Tuesday, October 25, 2011

How can the car that i am buying from a private seller is a good car and not crappy?

im buying a 96 nissan altima.

is this a good car in general?



and also, i plan on bringing someone who knows about cars with me tomorrow. so what kinds of things should i be looking for besides

lights

brakes

leaks... ectHow can the car that i am buying from a private seller is a good car and not crappy?First – don’t rush when you evaluate the car. Take your time. Rushing you could overlook something you’ll hate later or cost you money. Get the Kelly Blue Book Value for a “good condition” before you go (KBB). KBB for a 1996 Altima with 150k miles is $1500.



Don’t worry about saying things to your friend out loud. Care more about your money than the seller’s feelings. It is only business.



First check out the owner. Is he a dealer in disguise? You want to discern if brought the car home just to sell.



Ask if he is the owner. How far does he drive the car everyday? What kind of driving highway or streets. Has he had any engine problems? Transmission problems. Was the car in an accident? Why is he selling the car? Does the car have a timing belt (4 cylinders)? When was it changed last? How often did he change the oil? How old is the battery.



You'll get an idea if he is the owner and knows the car. You want to buy from the owner not a guy who sells cars to eat.



First check out the car body. Note all the rust and dents. Make sure you see all of them because you don’t want to wake up the next morning and hate your car with the big yellow scratch on the passenger door. Do you like the condition of the body? Has it been recently painted? Paint hides a lot of sins. My son and I just looked a truck where the guy painted over rust. You couldn’t see it but if you ran your hand along the door bottom you could feel it.



Check out all the doors. Do they close properly? Are there any wear marks on the car frame from the door dragging?



Check the tires. Are they worn evenly? Rear tires too. He may have rotated the worn tires to the rear. You want to see even wear across the tire. Uneven wear means ball joint, bearing or tie rod problems.



Does the windshield have any cracks or scratches?



Check out the trunk. Check for a good spare, jack and tire iron. Look under the carpet and along the sides for dampness or water indicating a leaking trunk.



Under the hood. Look for signs of leaking. Oil, trans fluid, power steering fluid. The engine should be dry not oily. Check the oil on the dipstick the color should be clear brown not black. Check the transmission dipstick. The oil should be clear red not brownish or burnt. Put a little on you finger does it smell bunt. Trans fluid smells goofy any way but a burnt one smells different. Hard to describe definitely check the color.



How is the overall condition of the wiring – does it look original or are there obvious repairs



Check the alternator belt for cracks. The battery should be clean no corrosion.



Does all the paint under hood match? Fenders firewall hood should be the same color.



Look at the radiator, front bumper and plastic around the headlights for damage.



Are the headlights clear, firmly attached and properly aligned



Start the car. Listen for rattling or clicking. It should sound smooth like a sewing machine.



Take a drive. While driving play with all the stuff. Power windows, mirrors, wipers front and rear, heater, power seats, radio



Car should accelerate smoothly with power without abnormal rattles or noises



Car should shift smoothly with out jerks. Should not shift up and down frequently.



Steering should be smooth without noise.



Are all the gages working normally?



There should be no check engine lights



Brakes should work without abnormal noises or pulsation in the pedal



When you get back – leave the engine running and check under the hood again for leaks or abnormal sounds



Ask you friend if they have any concerns. Show your friend what you’ve found.



Listen to your intuition



If you still like the car – offer the owner KBB plus or minus 200.



Get a reciept AND A TITLE no exceptions ..How can the car that i am buying from a private seller is a good car and not crappy?What you should do is take it to your mechanic and have him check it over. Most will do so for a small fee.How can the car that i am buying from a private seller is a good car and not crappy?Nissans for the most part are a very reliable car. Ask the seller for any records... oil changes, repairs, parts that have been replaced, etc. Also... mileage is important. If the car was driven only a short distance daily, or highway miles. Highway miles are much better for a car than short tripping. Is it a one owner car? The person you are bringing with you should also check the belts. How often the oil was changed is one of the most important things. The problem is going to be trusting that the seller is being upfront and honest with you. That is why records can be so helpful. I have a Nissan, and I have had it since 2001. I bought it new. One of the reasons I chose this car was because all the people I talked to before buying it said that their Nissan was one of the most reliable cars they had ever owned. BUT... having an owner that has given the car proper care is important.How can the car that i am buying from a private seller is a good car and not crappy?There are very few guarantees in life - especially with a 14 year old car.



Don't get too attached to the vehicle though - because even in private sales, you have to be willing to walk away, or you will get taken to the cleaners.



Good idea to take someone with you - make sure to take it for a nice test drive, get it warmed up. Hit the brakes hard a few times to see if it pulls one way or the other, or has trouble stopping.



Make sure there aren't any obvious leaks, burning smells, odd sounds, etc. - possibly take it to a mechanic and have them give it a once over ($75 or so typically - not a guarantee, but worth it if something is wrong).



Ask the owner for maintenance records, and look at the mileage. Check on kbb.com for the kelley blue book value of the vehicle.



I'm not a big fan of the Nissan Altima, but there a lot of them out there, so they apparently make a decent product (and junkyards are probably full of wrecked ones for parts).



Good luck! Shop around!How can the car that i am buying from a private seller is a good car and not crappy?Here's some consumer reviews:

http://www.edmunds.com/nissan/altima/199…



Be sure and ask the owner why he/she is selling it. Some will be honest and tell you if there's a major problem they don't want to spend the money to fix and others will be cagey about their reasons. Be wary if they seem to rave on too much about how %26quot;great%26quot; the condition is without sharing the problems with the car as well (all older cars have issues of some sort). Ask the owner if he/she has maintained the car regularly (oil changes etc.) and then ask if you can check motor. If you can look at the air filter, that might be an indicator of how well they really maintain their car (filter should not be filthy). Tire wear should be looked at; uneven wear might indicate problems.



Great idea to bring someone knowledgeable about cars with you to evaluate the car. Test drive it in town and also on highway to see how it handles when you drive above 45 mph. Sometimes older cars putter around town just fine, but on the highway they make weird noises, wobble, and/or get hot.



Good luck:)How can the car that i am buying from a private seller is a good car and not crappy?run a car fax on the car. it tells you all owners. and any recalls on it.