Used Car Buying Inspection Checklist - Red Flags - How to Inspect a Used Car and Not Get Scammed
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- Опубликовано: 6 июн 2024
- In this video Josh reveals 8 RED FLAGS to look for when shopping for a used car. These are things most buyers won't think to look for but could mean BIG EXPENSES looming in the near future. If you check for these issues you could save yourself from buying a lemon.
Thank you for watching and please subscribe to our channel if you get a chance it helps us continue making videos!
Complete Used Car CheckList:
Model Research:
Common defects and problems
Basic maintenance costs and intervals
Repair costs
Aging price point
Features and options
Exterior:
Body condition dents, rust, scratches, etc.
Look for uneven panels or mismatched paint
Doors, hood and trunk easy or difficult to open and close
Tire tread condition and wear
Same-branded tires
Light function and condition
Interior:
Signs of moisture or water damage
Unusual or offensive smells
Overly worn or torn upholstery
Seat adjustment equipment
Instrument cluster function and condition
Controls and switches working properly
Roof or top condition and signs of leaking
Under the Hood:
Belts and hoses
Radiator
Underside of the hood for signs of fluid
All the fluids (level and color)
Leaking underneath the car.
Oil color should be a warm brown.
Transmission fluid (smell/color)
Test Drive:
Dash light functions
Highway and city streets
Climb and descend hills
Unusual vibrations or noises
Transmission shifts smoothly
Smooth and appropriate power
Brake stopping power and regularity
Heat/AC function
Smooth Idle
Exhaust color
Final Steps:
Mechanic inspection
Vehicle History Report
VIN matches legal documents
Title/Seller name match
Clean title
Physical Title 
Хобби
0:30 Overview
0:40 Body match, dents, cosmetic dmg
1:06 Paint, hidden color
1:40 Tires
2:36 Hood.. Fluids
2:44 Coolant
3:52 Engine Oil
4:47 Transmission fluid
5:50 Test Drive
5:58 Instrument Panel, Dashboard Lights
6:37 Engine light.. ODB scanner reading
7:31 Airbag light
8:03 mileage, parts needing replacements
9:35 Seeing transmission gear shift problems
10:04 AC system
10:31 Unnecessary mods customs
You the real MVP, thank you. Wish YT let me copy this for my notes
@I am MVP
THANK YOU 💗
Shit I thought I had nothing better to do than watch RUclips videos but you take it to the next level you watch and take notes dam you got too much time ⏲️ haha
Mitral Valvé Pró-Lãpsê
Great video. Very much needed. I was scammed by a used car dealer before and now I’m about to purchase another vehicle on my own. No one showed me these things and unfortunately I have no men in my life. Thanks for helping me
There are free check lists on line that you can take with you. But FIRST be sure that the seller is the registered owner with a clear title IN HAND. Not someone "selling for a relative or neighbor". Don't bother if they can't pass that test. Must have all service records in hand. IF the car passes all of those very basic tests, get a good PPI (prepurchase inspection) by your own trusted mechanic. You can ask over the phone whether the seller will agree to that if the car passes your basic review. If he won't, just walk away. There are LOTS of cars out there. NEVER hesitate to move on. NEVER even bother to look at unreliable makes or models.
Stick to Toyota, some Honda and Mazda models.
Just get a pre-purchase inspection!!
Something not mentioned: smell the dipstick, oil filler cap and filler hole if you can get to it. I recently passed up a Mustang GT because the oil reeked of gasoline. This can indicate bad compression/ oil scavenging rings, and/ or bad valves and valve seats, allowing fuel/air mixture into the oil galleys of your engine, accelerating wear throughout the entire engine.
Or you know the car running rich, and the dude flooring the car around alot as well, you are always going to get some gas dilution in a motor.
Good point.
Hate to tell you this, but smell of gas in oil means bad fuel pump. Also check for foam in radiator means bad head gasket. If your car is running rich, means air/fuel mixture is incorrect for carb in my time, but newer garbage means bad fuel injectors and this will cause bad rings,comprehension and consumption. Any vehicle you beat on will cause motor damage. Oh when we didn't have catalytic converters I used a pint of Valvoline tranny fluid in my gas, then changed plugs after, and this was done to protect the engine. Also old school real mechanics also knew you could use moth balls to bring the octane up in gas, but can't with new cars. Just a female perspective. Today the gas they make us use is destroying are cars. Proof is in all the older cars and trucks still around.
Should also smell the transmission fluid if it smells burnt may be an overheating transmission costly repairs there as well..
Or it’s just oil dilution like on Honda civic, which is baddd
I would also add look under the car for any bad rust, check the steering to the the full extend left and right. Turn on as many accessories as you can while stressing the steering, this should put the highest electrical load on the car and maybe reveal some problems. Also look at the shocks and struts for leaks and rust, look at the ball joints. Look at the rotors. Do some hard breaking, check that the abs is working. Check the panel gaps for evenness. Check the passenger side floor for any dampness.
Rust is the worst we can always change an engine we can't change chassis
Yes, yes, yes. I got burned on a Ford Ranger. I couldn't even get it inspected. It was about to break in two. And I can't believe he didn't cover burning oil. These are the two worst problems-- not mentioned.
What is dampness in the passanger floor mean?
@@LeviWalton777Bad heater core
I'd call this good advice, though oddly I always suggest bringing someone you trust along when you look a vehicle over. Your less likely to be bullied, rushed, and an extra set of eyes is handy, even if they're not car experts. I try and pick friends with a good BS meter first, and mechanically inclined second.
This honestlt is the best video I've watched about what to check before buying a used car.
great video man! I just bought mine yesterday for 4000 USD with 93k Miles on it. No noises at all, plus the owner got installed a brand new the power steering system.
Good job covering all the main things that keep the car in good running order, very professional! !!
Terrifically helpful material. I am the (retired) managing editor of an auto magazine, and producer of a syndicated automotive radio show (remember them???). I can state with absolute certainty that this advice is solid. I would add: SMELL CHECK... if the interior smells like mold, WALK AWAY. Pull up the carpet. Do you see water damage or residue? WALK AWAY.
Good ones
Oh crap
I bought 2015 Dodge Dart flood damage. The interior had dirt and was moldy. I got to work and cleaned the inside. Best car I’ve ever bought. Moldy interior could be roof leak which is typical of cars with panorama sunroof. That is one hell of an expense!!
Extremely helpful video. You are so professional in your voice and in your information. Thank you.
Excellent video. I would add to tires to check the DOT numbers that will tell you the year and week that tire was manufactured. Sometimes the tread looks great, but the tire is ten years old because the car was garaged or not driven much. Tires over five years need to be replaced, regardless of the tread depth.
The 5 year replacement guideline is variable. It is sun and heat that cause the issues. If in northern US or Canada, and especially if the car was kept in a garage -- 10 years on a tire should be fine. And not unheard of if the car has two sets of tires -- summer and winter -- and hence neither set gets used for the full mileage in a year.
Depends more on the tyre's exposure to deteriorating elements (e.g. temperature changes, extreme temperatures, sun etc). Even if only 4 years old, they can be cracking and can be dangerous in the wet. Meanwhile another car can have 10 year old tyres that may just be starting to crack or have no cracks.
I've been working at a body shop for a bit now and extra tips I learned was if you're painting the door, it's better to take off the mirror and belt molding (the trim at the bottom of the window) for a better paint job in the end. The mirror can get in the way, and if you're unlucky, the clear coat could stick in that gap between the door and the belt molding.
This is the the video I am sending to friends and relatives who are or will be buying a used car BIG THANKS.
Great great video.
Specially the part that tells us about dash lights fraud. Thanks
Great tips. Thanks so much. I’m currently in the market for a used mini van but they’re so expensive and I don’t want to get burned. I feel educated on what to look for .
Best of luck!
Subscribed 😊.... Thank you for making such informative and enjoyable videos, where one can learn a lot of new things.... Keep up the good work brother 👍👍
And don’t forget to check the blinker fluid. That’s highly crucial
A very important part, don't buy a car without checking it. It can cost millions to replace
Don’t be ridiculous… obviously collecting an exhaust sample is your first step.
I’m a private in the Army and I got that one played on me 😂😂😂
Hahaha
Oh shit I forgot to do that… 😂
Excellent video, opening the gas tank to see if color matches the exterior color great suggestion.
Subscribed! Thank you sooo much for this valuable information. You are saving lives out here my man, thank you
Thanks for the subscribe, glad I can help 🤙🏽
This is the best video on RUclips...I don't know why it doesn't have millions views. The only thing I would add is about how to check for flooded cars but I guess there is no flood in Hawaii.
SUPERB video! Thank you! I just subscribed as I am in the market to buy a used minivan.
Great video with great tips for the average person to know!
Very informative video. Im on a market of used car and all tips really makes sense. Thanks for this content and will keep this in mind when im hunting for used car. 👌
FANTASTIC video! I took a lot of notes! I'm shopping now for a used minivan and YOU have HELPED tremendously! THANK YOU and I subscribed!
Glad it helped! Thanks for subscribing!
Stick to Toyotas.
Really love and appreciate the checklist in the beginning ❤️
Hope it helps!
Thank you so much. I found your video incredibly so helpful and informative.
Thank you for a great video. Simple and clear. Subscribed from Canada.
Not sure why such a precise, informative video has only 2k like. Liked and subscribed, thanks!
Very Helpful.Great information.Thanks for this video.
Some really good tips! Thank you.
This was super helpful!!! Pretty sure i got suckered into the car i just bought.... but his will prevent thay for the future!
I keep a spreadsheet on all my maintenance and repairs that includes date, mileage and a good description (and cost) of what was done. It really makes it easy to keep up with things and provides an easy way to look back to see just what and when something was done. Put your VIN at the top for easy reference as at times you will need that info. You can also include a macro to tell you when your next oil change is due if you separate oil changes from repairs by column
Or you could follow the manufacturers service schedule.
They built it, they test it and have so much more education about the vehicles they build than anyone else.
@@albybloke2289 I dont even care Im 2 months late, what the hell are you on about dude. They legit were talking about nothing but tracking maintence on their car. Nothing about the specifics like how many miles until the oil change, so you either horribly misunderstood or are just openly assuming because of something they said.
You know what they say about assuming...
@@cherriberri8373 I'll rely on my 45 years in the motor trade to know what I said, if you can match that I'm happy to listen.
I feel that both pieces of advice are compatible with each other. Regulations around cars vary throughout the world. I live in New Zealand where there is a relatively high number of imported 2nd hand cars that are owned for longer than countries like Britain, Japan, or USA. Many of those cars are not serviced by a branded dealer. Some mechanics put the onus on the customer to maintain a history of what has been done to their car.
I suggest that this video is aiming towards people with little experience of cars, like myself.
Great tips and I followed all of them recently after driving my used car 300 miles home
Timing is everything
Thanks for the detailed information.
Underbody inspection is very needed in wet or rust belt areas.
Thank you for making such an informative video.
Bro, you got such a cool video. I wish I had watched this before I purchased an old car :(
Thank you this was extremely helpful
I wished I had the common sense to learn from videos like yours before buying my used car! Everything was perfect until the fan belt broke, water tank and pipe leaked, radiator leaked, and the damn workshop had to fix all other weary parts and everything cost me a BOMB 😢
Ahh come on, a newish car would cost you much more than those 3k$ for your car +600$ for repairs
This is a good video and the information is presented well.
Nice one, Josh. Thanks for sharing some great tips! :)
My pleasure 🤙🏽
Honest and solid advices. Not click bait. 🎉
Here for you!
Wow
It's indeed very helpful . God bless you
PERFECT EXPLANATION ❤
Greetings from Maastricht
The Nederlands ❤
Knowing how to read 4 digit DOT date code on tires is helpful 💡
Mismatched tires and El Cheapo no name tires are a red flag imo
CarFax, AutoCheck, etc, are not always accurate
I looked at a 17k mile Toyota with a clean history that had the entire front end and windshield had been replaced
Repair was nicely done, but no way to determine if air bags were replaced
Very interesting vid, thanks for the info.
Great vid! Learned a few things
Thanks for the info man👍
Good informative video, thank you. God bless you.❤
Thanks!
Thanks mate very interesting
So helpful! Great info- I learned a bunch of things! Thanks!
great video, very informative
Bra the video was dope, you need to do a part 2. you got a part 2?
Thanks a lot Budget....you mentioned some things that I would not have thought of so thank you!
Please remember that God loves you and wants you to love Him enough to be with Him forever by abandoning your ways and letting Him bring His ways into your life. 🙂 ...thanks again for the help. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your practical tips.
My pleasure!
Thanks...great education😊
Thank you a whole lot of good advice. Good job thank you
Glad it was helpful!
Good points..thanks!
Good video, but you failed to mention how easy it is to Photoshop maintenance records and they're worth nothing unless you have a relationship with the shop on the paperwork. You can pretty much assume someone selling a used car is lying to you. This holds especially true to car flippers.
What questions should we ask before going to see the car?? Thank you for this video!
thank you, great video!
Thanks 🤙🏽
Thank you Ace!
You bet!
Great tips Bro.!!
Thanks
How comes that this guy doesn't have more views?
Thank you so much
Few things to add.
Do a background check on the owner of the used car dealership. Look at carpets for water stains and smell for odors. You can decide on if you want to purchase a history report or a carfax, but don’t put much faith in the accuracy. Highly suggest buying an OBDII, a $40 one will do. And do not ever sign anything that states “as is”. Everything he says is true! You need to really search for damages. If they claim it’s never been in an accident and the seals aren’t aligning, RUN!
Can I ask you…why not to sign anything as is? Even if it’s been through a good dealer and and everything on the vehicle is good?
@@leasea9621 so many things can be hidden. I purchased a vehicle, 2 days later I was stranded in the middle of nowhere in the dark. Brought the vehicle back to the dealership the next day and it was $3,500 to fix. When leaving the dealership, everything seemed perfect. 2 days and I’m paying that much to repair it? After speaking with multiple attorneys they all warned me to never buy “as is” .
UPDATE!
I had a very experienced mechanic and body shop guy fully inspect my vehicle. Clean title, but it’s been in at least three collisions. Front drivers side was the hardest hit, it got t-boned on the passenger side and rear ended on the driver’s side. Due to all this, every time it rains, I know I have an expensive repair coming. Last week I had to replace my headlight ($105) and today I have 15 codes. Only 4 months since I left my comment and repairs far exceed the cost of the vehicle. BE CAREFUL
@@ThisIsMyRUclipsName1 wow I'm sorry that happened to you. Make sure you decide whether or not the car is worth fixing to avoid wasting more money. Also if your car has low mileage you may qualify to add a third party extended warranty
@@lilman4067 I did have a third party warranty, but it didn’t cover things that needed to be replaced. Since my last comment, the vehicle is now a complete loss. Mechanic said my head gasket is blown, despite no sign of oil being contaminated and the vehicle has never once ran hot. Never had any issues with oil leaking and coolant is full. I don’t understand why or how, but my credit union has started to investigate (no auto fraud attorneys will even reply to us, so hopefully they can get something resolved). I don’t want anyone going through this. The economy is bad enough, to get scammed out of $9k? It’s sick
Remember that its a used car. Dont expect perfection. The Polo I purchased for 7800 was a repaired accident vehicle. They one in perfect condition was 28,000 with 0.2 miles.
You are amazing thank you for the information 🙂
Good advice,but update there are non expensive scanners that scan in modules and can diagnose the SRS system as well as operate the module associated with it.Just look around,buy it once have it for a lifetime as long as the manufacturer supports updates,
About to buy a van for van life. This is a refresher as I havent had to buy a vehicle in several years. Thank you concise information and Perfect for what i need.
Great job, lots of good information. 👍👍
Thanks! 🤙🏽
thanks good points
That was good, two thigs I would add, sometimes you can tell if the vehicle has had body work by noticing a slightly different shade of paint from one body componant to another , such as where the rear 1/4 panel meets the door , or the hood to the fender . Also , when you turn the ignotion forward but before you get to the point where the vehicle will turn over all of the dash indicator lights should be on . I have heard of cases where a crafty selle ( usually a dealer )r had a way of getting the inspection sticker, then would disconect the " check engine light " so it would look like it was off . Te problem is , the next time . like next years inspection , the reader is plugged in , it will show a code even though the light is off .
very good points
Thanks for the video =)
THANK YOU!
Check springs ( suspension) by hand and body press for bounce, check any suspension leakage. Start engine and check rpm after a while it should be between .75 to 1. Then while driv9ng listen to wheels for any bearing issues. 4th after ride check the end of exhaust for smoke cokor, white, blue and black
I appreciate your tips. You know your stuff. You remind me of my late husband.
Fantastic
Excellent guide videp
Glad you liked it!
9:12 if a timing belt breaks it could be catastrophic for your engine if it is an ”interference type” engine. There are cars with ”Non-Interference type” engines, if the belt brakes or skips, it just shuts down without causing damage.
over the past thirty yrs, almost all cars in the U.S. mkt increasingly became interference types, with either belts or chains. When the belt breaks, it's extremely likely that there is damage that financially 'totals' an not fresh/newer car. ALWAYS do the timing belt on time, and if not sure about its condition, get the cover off and inspect closely. When in doubt about it or the water pump that is part of the set-up with it, do it all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@@18_rabbitalso if an used car dealer does not rewind the mileage on the car dashboard.
My friend brought with him one of those ODB2 thingy, plugged it in , looked on his iphone , unplugged it , and said let’s go. never asked him what up, this was years ago.. oh crap you just mentioned the obd2 thingy
Doesn't it bug you waht he saw? I wanna know now lol
Very helpful
Very well done.
Thank you kindly!
I’m looking at an 06 impala and it drives great but only problem is the ac doesn’t blow cold air, how can I figure what’s wrong with it or should I just keep looking
I checked everything on this video plus some things not mentioned like blue smoke when accelerating hard ( had someone behind me to check the tailpipe ) , it took me 3 hours & then I found the blinker fluid was dirty & had never been changed , glad I walked away , hardly anyone seems to do this simple maintenance job 👍
I don’t know how I feel about all this…
@@BudgetMechanicHawaii I achieved my goal 😉😄😄😄
And don't forget "the piston return springs".
@@wholeNwon Yeah , if there dodgy , the engine is probably Kangaroo Edward , Roo-Ted 😉
Good work.
Thanks!
just got a car from a shop and its 6000 miles from 2014 with external damage and they fixed it and the car has been great for 3 months and then some heat shields noises are covered i think it was a great steal
Another thing would be doing a vehicle owner search. This is to ensure that the car you are buying is not a stolen car. Do everything to know the person behind a vehicle identification number (VIN) or a license plate number. The car theft rate in the U.S. stood at 246 cases per 100,000 residents. Just by these numbers, you should verify all cars sold to your business, as you may get fined and face lawsuits for buying stolen cars.
How do you do a vehicle owner search? the dealership I was at wouldn’t give out that information..
I am surprised the braking system was not mentioned. It is important and expensive if needing maintenance and/or repair.
Maybe its a older ford thing but brakes are normally one of the cheaper and certainly easiest system to maintence and fix
DANG YOU ARE FINE! INTELLIGENCE AND KNOWLEDGE
Thanks!
If your buying a nice car, service history and tyres, do they match, are they a premium brand. 4 x pirellis or continental half worn are a great indication the car has been cared for
Inspect the undercarriage and brake system and fluid color. Also power steering fluid and look for fluid leaks.
What would be the best scan tool to get that can read ALL code and retain all the data a car gives them?
I personally got burned by not checking the OIL on a truck that I purchased. I should have done so and I even did so on prior vehicle purchases, but the one time I did not it got me. Also heater core problems can relate to the a/c system if both the a/c evaporator and heat core are housed in the same box that is attached to the firewall of the car, the those that don't know it it means you have to disconnect both just to replace one or the other. The means if the heater core leaks that is just as bad as the A/C not working.
Thank you
The first car I ever bought for myself had amazing A/C that was so good, it could keep ice cream from melting in 90f degree weather for a few hours, and really good sound system that was powerful enough to drown out all those bass-beaters out there. It was fun to drown out booming-bass-beat with Beethoven-Bass-Cello if it came down to someone being rude about it (in residential areas and gas stations)... But that was literally all it had going for it. Nearly everything else about that stupid thing was a disaster.
To this day, I'm seriously peeved at the dealership that sold me the dang thing. I had to take it to 5 different shops (2 of which were OTHER dealerships) just to sort out a really weird and strong shimmy that happened between 63 and 68 MPH. Turned out it was after market rims of some sort, but it took FIVE repair shops to figure that out? Gah! Never again. I'll pay a trusted mechanic to test drive a car WITH me before there is a "next time" I buy used... lol
You mean the car was shaking when you got to those speeds? And aftermarket rims? Yeah sounds like you needed to get hub rings. Did you fix the issue?
Was my very first car of my own, way back in 2006-ish. Took it to 2 repair shops, AND two dealerships; over the course of half a year. And the last one finally figured out what was going on (which was that it had after-market rims) and we (family) got them replaced. But that was some expensive work having 4 different places "have a look at it" and then the actual repair. I wasn't exactly torn up later when it needed to be retired... But it had served me well enough through my early work-years.
Good stuff. I see others have more suggestions in comments. I smell the ATF, too. A burnt sugar smell can mean a very damaged transmission. I don't like to see a washed engine. Water and modern electronics are mortal enemies with delayed corrosion of electrical connectors. Same with evidence of water elsewhere like under floor and trunk mats. Engine vibration that disappears when transmission is in gear can = bad motor mounts.
I was about to make similar comments. Also check under the front floor mats for any water. Most people know that but it's wise to check under the trunk carpet, too. Some cars have very expensive electronic elements back there.
Thank you for the info. I'm not picky I just need a car, my first ever car!!!! So what are the top 5 worst things to look out for that's an absolute no no!?
10yr+ old Mercedes, Mazda, Volkswagen , Volvo, and bmw
I checked out a 2008 Toyota Avalon 3 weeks ago and when I turned the ignition switch to on, all the lights came on and when I started the car up, they all STAYED ON. So I went and pop the hood to listen to the engine, it had a very noticeable tick. When I say in the car it had a funk smell to it, like mildew and when I walked around the car looking at the it looked like it was used as a bumper car. No this car only had 76,000 miles on it, needless to say this was a Ft. Myers special (AKA flood car). This dealer had a whole lot full of them, I looked at 3 Lexus cars and the Toyota and all four had that funky smell to their interiors. They were also all low miles, but they looked like bumper cars too, beware these cars are out there and there are a lot of them. Oh I looked at another Lexus IS250 on another lot and ran my finger on the inside of the exhaust pipe, heavy carbon build up, it was running really rich, the car also had lowering struts on it, this being a rear wheel drive car, I wouldn't doubt it was used by a previous owner as a part time drifter.
Did you get a carbon flush?
Thanks