised on a car service in early 2021. I sold the car on & still talk to the new owner with no parts added at all. As from now it has 105,000m with no water pump,thermostat etc replaced as i looked after the car. Changed the coolant with Prestone every 4 yrs incl plugs yet no bad coils were replaced! Changed all the fluids incl P/S in 2017. You know what? It passed EVERY inspection but 2..... just for wiper blades. It was utterly reliable & never broke down, you want reliability you have to pay to look after it,a tow truck aint cheap incl a parking ticket.
Thank you very much for sharing and you are so right about that. Parts will need a change but excessively done usually tells a bit about what happened to the vehicle or what the owner was trying to hide
I sold a 03 S10 with 50000 miles on it to a boy up the road. The day he was picking it up the check engine light came on. I took it up to have the code read. It was a defective gas cap. I bought a new one and gave it to him when he bought it. There are honest people out there. Not everyone is trying to screw over other people. Unfortunately the opposite is true too. My best buying experience has always been with individuals and not dealers. Plus you don’t get all the fees. Educate yourself about cars or at least bring someone with you who you trust and who is car savvy. The scanners are great tools and you can get basic ones for cheap to check for codes.
I helped my new neighbor purchase a used car back in April 2024. He had little car knowledge. We looked at over a dozen cars and walked away from without test driving or starting the engine. A simple walk around and looking under the car was all that was needed to see poor body repair, leaks, panels out of alignment, paint not matching, etc (these were Toyotas). After the 5th walk away he no longer had that shocked "WTF?" look on his face. We found a 2011 Prius with 95k at a Toyota dealer. It was a trade in. The lady purchased a 2024 Prius. OTD cost was 3k more than his original budget of 8K and it took a couple months before he was completely satisfied. He grew up extremely poor so it is hard to put value over cost. He mentioned that if it wasn't for me telling him to take the deal after a long time of negotiating that this was a good car and supply of good used cars is very low and my question was "is it worth the agra dollars to continue searching" convinced him to purchase. In April dealers did tack on extra costs because they could get away with it. Not so much now in Oct 2024.
Yes that is heartbreaking as often it’s the less knowledgeable people and often those who can barely afford these cars, that get hosed by greasy sellers or dealers. It’s nasty and I have seen this even with my own mother and it’s brutal to know there are such scavengers out there.
I 100% disagree with you. I own a 03 GMC single cab Sierra Regency Sport Truck, bought new. Going on 178K miles. The truck gets detailed twice a year, every April, October. Also spray engine with biodegradable cleaner, hose down, at the same time. Sparkling engine compartment. Practically showroom condition. NOT one oil leak. Meticulously maintained. Loaded with update tech, security, remote start, navigation, Bluetooth, audiophile entertainment system, Katskin Leather seats, and more. The last 3 years replaced front end, brakes, shocks, and more. AT tires every 25K miles so looks new. Pampered more than any woman. Not interested in any new overpriced hi tech junk. I also own since new an 015 Nissan Pro4X Xterra, maintained the same. My rigs look like 10K mile vehicles. Not everyone is a pig.
Are you selling it?Hes talking about a car that has not kept in that condition and someone gets in there with easy off type cleqner to remove it with pressure washer who didnt bother wrapping up electrical.. The cleaner is still in many areas and eats away at hoses and causes all kinds of ghoting isdues. Sometimes they get towed from car wash.
@shanehartley484 I might decide to sell my truck. Whoever buys will be getting an awesome machine. I sold a 016 GMC Z71single cab shorted, ebony, loaded and with mods I bought new in 22. Pristine, showroom condition. I once sold a condo, 2002, cherry property. The buyer canceled. Reason was it was too nice to be real. Guess what? I kept their earnest money deposit for taking my property off the market. Their loss.
Hell yeah, go Mark! Great content as always. Used cars that are sold privately is a pretty significant gamble. In many cases they often don’t know either. Or don’t care. What you say about the replaced parts is indeed a good point, I mean, what are they trying to prove? 6/10 it’ll be a car that the owner experienced a significant issue with, had it in for large repairs, seems to work fine, but decided on selling instead of dealing with more of that. Possibilities are endless.
You are very right Marcel and thanks a lot for mentioning. I pinned your comment as it’s a great point. It is always a gamble buying a used car, and while there can be some amazing deals to be found, a person should always think about truly”why are they selling this car?”. Sometimes it’s just upgrading and sometimes it’s a big bad issue or expensive repair that’s needed or imminent. Often people jump ship before having to spend a ton of money. Hope you have a great weekend.
The car may be legit and the seller honest, but I'm always suspicious of ads claiming that all issues have been addressed and the car needs nothing. If the car is so good, then why aren't you keeping it to drive for many more miles? I would!
Hey Mark, I bought my wife a 2014 Mini Cooper in 2015. We purchased it from our local Chrysler dealership. Title was shaky and the dealership owner absconded with money paid for extended warranty. It was a major problem, but we managed to come out of it just fine. However, there were many other victims of this dealership who had even worse issues. My point is, even what seems like an established dealership can scam a buyer. Caveat Emptor...
Great advice. I tend to avoid cars, especially low-milers, with an unusually high number of owners. Sometimes there is a genuine reason but I won’t take the risk. Also, a trusted mechanic’s check and an online check before viewing is important. Great advice as ever Mark, ty.
Mark, another great vid, a super clean engine/bay could also spell a rebuilt wreck or flooded salvage vehicle. Keep up the great work; learn a lot from your channel.
I open up my hood on occasion and wipe off the dust, my Acura has 198,000 and under the hood it looks beautiful, the rest of the car too! I always thought using water to rinse the engine was a BAD idea!
I am still watching this video, but glad I found your channel this week. You seem rather wise. I always have felt, if they are replacing parts aside from tires 🛞 & brakes, why?🧐🤨 It tells me there are significant issues, not good it needs those repairs, but I think they think we spent money on these new parts-I think 🤔 it is a damn red flag 🚩.
I know in Alberta you don't buy a used diesel truck unless you know the owner of the truck and know it's story. Most used diesels have been beaten being a truck in the oilpatch meaning rode hard put away wet.
Thank you so much for this! I plan on buying a used car next year, BUT because it's going to be a luxury brand (BMW or Mercedes) I've been doing so much research so I know exactly what to look out for and your channel has really sped up the process, ESPECIALLY on the used Mercedes video. Keep up the amazing work
Another thing is especially what all these floods you gotta watch out for swimmers because the swimmers should be just crushed all the electrical problems that will come with that are used to work in auto salvage and I’ve seen some horrible things where people actually rinse them out and resell them
That is totally true. Vacuum out the water and spray a little deodorizer and pitch it to some unsuspecting buyer. Terrible thing these people are doing.
Like always, Priceless Information ❤🎉. I will keep my Toyota Corolla as long as possible. As long as I change that CVT transmission fluid every 60 thousand miles and change the engine oil every 6 thousand I really hope I'll be just fine.
I lost 6000 bucks from a neighbor who didn’t have the title. Turned out the car was on consignment. He went to prison and I got about 25 bucks back from the courts. He did it to many people.
Always Bring a obd car scanner, whenever you look to buy a used car. Sometimes they'll erase the check engine codes before the buyer shows up. Pre-owned vehicles at franchise dealerships are the best bet, I've never seen check engine lights at dealerships, but still run a scan on it. Always beware from buying a used car from some Braciole on the street.
yeah, I saw WD detailing power wash the engine in a video yesterday and I'm like....never gonna touch one of my cars! It did have a blown head gasket, but still....there are electronics in that area that aren't swapped out with a new engine or rebuild. They also spray liquid cleaner directly on the electronics inside too....yikes
Unfortunately private sellers and private buyers are becoming a thing of the past. Too many scams and too much risk..Back "in the day" people would seek out a low mileage, one owner cream puff, immaculate with all service history, good tires, etc. The buyer would save on the retail price and the seller would get more than average trade. Now a used car manager does a 1 minute walk around, asks if you have both keys and you get a black book pre-auction wholesale offer, take it or leave it. Begs the questions as to why pamper the car and keep detailed records if you're planning to trade it in a few years? The dealer isn't going to care one bit that you waxed it and kept every oil change receipt. So it's a self-licking ice cream cone. Used cars suck because the owners know they will get nothing for them so why bother with meticulous care. The dealership is going to send to auction so they don't care either..
Wow ! I wash my engine bay about every other time I go to the car wash 😳. I never go high pressure because anyone that ever had a motorcycle understands why not . I just soak the engine bay with tire cleaner then spray it off . However I never pull the pressure trigger . I always thought that shroud on top of these engines kept the water out of the venerable components.
That shroud is what they sometimes call a "beauty cover". It's only conceivable purpose is to hold heat inside the engine thus baking the wiring and connections that much more thoroughly than it would without them. My Lexus 460 came with the entire engine compartment covered with this dumb black plastic. I took almost all of it except the center plastic cover off, and just left it off.
@ my 13 es 350 has it on it . I honestly thought it was there to keep water from being sprayed into the electrical components 😳 Guess I’m never too old to learn a new trick
@@ramie-uz9xi The last time I had her serviced the mechanic told me i should put all the plastic back on, for air flow through the engine compartment. He might be right, and it might make a slight difference. But i don't think i'm doing that.
@ I got ya . Makes you wonder why they would go the expense of making parts that served no purpose. Best hold on to anything that works . Nothing they make now compares to cars they made 5-10 + years ago
@@ramie-uz9xi Yes it's a disturbing trend, when i finally realized they are actually making almost every consumer good in a way that's worse than the one they made before it.
Come across used car dealers that demand a deposit up front just to "test drive" the car in particular Hazelton PA, good to check reviews of dealers, that's a red flag if numerous people have the same complaint. NY has numerous dealers that sell cars that "come with an inspection" but don't pay the $10-20 for inspection, some state there's nothing needed for inspection yet want $500 to get it inspected, clearly it needs something, either way the dealer wants to consumer to pay for whatever is needed, typically such a car is below KBB value.
I'm not a buyer anymore but I'd be concerned by flood/hurricane total-loss cars that have been auctioned off, prettied up, shipped to a new state and relicensed. BE careful! do they still call that a texas-title?
Your wrong about a dirty enguine my suburban has 144k miles and I keep my enguine clean,as a truck driver I keep everything immaculate, but to me a red flag,is the car has 40k miles and 4 owners why do they keep dumping the vehicle😊
There was a time when selling your used car (private sale) before fancy electronics that you could put motor honey in the crank case to stop the oil burning for the test drive, some radiator / head gasket sealer, fill a few rust holes in the frame with Bondo and cover that with spray rubber undercoat and a quick steam bath and clear lacquer spray under the hood to make it shiny. Private seller's mind set: "I am so done with this money pit". "Rattle can restoration" time! "There is a sucker for very seat". I got hosed on buyer a VW once; "as is".
Up here in the middle of nowhere Butt Screw Canada, used cars are selling for near new car prices. It's tempting to just pony up a couple of thousand more and buy a new car that hasn't been neglected or abused.
I appreciate the click bate title but the real life education. Some RUclipsrs are just shaming car prices and dealerships without any education and only putting out negativity. Thank you for being the exception.
I had a 2014 ford focus, it was horrible, finally got the dealership to replace the clutch, was better and then it started acting the same way, my son had it and had the transmission replaced, ford paid for it, but he got rid of it anyway
Carmax buys from fleet auctions and do the research. Ask for the history it should be on the listing. If it’s been to four auction in four states- guess what? It’s probably a insurance total or rebuilt. They washed the title for their magical warranties. They’ll buy anything from anyone and spice it up
would the insurance company check title when you insure it? whag about auctions. i tried to go to one and they never have one.? i think.its bidding before timeline like ebay? i went in checked out a car and auction date. went there on the date no auction. k asked the guy working he said online auction they dont do in person anymore. . stqrt it but cant test drive? Why are they all from usa or Eastern Canada and we send our cars out there.Also test cars from manufacturers.
Also watch out for I purchase a car 🚗 in December 30,2023 had the car the hold day I drove my car home parked in my driveway. Wake up the next day this car was changed out to another car a total difference color the inside was stained up seats and rug was dirty the motor was different too less parts under the hood. They had placed stickers papers everywhere. They had illegal did another contract with the computer doing the sign in. I turned my tag back in and parked this car back on there lot. The hell with credit the way the economy going no one going to need a car 🚗. True story 😢
No car is complete without the "check engine" light on 🤣🤣🤣,I always believe that the check engine light is a scam,my 99 Pontiac Grand Prix GT has the service engine soon light on for five years and the car still runs like new and is properly maintained.
Why were so many parts replaced?! Maintenance, sir! The newer cars are actually worse, not better. They are made with more plastic and cheaper parts. Ask any decent mechanic.
Thanks for watching. Of course parts get swapped, but sometimes it seems like too much going on that does not align with miles or type of vehicle in general
But even then what parts are they putting on it? Is it OEM (or at least a quality aftermarket part like say a denso sensor) or did they use cheapest aftermarket parts.
Don't waste your money. My son works at a Mercedes agency as a service writer. Experienced luxury car buyers only lease a Mercedes, BMW or Audi. He has to explain why a 3 or 4 year old luxury cars need $5,000 dollars worth of work. His suggestion was buy a Lexus. I bought a 2021 Lexus Is 350. Best car I've ever owned. It's basically a fancy Toyota they even have Toyota engines. It should go 200 to 300 thousand miles with regular maintenance.
im trying to sell a car right now with check engine light and i just dont want to fix it its not that i cant i dont really want to fix it lol i literally bought another car cause im just tired of the car.
Sure sure. So ok. Either buy a used car, 70k kilometers on the clock, less than half the price of a used one, and pay about $2000 to make it perfect. Or, buy a new one, that is $20000 more, and breaks down in the first 10000km, take to dealer, then they blame you, and you sit with much more problems. My one customer bought a new Jeep. Paid quite a lot, left the dealership. About 18km into his trip home, engine seized. Dealership never looked to see if there is oil in. There was oil in when he test drove it, but the day the finance cleared, my customer did not think to check again. Car is standing at dealership for years now, bank is suing my customer because of arrear payments and dealership says HE did something while driving to cause this, and it was not the car being out of oil. Mysteriously also the dealerships cameras did not record that day. DONT think for one second new is better
I agree. Nowadays cars are built cheaply, too many sensors. For me because I drive very little it would also be a lot of money lost to inflation... but the problem is the prices of used Toyotas that I am interested in are so high and the cars have so many miles, you might be better off buying a brand new car
Might show car is lightly driven as owner spent most of the time doing something other than driving. Also might show car is good for picking up women. YEAH, buy that car.
Your statement about having a clean engine bay is hogwash. Some of us who take care of our cars keep our engine bays immaculate. Dust and dirt get into places and cause wear. These pieces of sand and debris can get into intakes, ruin batteries... I have multiple cars my oldest is a nearly 30 year old Volvo 850 Platinum turbo wagon and it is immaculate under the hood as are all my cars. I drip oil somewhere on an oil change it gets cleaned. I a proud of the effort I put into my cars...
His is such a great video for avoiding potential pitfalls when shopping for a used car. Especially for unsuspecting new drivers, eager to buy that used car that they can afford, who would benefit from this advice.
Thanks
A young guy at my work place told me he found a great deal on a Audi convertible ,showed me the picture , it was a sharp car and the price was indeed low for the year and model, Then the guy says all it needs is a engine part and the error code confirmed it , I cant remember what it was but the car had a hesitation while accelerating and would stall while idling on occasion , The seller said the part was cheap to buy on Ebay or other places and just bought a new car as the reason he was selling it and just wanted it gone, we looked up the part and it was relatively cheap, but I told my co worker, I don't know those European cars can be a money pit, But I think my Co worker thought it was a steal and figured he could flip it for a 1 thousand dollar profit or more, so he bought it, Then that first week he took it to a local garage that did all his auto repair work and quoted him a price of 1600 dollars to put that part on because of the extensive labor required where the front of the motor had to be taken off to get at the part, He shopped around and found another mechanic that was several hundred cheaper and had the work done , but the car still had idling and stalling issues and nobody seemed to be able to pin point the problem next he had the fuel injectors checked and replaced one or two but the annoying problem remained , till it was suggested there might be a electrical problem somewhere and the car needed to go to a place that specialized , so over a period of several weeks he had dumped thousands into that car till finally he threw in the towel and called Car Max or one of those on line car buyers and sold it for half his investment into it and took a beating. Later I told my Co worker, I bet that's why the owner sold it, That car probably nickeled and dimed him and was unreliable till it wore him down and was glad to get rid of it, Sure it looked good , fun to drive and you look cool with it but eventually it will drain all your money, the same way a attractive woman that is a gold digger would
I too was the same way, until I got married with two kids, I told myself No More Used Overpriced European Cars for Me. I only buy Japanese, brands like Toyota, Honda, and Mazda. Why not Audi, Mercedes, BMW, or even VW? Because they are all soo over engineered with unessesary complexity and are purposely designed to fail after their new warranty expires and that's a fact I have been a fool falling for or that status hoopla in the past and almost goin totally broke with exorbitant maintenance costs. Not no more, when my kids are in college and go to university I want to have cash reserves for emergencies, and that's something you can't do if you own any of the European brands save money because they are All Money pits. Sure my friends and neighbors in my nice affluent neiborhood look down on me for driving a new Honda Civic, and a Toyota 4RUNNER, but my Civic Sport Touring Hybrid handles as well or even better than any European car, and it puts a smile in my savings account and my face.😊 A European vehicle would make you cry in agony and pain when their warranty expires. 😢 I choose to be happy 😊 and go Japanese.
Buying a used Audi is always a smart thing to do, ROFL. Only a democrat would do something that stupid. Vote Kamala!@
Yucky yuck… Since it’s an Audi, I suppose it depends on what motor but if it’s the 4.2 V8 maybe he also missed out on a place to check, the intake valve carbon buildup. When enough char is accumulated it could actually cause misfires and stalling. Could’ve easily avoided those thousands if he knew more about these engines first.
Gold digger cars, not something I want to deal with. 🤔😯
That's one hell of a story alright, but I already have the 100% fool-proof way to fix every single car problem with Audis and Mercedes!
I bought a Lexus instead - it's fool-proof
Some used car sellers are more honest than others, But in truth, many models these days are full of sensors, electronics, and so convoluted that they are simply too much of a risk for second or third ownership.
You are right. There are many honest people but sadly, there are too many shady operators and it’s sometime hard to tell the difference
Mark, dropping Knowledge on Saturday mornings, is a part of my routine nowadays! ❤
Thanks so much David. Welcome and good morning.
I bring a piece of cardboard with me to slide under the car to check for oil leaks. I also bring a cheap code reader. If they reset the CEL it will show monitors not ready and you know they’re hiding something. You can also bring a small magnet to check for Bondo repairs.
Forgot about the ol' magnet trick . Good add!
Magnets for Bondo is a 70s thing..Now everything is plastic.
@@TimP-p2h Yeah, certainly the rockers and fenders but there’s still a lot of older cars with metal. I’ve used the old spray foam and Bondo repair on my own rusty cars. In states like Vermont where rust will fail you on inspection many people use that trick.
Bondo repairs 😂😂😂
I bought a used car from a reputable dealership. I did decide to buy the extended warranty, and it's a good thing I did. A few months of ownership and the car developed an oil leak from the rear main seal. Fortunately, due to the warranty I bought, it only ended up costing me the $100 deductible, where it would have probably been several thousand out of pocket to fix the leak. So basically the warranty already paid for itself, and I have three years left on it.
What is your warranty provider?
@@chinoyhouse8247 I bought the Ford Protect Premium Care Extended Service Plan. It covers 1000+ components of the car, up to 8 years or 150,000 miles. You can't beat that with a stick, if you ask me. I would never trust a third-party warranty company.
When buying a sports/muscle car, avoid ones that have been modded. Sounds good to get a vehicle with extra HP, but you can pretty much guarantee the owner raced/ragged on the car. On top of this, the vehicle's engine/rear end/transmission may not be able to handle that extra HP, which can lead to future expensive repairs.
Stock is best
I agree with Mark , he tells the truth. I’ve been a tech for 40 yrs. Retired now. It takes a long time to learn about these pitfalls.
Thank you very much. Hope you have a great weekend. Yes there are too many scams out there and people need a bit of a heads up. Cheers
Reminds me of an episode on "Married with Children". Al and his friend purchased a 65 Mustang and spent money and time restoring it only to have the police confiscate it because it was stolen.
Yes that sounds about right and it happens every day to ma y people
The most realistic part of that show was the way the family related to each other.
On my cars I change out parts regularly.
I don't wait for them to fail.
Change oil (synthetics only), coolant, power steering fluids bleed and replace brake fluid, replace rotors (with ones not made in china) and pads when required (before they fail). check and replace steering and suspension components.
My service centre said that it would be great to buy one of my cars because I sell them when there isn't anything else to fix or repair.
Yea I am like that. I enjoy the ownership and the repairs most of the time. The BMW X5 was the exception it cost me usually $2000 every oil change (changed at 5 K) for leaks, and engine issues. Sold that before I could fix everything because it kept breaking faster than I could fix it. Even though the VW is suppose to be a problem design, my two VW are going great. The 2.0l Turbo and the 3.6l VR6 have been great, because I do the maintenance.
Hi, what year was your X5 and what engine did it have? I know the V8's were very problematic.
I agree preventative maintenance is always best for predicted reliability
I’m suffering from OCD when it comes to my cars lol … I have couple nice ones I really love and enjoy , they’re always nice and clean , outside and inside , I do wash the engine on occasion as well , not too often tho , maybe once a year , just to keep it nice and clean … I also use pretty good mechanic who reports everything he does on my cars to Carfax , so all the maintenance , services and repairs are documented
That’s the type of ownership that shows in a positive way and owners like yourselves are the ones people love to buy cars from
Me too. I like to keep the engine area clean, even though it's not always "nice".
Just hand waxed my 110k mile car in the garage over a couple days. When i do sell a car, the first who shows up has bought the last 5 cars I've sold. I enjoy keeping'em nice. Makes me never covet a new car. Saves a lot of money.
Im the same way, even with the undercarriage.
In 2001, I went to buy a new car. I had already gotten an estimate on my trade-in (1997 Lincoln Mark VIII) when the check engine light came on. My friend helped me take apart the dash to remove the bulb, only for us to discover 6 other warning light bulbs removed! No wonder I was having problems every other week with that thing!
My 40 yrs of experience in car business taught me a few things. The odd of buying most of the rental return, off-lease may be a better option than a trade in, a few late model trade-in may have some known problems. A slightly better odd buying from a dealer with good reviews than buying from private owners. I have seen some very good private owned vehicles too, not many , best to have good reference or know the prior owner. A $3K used BMW is a paper weight if it has engine problems with a leaky fuel tank. Just beware.
Thanks so much for sharing and very true indeed
Great video Mark you hit on all the things you should look for and avoid. Sometimes people think well that is not too bad not realizing how expensive repairs are in this day and age. I am one that refuses to pay the astronomical prices of today. I could buy new if I wanted to, but I cannot invest a large sum of money into something that depreciates as fast as an automobile does. I am getting ready to just put a new engine and transmission in my 2003 GMC Sierra and keep it. 5k for a new engine installed and 3k for a transmission vs. 70k for a new truck with same options. Not to mention the 1999-2006 GM trucks are super reliable and last hundreds of miles while the new models are riddled with reliability issues and do not last. I am hanging on to my GMC!
Thanks very much and great play especially in this nasty gouge fest market. If you can put a few bucks into some parts and buy another 150,000 miles then you are so far ahead finically
I clean my cars and trucks engine bays all the time, with water spray and degreaser. No, I dont go full high pressure jet stream directly at electrical connections. But I hit it with a pretty high flow of water overall. Ive never had a water / electrical problem from this practice. I also own quality Japanese cars. I think your Mercedes electrical problems may have been more related to the fact it was a Mercedes than the cleaning that was done to it. If anyone walks away from the purchase of my car because its clean under the hood, theve made a huge mistake. I do agree I am more the exception than the rule. I often do it with the engine running as well. This helps the dirt rinse off better as the engine remains warm/hot and If I do cause a water related issue, I will know about it immediately. I also do my own repairs so if I would cause an issue its not a big deal. I think more people should do this which is why im writing this book of a post. Its really not hard at all with a little common sense to wash your engine bay without cause for concern. I hate seeing nasty greasy engines. Would I trust another person/mechanic to do it? No, most mechanics these days are absolutely clueless parts changers with zero ability to problem solve. Also, if your inspecting a used car and looking for leaks, the easiest way to spot them is on a clean engine, not a dirty one.
I use brake cleaner to clean the engine bay. Expensive, but it doesn’t damage anything like water does.
@@MichaelNomura-i9n I cant stand the smell of that stuff. It smells like death in a can...lol
@@Mach141 👍Use it in a well ventilated area.
Mach141, you've got most of this right so far BUT... I would very strongly advise you, and everybody else for that matter, to NEVER - NOT EVER clean the engine while it is running!
@@robertmaybeth3434 You going to back that up with a reason, or just talk shit? let me guess, possible electrical sort? I think I covered that. If not I can go into more detail. Electricity will take the path of least resistance, which isnt the path of a light water spray. So what you got?
I bought my certified pre-owned 2018 Honda HR-V four years ago with 60K miles on the OD coming off a three year lease, from the dealership that I had purchased many of my previous cars, albeit all the others were brand new, and the car was detailed inside and out including the engine and entire engine compartment. It came with a 7 year/100K powertrain warranty and a one year bumper to bumper warranty. So in this scenario, just because the engine was cleaned doesn’t mean it was a red flag because it didn’t look like an engine with 60K miles on it. That’s why I only looked at well known dealerships and not private sellers for a pre-owned vehicle. With a private seller you can drive away after a sale and have a major issue and you’re on your own due to having no warranty.
The difference here is that you were very familiar with the dealershIp. You pay a little more but that good relationship is priceless.
Cheers
#1 is a massive red flag. All are great advice. Parts don't need replacing on say a 60,000m vehicle unless it's been abused folks. I was a 2nd owner of a 2002 Yaris 1.3L 4sp auto with FSH (Full Service History) here in the UK on ebay (i was the lucky ones) with 65k in 2008, no parts were added apart from brakes,service items the normal kinds of parts...i owned the car for 13yrs till 2021 at 99k with no parts added apart from the normal service bits,front pads,serpentine belt (which i wanted to change) & both sway bar rubber bushes as was advised on a car service in early 2021. I sold the car on & still talk to the new owner with no parts added at all. As from now it has 105,000m with no water pump,thermostat etc replaced as i looked after the car. Changed the coolant with Prestone every 4 yrs incl plugs yet no bad coils were replaced! Changed all the fluids incl P/S in 2017. You know what? It passed EVERY inspection but 2..... just for wiper blades. It was utterly reliable & never broke down, you want reliability you have to pay to look after it,a tow truck aint cheap incl a parking ticket.
Thank you very much for sharing and you are so right about that. Parts will need a change but excessively done usually tells a bit about what happened to the vehicle or what the owner was trying to hide
That Yaris version is underpowered. What you UK drivers need is the 1nz-fe Yaris engine.
I sold a 03 S10 with 50000 miles on it to a boy up the road. The day he was picking it up the check engine light came on. I took it up to have the code read. It was a defective gas cap. I bought a new one and gave it to him when he bought it. There are honest people out there. Not everyone is trying to screw over other people. Unfortunately the opposite is true too. My best buying experience has always been with individuals and not dealers. Plus you don’t get all the fees. Educate yourself about cars or at least bring someone with you who you trust and who is car savvy. The scanners are great tools and you can get basic ones for cheap to check for codes.
Thanks for watching
I helped my new neighbor purchase a used car back in April 2024. He had little car knowledge. We looked at over a dozen cars and walked away from without test driving or starting the engine. A simple walk around and looking under the car was all that was needed to see poor body repair, leaks, panels out of alignment, paint not matching, etc (these were Toyotas). After the 5th walk away he no longer had that shocked "WTF?" look on his face. We found a 2011 Prius with 95k at a Toyota dealer. It was a trade in. The lady purchased a 2024 Prius. OTD cost was 3k more than his original budget of 8K and it took a couple months before he was completely satisfied. He grew up extremely poor so it is hard to put value over cost. He mentioned that if it wasn't for me telling him to take the deal after a long time of negotiating that this was a good car and supply of good used cars is very low and my question was "is it worth the agra dollars to continue searching" convinced him to purchase. In April dealers did tack on extra costs because they could get away with it. Not so much now in Oct 2024.
Yes that is heartbreaking as often it’s the less knowledgeable people and often those who can barely afford these cars, that get hosed by greasy sellers or dealers. It’s nasty and I have seen this even with my own mother and it’s brutal to know there are such scavengers out there.
I 100% disagree with you. I own a 03 GMC single cab Sierra Regency Sport Truck, bought new. Going on 178K miles. The truck gets detailed twice a year, every April, October. Also spray engine with biodegradable cleaner, hose down, at the same time. Sparkling engine compartment. Practically showroom condition. NOT one oil leak. Meticulously maintained. Loaded with update tech, security, remote start, navigation, Bluetooth, audiophile entertainment system, Katskin Leather seats, and more. The last 3 years replaced front end, brakes, shocks, and more. AT tires every 25K miles so looks new. Pampered more than any woman. Not interested in any new overpriced hi tech junk. I also own since new an 015 Nissan Pro4X Xterra, maintained the same. My rigs look like 10K mile vehicles. Not everyone is a pig.
Are you selling it?Hes talking about a car that has not kept in that condition and someone gets in there with easy off type cleqner to remove it with pressure washer who didnt bother wrapping up electrical.. The cleaner is still in many areas and eats away at hoses and causes all kinds of ghoting isdues. Sometimes they get towed from car wash.
@shanehartley484 I might decide to sell my truck. Whoever buys will be getting an awesome machine. I sold a 016 GMC Z71single cab shorted, ebony, loaded and with mods I bought new in 22. Pristine, showroom condition. I once sold a condo, 2002, cherry property. The buyer canceled. Reason was it was too nice to be real. Guess what? I kept their earnest money deposit for taking my property off the market. Their loss.
@@shanehartley484 And like I said, I use biodegradable cleaner on the engine compartment.
Huh good for you. Not all have the resources or time they drive them so what is your point
Thanks for this video. I get VALUE from ALL your videos. You have a new subscriber.
Awesome, thank you! Welcome aboard.
Hell yeah, go Mark! Great content as always.
Used cars that are sold privately is a pretty significant gamble.
In many cases they often don’t know either. Or don’t care.
What you say about the replaced parts is indeed a good point, I mean, what are they trying to prove?
6/10 it’ll be a car that the owner experienced a significant issue with, had it in for large repairs, seems to work fine, but decided on selling instead of dealing with more of that.
Possibilities are endless.
You are very right Marcel and thanks a lot for mentioning. I pinned your comment as it’s a great point. It is always a gamble buying a used car, and while there can be some amazing deals to be found, a person should always think about truly”why are they selling this car?”. Sometimes it’s just upgrading and sometimes it’s a big bad issue or expensive repair that’s needed or imminent. Often people jump ship before having to spend a ton of money. Hope you have a great weekend.
Cool story bra
The car may be legit and the seller honest, but I'm always suspicious of ads claiming that all issues have been addressed and the car needs nothing. If the car is so good, then why aren't you keeping it to drive for many more miles? I would!
Hey Mark, I bought my wife a 2014 Mini Cooper in 2015. We purchased it from our local Chrysler dealership. Title was shaky and the dealership owner absconded with money paid for extended warranty. It was a major problem, but we managed to come out of it just fine. However, there were many other victims of this dealership who had even worse issues. My point is, even what seems like an established dealership can scam a buyer. Caveat Emptor...
You are totally right. Don’t assume the big shiny sign and large lot means reputable. Many greasy dealers out there.
Another great video, Exotic Car Play Place, Thank You.
Thank you very much for the support
Great advice. I tend to avoid cars, especially low-milers, with an unusually high number of owners. Sometimes there is a genuine reason but I won’t take the risk. Also, a trusted mechanic’s check and an online check before viewing is important. Great advice as ever Mark, ty.
Mark, another great vid, a super clean engine/bay could also spell a rebuilt wreck or flooded salvage vehicle. Keep up the great work; learn a lot from your channel.
Thanks very much and good morning. You are right as there are so many flooded vehicles these days, that it’s entirely possible.
I open up my hood on occasion and wipe off the dust, my Acura has 198,000 and under the hood it looks beautiful, the rest of the car too! I always thought using water to rinse the engine was a BAD idea!
I am still watching this video, but glad I found your channel this week. You seem rather wise. I always have felt, if they are replacing parts aside from tires 🛞 & brakes, why?🧐🤨 It tells me there are significant issues, not good it needs those repairs, but I think they think we spent money on these new parts-I think 🤔 it is a damn red flag 🚩.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.
I hope it can help those shopping for a used car so they can avoid some of the pitfalls
My pleasure!
Another great informative video Mark, I appreciate you helping everyone to avoid these problems 👍 😀 😉 👌
Thanks a lot Vincent I really appreciate you watching. Have a great weekend
@ECPP have a great weekend as well Mark and I hope that your family is good 👍
I know in Alberta you don't buy a used diesel truck unless you know the owner of the truck and know it's story. Most used diesels have been beaten being a truck in the oilpatch meaning rode hard put away wet.
You are totally right about that
Thank you so much for this!
I plan on buying a used car next year, BUT because it's going to be a luxury brand (BMW or Mercedes) I've been doing so much research so I know exactly what to look out for and your channel has really sped up the process, ESPECIALLY on the used Mercedes video.
Keep up the amazing work
Another thing is especially what all these floods you gotta watch out for swimmers because the swimmers should be just crushed all the electrical problems that will come with that are used to work in auto salvage and I’ve seen some horrible things where people actually rinse them out and resell them
That is totally true. Vacuum out the water and spray a little deodorizer and pitch it to some unsuspecting buyer. Terrible thing these people are doing.
Like always, Priceless Information ❤🎉. I will keep my Toyota Corolla as long as possible. As long as I change that CVT transmission fluid every 60 thousand miles and change the engine oil every 6 thousand I really hope I'll be just fine.
Yes the Corolla is a solid choice
The Title is something the Car Wizard talks about.
NEVER buy a car unless it has a clear title.
Yes that’s a very important factor or all else really may not matter
I lost 6000 bucks from a neighbor who didn’t have the title. Turned out the car was on consignment. He went to prison and I got about 25 bucks back from the courts. He did it to many people.
Always Bring a obd car scanner, whenever you look to buy a used car. Sometimes they'll erase the check engine codes before the buyer shows up. Pre-owned vehicles at franchise dealerships are the best bet, I've never seen check engine lights at dealerships, but still run a scan on it. Always beware from buying a used car from some Braciole on the street.
Always insightful info ..keep the drive alive
Thank you
yeah, I saw WD detailing power wash the engine in a video yesterday and I'm like....never gonna touch one of my cars! It did have a blown head gasket, but still....there are electronics in that area that aren't swapped out with a new engine or rebuild. They also spray liquid cleaner directly on the electronics inside too....yikes
I agree, these days it’s simply too risky to spray water all over.
Unfortunately private sellers and private buyers are becoming a thing of the past. Too many scams and too much risk..Back "in the day" people would seek out a low mileage, one owner cream puff, immaculate with all service history, good tires, etc. The buyer would save on the retail price and the seller would get more than average trade. Now a used car manager does a 1 minute walk around, asks if you have both keys and you get a black book pre-auction wholesale offer, take it or leave it. Begs the questions as to why pamper the car and keep detailed records if you're planning to trade it in a few years? The dealer isn't going to care one bit that you waxed it and kept every oil change receipt. So it's a self-licking ice cream cone. Used cars suck because the owners know they will get nothing for them so why bother with meticulous care. The dealership is going to send to auction so they don't care either..
That's a good point.
WOW amazing TY so much ,,Keep up the great work
Thanks, will do!
Wow ! I wash my engine bay about every other time I go to the car wash 😳. I never go high pressure because anyone that ever had a motorcycle understands why not . I just soak the engine bay with tire cleaner then spray it off . However I never pull the pressure trigger . I always thought that shroud on top of these engines kept the water out of the venerable components.
That shroud is what they sometimes call a "beauty cover". It's only conceivable purpose is to hold heat inside the engine thus baking the wiring and connections that much more thoroughly than it would without them. My Lexus 460 came with the entire engine compartment covered with this dumb black plastic. I took almost all of it except the center plastic cover off, and just left it off.
@ my 13 es 350 has it on it . I honestly thought it was there to keep water from being sprayed into the electrical components 😳
Guess I’m never too old to learn a new trick
@@ramie-uz9xi The last time I had her serviced the mechanic told me i should put all the plastic back on, for air flow through the engine compartment. He might be right, and it might make a slight difference. But i don't think i'm doing that.
@ I got ya . Makes you wonder why they would go the expense of making parts that served no purpose.
Best hold on to anything that works .
Nothing they make now compares to cars they made 5-10 + years ago
@@ramie-uz9xi Yes it's a disturbing trend, when i finally realized they are actually making almost every consumer good in a way that's worse than the one they made before it.
Come across used car dealers that demand a deposit up front just to "test drive" the car in particular Hazelton PA, good to check reviews of dealers, that's a red flag if numerous people have the same complaint. NY has numerous dealers that sell cars that "come with an inspection" but don't pay the $10-20 for inspection, some state there's nothing needed for inspection yet want $500 to get it inspected, clearly it needs something, either way the dealer wants to consumer to pay for whatever is needed, typically such a car is below KBB value.
Excellent insight presentation. Thanks
Thank you
@1:17 Except to last, that is not a high priority on the spec sheet.
I'm not a buyer anymore but I'd be concerned by flood/hurricane total-loss cars that have been auctioned off, prettied up, shipped to a new state and relicensed. BE careful! do they still call that a texas-title?
The dealership knows how to fix a check engine light, scan tool erase, all fixed.
They sure do.
Thank You Mark for your great advice keep it up.
Thank you Tony. Have a great weekend.
Your wrong about a dirty enguine my suburban has 144k miles and I keep my enguine clean,as a truck driver I keep everything immaculate, but to me a red flag,is the car has 40k miles and 4 owners why do they keep dumping the vehicle😊
Thanks for sharing
There was a time when selling your used car (private sale) before fancy electronics that you could put motor honey in the crank case to stop the oil burning for the test drive, some radiator / head gasket sealer, fill a few rust holes in the frame with Bondo and cover that with spray rubber undercoat and a quick steam bath and clear lacquer spray under the hood to make it shiny. Private seller's mind set: "I am so done with this money pit". "Rattle can restoration" time! "There is a sucker for very seat". I got hosed on buyer a VW once; "as is".
I watched this whole video the things Mark said i agree with him one hundred percent.
Thank you very much. I feel buyers need this information to reduce chances of getting scammed
Great stuff as always …
Thanks again!
I clean, degrease and armor all my engine bay. It is a 2010 Accord coupe with 500,000kms on it. I suppose that would be a warning sign.
No ...That's what I call taking care of it.. I don't want no dirty engine ...
Up here in the middle of nowhere Butt Screw Canada, used cars are selling for near new car prices. It's tempting to just pony up a couple of thousand more and buy a new car that hasn't been neglected or abused.
I recommend BlueDriver Bluetooth code reader.
Thanks for sharing
i understand what your saying about engine cleaning,but i always keep my engine clean and nice so i can see problems coming or not.and i lease
Great information brother ❤
excellent content!
Thank you very much
Great info Mark. Thanks
Thanks so much for watching
I appreciate the click bate title but the real life education. Some RUclipsrs are just shaming car prices and dealerships without any education and only putting out negativity. Thank you for being the exception.
you must stay with eyes open always in this situacion
For sure, have to shop with caution
Very interesting information!
Thank you
I only do certified used. They have been great cars.
GREAT stuff! That's all the reasons why l avoid buying a used car, if l can. (Apart from higher interest rates)
Hey hey heyyyy now. I keep my engine blown out and wiped down.(Not sprayed down) Mainly because I'm OCD AF with my BMW.
We have a car dealership in my town that puts super thick oil in to hide rod knock, then at the first oil change boom....
That is low
The funny part is walking around the dumpster fire Ford Focus. The notorious dual clutch auto POS.
Yes that’s an example of a trash car
I had a 2014 ford focus, it was horrible, finally got the dealership to replace the clutch, was better and then it started acting the same way, my son had it and had the transmission replaced, ford paid for it, but he got rid of it anyway
@@MoneyMindsetCoach3 I have '14 Focus 5 speed manual. Only have done oil changes. Fun car.
@@ECPP Only buy manual trans.
@@jimmyboyles2868 mine was an automatic, i love a manual, had a ford fiesta after the focus tjat was one, loved it
I Clean my engine every time I clean my car, but you can tell when someone has been doing that since new.....
Yes some people take care indeed
Carmax buys from fleet auctions and do the research. Ask for the history it should be on the listing. If it’s been to four auction in four states- guess what? It’s probably a insurance total or rebuilt. They washed the title for their magical warranties. They’ll buy anything from anyone and spice it up
How I check sellers is I tell them I’m taking my scanner and my mobile ramps.
For these and other reasons, I absolutely hate buying a car. Better to keep what I have as long as possible.
preach it Mark wtg man
Awesome, thanks
If it's a new used car it's to be avoided. Buy a 2000 4 Runner..
Oh. Don't buy a 2.0 turbo unless it's a 718 Porsche
Great tips, thanks
I recall the day my Dad went out and bought a 454 Chevette. :D
would the insurance company check title when you insure it? whag about auctions. i tried to go to one and they never have one.? i think.its bidding before timeline like ebay? i went in checked out a car and auction date. went there on the date no auction. k asked the guy working he said online auction they dont do in person anymore. . stqrt it but cant test drive? Why are they all from usa or Eastern Canada and we send our cars out there.Also test cars from manufacturers.
Also watch out for I purchase a car 🚗 in December 30,2023 had the car the hold day I drove my car home parked in my driveway. Wake up the next day this car was changed out to another car a total difference color the inside was stained up seats and rug was dirty the motor was different too less parts under the hood. They had placed stickers papers everywhere. They had illegal did another contract with the computer doing the sign in. I turned my tag back in and parked this car back on there lot. The hell with credit the way the economy going no one going to need a car 🚗. True story 😢
May new parts means to mean not having to pay to replace these parts....."parts" needs to be replaced in all cars over time...
No car is complete without the "check engine" light on 🤣🤣🤣,I always believe that the check engine light is a scam,my 99 Pontiac Grand Prix GT has the service engine soon light on for five years and the car still runs like new and is properly maintained.
Oxygen sensor...
@@charlesjackson1700 wich one,there are 4 I believe.
Yes
Oilers aren't going anywhere this year mark!
Haha maybe, we will see. Tough start
Don't forget to tell people to check ✔️✅✔️ the OIL STICK IF THE OIL IS WAY OVER THE FULL MARK DON'T BUY THAT VEHICLE BECAUSE THEY HAVE DOPE IT UP. 😮😮
Hi Mark.
I use wd40 to clean my Engine bay... I've never experienced any moisture or electrical problems.. am i doing the right thing.. ???
Why were so many parts replaced?! Maintenance, sir! The newer cars are actually worse, not better. They are made with more plastic and cheaper parts. Ask any decent mechanic.
Thanks for watching. Of course parts get swapped, but sometimes it seems like too much going on that does not align with miles or type of vehicle in general
@ECPP Yes,that's true, too.
But even then what parts are they putting on it? Is it OEM (or at least a quality aftermarket part like say a denso sensor) or did they use cheapest aftermarket parts.
People can buy scan tools and check the car.
That can help but sometimes there areas till hidden gems
Good advice
8:52 if that's dual clutch it's trash
Well….
Don't waste your money. My son works at a Mercedes agency as a service writer. Experienced luxury car buyers only lease a Mercedes, BMW or Audi. He has to explain why a 3 or 4 year old luxury cars need $5,000 dollars worth of work. His suggestion was buy a Lexus. I bought a 2021 Lexus Is 350. Best car I've ever owned. It's basically a fancy Toyota they even have Toyota engines. It should go 200 to 300 thousand miles with regular maintenance.
Cool story bra
Cool story b ra
Cool stry bra
Cool story
Lol
great video
Thank you very much
Good to know!
Hope it helps
im trying to sell a car right now with check engine light and i just dont want to fix it its not that i cant i dont really want to fix it lol i literally bought another car cause im just tired of the car.
Just take a portable jump start
Yes they can help especially on a battery that has a hair life left. I find those don’t work on absolutely flat batteriers
why wouldn't you put a new $100 battery in it, as the seller? Duh.
thanks
Thanks for watching and have a wonderful weekend
@ECPP: Please advise if to trust your diagnostic scanner...Please advise...
They are great tools to help. They often give you a lot of information and I use one to assist with my own repairs
They are pretty cheap. You can get one for $30. Good enough for a non mechanic who just wants basic checks.
I like this channel.
Thank you very much
Solid Gold 🙏⭐️🏆🥇
Thanks
Sure sure. So ok. Either buy a used car, 70k kilometers on the clock, less than half the price of a used one, and pay about $2000 to make it perfect. Or, buy a new one, that is $20000 more, and breaks down in the first 10000km, take to dealer, then they blame you, and you sit with much more problems.
My one customer bought a new Jeep. Paid quite a lot, left the dealership. About 18km into his trip home, engine seized. Dealership never looked to see if there is oil in. There was oil in when he test drove it, but the day the finance cleared, my customer did not think to check again. Car is standing at dealership for years now, bank is suing my customer because of arrear payments and dealership says HE did something while driving to cause this, and it was not the car being out of oil. Mysteriously also the dealerships cameras did not record that day. DONT think for one second new is better
I agree. Nowadays cars are built cheaply, too many sensors. For me because I drive very little it would also be a lot of money lost to inflation... but the problem is the prices of used Toyotas that I am interested in are so high and the cars have so many miles, you might be better off buying a brand new car
If there is more than ten used condemns in the back seat, that's a turnoff.
Might show car is lightly driven as owner spent most of the time doing something other than driving. Also might show car is good for picking up women. YEAH, buy that car.
I would Never buy a car without driving & Have a Mechanic check it out
Exactly. PPI is best
Your statement about having a clean engine bay is hogwash. Some of us who take care of our cars keep our engine bays immaculate. Dust and dirt get into places and cause wear. These pieces of sand and debris can get into intakes, ruin batteries... I have multiple cars my oldest is a nearly 30 year old Volvo 850 Platinum turbo wagon and it is immaculate under the hood as are all my cars. I drip oil somewhere on an oil change it gets cleaned. I a proud of the effort I put into my cars...
I rather see an engine problem that hasn’t been hidden.
I got lucky, 1 owner corporate vehicle well maintained services. 😀
Nice
Don't buy that Ford Mark!
Haha I will not