Car Buying Advice
A comprehensive guide to finding reliable, affordable transportation
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Budget Guidelines
The 20/4/10 Rule
Down Payment
Years Max Loan Term
Monthly Income for Transport
Additional Budget Tips
- Call your insurance company before purchasing. Get a quote using the VIN or make/model/year/trim to understand your true monthly costs.
- DO NOT shop by "monthly payment". When asked "what do you want your payment to be?", reply: "I'm not shopping based on payment."
- Dealerships will try to extend your loan beyond 4 years. Your goal is to negotiate the car's price based on your research, not their suggested payment.
Build a List of Vehicles
Create a list of cars you might want to buy in a document, either on your computer or phone.
Example List:
- Toyota 4Runner – 2005-2009
- Ford Edge – 2009-2010
- Nissan Xterra – 2009-2015
Make sure to list your make/model and years. In the next step, you'll use a reliability website to determine if they're worth purchasing.
Reliable Vehicles by Brand
If you aren't sure where to start, here's a list of vehicles known to have decent reliability, organized alphabetically by brand.
Check Reliability Before Looking
Slim down your list using reliability data from trusted sources:
- The graphs show complaints and recalls for each model year. Sometimes a car might have high complaints but still be rated good depending on sales volume.
- Example: If a company sold 1 million vehicles with 1,000 minor complaints, it may still be a good car despite appearing to have many complaints.
- This data is based on actual manufacturer data through NHTSA.
- Remove make/model/years with very high complaint numbers from your list.
Search for Vehicles
Use your refined list to search within your price range. Always search for "clean title" cars only.
Recommended Search Sites
Autotempest.com
Aggregates listings from Craigslist, Facebook, TrueCar, and others in one view.
Facebook Marketplace
Lots of listings, but watch for scams. Can find good deals occasionally.
Craigslist
Cleaner view with good filtering. Check the "clean title" box!
Cars.com
More dealer-focused, but useful for comparing prices.
Run a VIN Check
Get the VIN number from the seller and verify the listing matches (Year/Make/Model).
Get VIN from License Plate
Use vinseeker.com to look up VIN from a visible plate.
Free VIN Check
Use vincheck.info for free salvage/theft/accident records.
Download the "Car Care" app from Carfax (separate from the main Carfax app). Enter the VIN to see previous maintenance reports for free!
Questions & Negotiation Tips
Private Party Questions
Get the seller talking – the more they share, the better!
- "Why are you selling? How long have you owned it?"
- "Has it ever been in an accident?"
- "Any issues or problems with the car?"
- "Do you have maintenance records?"
- "Are all tires the same brand/size? How old?"
- "Have brakes or brake fluid been replaced?"
- "Who performs maintenance on the vehicle?"
Dealer Negotiation
Know the trade-in value before negotiating!
- Research trade-in value on Kelly Blue Book first
- Start LOW and work up – never start high
- Ask for the out-the-door price in writing
- Ask about all fees (dealer handling, etc.)
- Many fees can be negotiated or removed
- Treat your trade-in as a separate deal
- Be willing to walk away!
Inspect & Test Drive
Visual Inspection
- Cold Start: Ask them NOT to start the car until you arrive. Listen for bad noises and watch the exhaust. Blue or white smoke (not vapor) = walk away!
- OBD Scanner: Bring a scanner (~$22 on Amazon) to check for hidden codes. Look when codes were last cleared.
- Check Oil: Pull the dipstick – oil should be brown/light brown. Jet black may indicate neglected maintenance.
- Battery Date: Look for the manufactured date sticker. Batteries over 3-4 years may need replacement soon.
- Flashlight Inspection: Look for leaks in the engine bay. Smell antifreeze (sweet smell) = run away! Check for frame rust underneath.
Test Drive (20+ minutes)
- Hard Acceleration: Accelerate heavily (don't floor it). Hesitation or sluggishness = problem.
- Highway Speeds: Drive 65-75 mph and ensure smooth, quiet operation. Shaking = repairs needed.
- Hard Braking: Brake hard from 65+ mph. Steering shake = warped rotors.
Interior Checklist
- Key fobs work (1 or 2?)
- All door locks function
- All power windows work
- Sunroof tilts and slides
- Heat/AC and fan speeds
- Air redirects properly
- 4WD engages/disengages
- Spare tire & jack present
Pre-Purchase Inspection (Optional)
As a final step, consider paying an independent shop to inspect the vehicle on a lift. They may notice things you missed, and can perform compression tests.
Many shops will let you come look for yourself while the car is on the lift.
That's It!
You're now ready to purchase your car. I hope this guide helps you find good, reliable transportation.
Please let me know if this guide was helpful or needs improvement!
– The Car Guy