We are going to make some assumptions here:

1. It is a high reliability car capable of at least 200K miles that has 100K or less on it.
3. We are spending at about $8000 2025 dollars.

Make sure you print out this page before you leave. You need to check off the items on here as you examine the car.

Before the test drive:
You will need to do some things before you go to look at the car.

  • Print out this web page as you will check items off while checking the car out.
  • Use Google Maps to examine the area so you can plan a 10 mile highway speed test drive
  • Get your money prepared and conceal it NOT on your person.
  • Write down the name and address of the seller on a paper

When you Arrive

Examine the car casually. Ask some basic questions while you do this.

  • Why are you selling
  • How long have you had this car? Are you the original owner?
  • Has been in any accidents?
  • Where did you normally store the car
  • Has been in any accidents?
  • Have you had any problems with it? Might tell you things that you would have missed.

The engine should be cold before you start – feel the hood. If it’s warm, the seller could be trying to hide a starting or an idle problem. Try to determine where the car is normally parked. This will be important later.

Before Starting….Check the Basics

□ Door handles Open all doors..

□ Steering Wheel not loose. It should not wobble…

□ Brake lights, emergency flasher, and turn signals work?All lights work. Press the brake pedal. It should not go to the floor.

□ Headlights, High beams?

□ Check Mirrors. Do Mirror electronic controls work?

□ Radio work? Check volume, radio presets, AM/FM, CD, etc.

□ Gear shift handle tight?

□ Glove box open/close center console open/close?

□ Emergency brake work?

□ Window controls work? All doors?

□ Seat belts, seat adjustment, seat heater ALL SEATS?

□ 12V Cigarette lighter socket work? Test with USB 12V charger

□ Horn work?

□ Headliner loose?

□ Visors tight?

□ Check Trunk for rust holes, signs of water.


Before Starting….Exterior Examination

□ Are wheels tight? Can you make them wobble?

□ Wipe your finger inside of the exhaust pipe. If there is wet oil the engine is ruined (bad piston rings). DON’T BUY IT. If it is dry black soot, then it is burning some oil.

□ Suspension. Push on the the car to make it bounce. More than 1 bounce after stopping means shocks are worn out.

□ Check if exterior lights holding water.

□ Check for Body Rust. The red marks are the common locations of rust. These are cosmetic problems but you want to be aware of them.

Before Starting….Check for Frame Rust

Frame rust is a show stopper. Cars with holes in the frame like these should be avoided.

Before Starting….DRIVE TRAIN PROBLEMS

  • Pull oil dipstick. Is the oil full? If it’s milky (blown head gasket) DO NOT BUY

  • Open the Radiator cap. Check the coolant. Cars run different colored coolants, but it should look clean and not oily. The different colors are: Green: Classic Coolant. Orange: often used by General Motors. Yellow: Used in fairly new cars.

  • Check the brake fluid level. The fluid should be a light golden brown color.

  • Look under the car at the brake drums and calipers. There should NOT be any brake fluid dripping since you pressed the brake pedal….

  • Check Power Steering Fluid level. Power steering fluid should be clear or light in color, with a slight pink, red, or amber tint. If it’s dark brown, black, foamy, or milky, it’s likely contaminated and indicates a problem…

  • Check Washer Fluid Level. It should be ½ to full. Left empty is a sign of ignoring maintenance..

  • Check the tires. Should show even wear. Cupping means bad shocks/struts. Edges worn means tires are run under-inflated. Center being worn means they were run over inflated. One tire edge worn means it needs alignment. You can’t repair the tires, they will need replacement after fixing the underlying problem. Reduce your offer by the amount of money needed to fix the underlying problems, and the tires. Four tires could be $75 each.

  • Checking for leaking fluids. Get under the car before starting it. Look for:
    • Ground: If this was the car’s normal parking spot, look for oil leaks on the ground.
    • Engine: Look up at the engine area. An engine covered in wet oil is BAD. At this price, DO NOT BUY.
    • Transmission: Look at the transmission. It should not be not be oil covered.
    • Running Engine: Place a newspaper under the engine. Set some rocks on it to keep it from blowing away when you start the car. It will detect fresh oil leaks.

Before Starting….BODY PROBLEMS

  • Compare Seat Belt Manufacturer Date against Door Pillar.
    Mismatch can mean that the Airbag deployed & they replaced seat belt
  • Check Steering column and brake pedal for rust on them.
    If all pedals have rust on them, it is quite possible the car has been flooded.
  • Check Bolt heads on the A-pillar having been removed.
    If so, the center console has been replaced in big accident

NOW! START THE CAR

  • Is the check engine light lit? It indicates a potential engine problem that needs diagnosis. If you stop by a car part store they will plug in a scanner and tell you what the problem is.

  • Look at the exhaust coming out of the car. In summer-time temperatures, a lot of heavy white smoke indicates the car is burning coolant DO NOT BUY. Blue smoke means the car is burning oil. At this price point…DO NOT BUY

  • Walk around the car and listen for odd noises. There should not be any. Car idle should be smooth and even. No rattling or hissing. No unusual shaking or vibrations when the engine is running.

  • Open the hood. Listen for rattles or excessive hissing. Both mean a trip to the shop. At this price you should not be hearing this.

  • Check the transmission fluid. Pull the transmission dip stick WITH THE VEHICLE RUNNING After it has been running a few minutes. , it should be red, if it’s not red it is either bad (burnt fluid) or has REALLY BAD transmission damage either way DO NOT BUY

TEST DRIVE

First RADIO OFF!

0 – 35mph Neighborhood Drive

□ Listen for rattles, and any strange noises.
Roll down the window so you can hear if the car is making any unusual noises.

□ Steering: On level straight away, release the steering wheel if it pulls you need an alignment. Reduce price $150 (1 hour of a mechanics time).

□ Brakes: Pedal travel too far? Brakes need to be bled. Does car pull right of left when braking or vibrates or grind? It needs brake job which is about 2 hours of mechanic time or $300.

□ Shocks: Thumps suggest shocks are worn. Drive on a bouncy road. Front strut replacement is $600 or 4 hours of mechanic time.

□ Shifting: Shifting should be smooth and even. Any slipping jerky shifts, or abnormal vibrations means a BAD transmission. if this happens at this price point DO NOT BUY. It should:
▪ Accelerate moderately in lower gears
▪ Accelerate hard from a stop in higher gear to check for slips
▪ Come to a gradual stop, check downshifts happen smoothly
▪ Park vehicle, feel for odd vibrations indicating issues
▪ Put it in reverse

55 – 75mph Highway Drive

□ Accelerate to 55 mph. Check for rattles. It should be smooth with no stutters during acceleration.

□ Measured Mile: Drive measured mile and note odometer. It should read 1 mile traveled, if not, the car has the wrong sized wheels/tires. Not a big deal, but it means the speedometer will be inaccurate.

□ Does the steering wheel shake? This could mean the wheels need to be balanced. Not a big deal, but will cost about $25 a wheel. Reduce your offer by that amount..


Returning trip to the Seller

□ Air conditioner/heater/defroster and vents work? Turn on fan, the heater should put out heat. the A/C should put out cold.

□ Check the gauges. Confirm FUEL, TEMP, OIL PRESS, TACH, VOLTS, AMP all work.

□ Park the car in a clean area where you could leave the car idling while you talk to the seller. It might drip fluids while you are talking. Check for leaks before you close the deal. At this price it should not be leaking.