Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it

[micky]

On the Pipple's court, she's always insisting that people should get used cars checked out by a mechanic before they buy it.

I think she says it costs 50 or 100 dollars.

I've only thought about doing this once, when my car collapsed in North Carolina, and the only convertible I found the first day was pretty rundown. I went to a shop (to make sure the engine on my own car was shot) and asked him about checking out the other car. He said, Well I can't really tell much for iirc 100 dollars, but I'll tell you what I can.

So how much can a mechanic tell about a car's condition for a price people might be willing to pay. How much would that cost? (I'm not asking about the future. I know almost anything can break at any moment.)

[hubops]

I'm thinking that the mechanic should take it for a test drive - including a stretch of highway speeds. Then up on the hoist for a thorough visual ; plus checking all fluids, hoses & belts; If he has any suspicions or indications of problems, he will dig into those more deeply ... then give you a write-up on his findings. ... gotta be over a hundred bucks by now ? John T.

[trader_4]

Well, there you have it. I'm sure she knows, even though she's making tens of millions a year and only has two year old lease cars. Never mind that the cost of labor is more than that for an hour where she tapes the show.

Yes, we know you didn't do it when you bought that crap car with no inspection that blew up on you.

when my car collapsed in North

If you're clueless about cars, can't do any inspection yourself, for sure it's worth the money. And not only that, it's obvious that any inspection will uncover some things, which you can then go back to the seller with and get the price lowered. That pays for it. Nuff said.

[Terry Coombs]

  Or you can do your own inspection . I mean how hard is it to : Check the tires for abnormal wear - worn ad one side/center only/edges . Cupping . Look under the car for obvious oil/fluid leaks . They leave a mess or a clean area . Look under the hood for obvious leaks/problems . A bundle of wired that looks melted ... Look the interior over . A car with 20,000 miles is NOT going to have the brake pedal rubber worn smooth .   If a cursory exam makes you question , then call your mechanic . Since I'm my own mechanic , I do a much more in depth examination . I've never bought a lemon , though I have gotten a couple I should have passed on . Ever priced lug nuts/bolts for a Peugeot ? Be sittin' down .

[trader_4]

A big advantage a pro has that's familiar with that car is that they should know the common pitfalls with that make and model and what to look for. Many car models are known to have potentially big problems, that cost a lot to fix. You could invest some time on the internet to read up and figure that out for yourself, but the typical buyer isn't going to do that, nor do they have the skills to then make the evaluation.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Easy for you. Do you think a bookkeeper or kindergarten teacher knows how to check how much is left on brake pads or if a weld on a replaced fender was done sloppily?

[Terry Coombs]

  Ed , that's why I suggested some of the easily detected signs of a problem . If there's a puddle of oil under the tranny ...

[gfretwell]

For $100? Not much. He might scan for codes and look at the oil, maybe the belts and hoses but I doubt the car even gets on a lift for $100 these days. On a new car it would cost more than $100 to remove all of the covers to look at the engine.

[hubops]

I recently checked the oil on my daughters Pilot - took a few long seconds to find the dipstick - then had to go find a long-neck funnel to add oil ... geeesh. John T.

[Clare Snyder]

For $100 I could tell you if it is GOOD, BAD, or needs a further look.

For $50 I could rule out 50% of the bad ones, or select at least 50% of the good ones. The "inbetween" takes a bit more investigation.

[Clare Snyder]

Or even know that the fender WAS replaced???

[Clare Snyder]

It might be a $5 fix - and the perfectly dry one might be a $3000 fix.

[Clare Snyder]

In half an hour a good mechanic can pull 2 wheels (1 front and one rear) -scan the codes, and do a cursory inspection.

That's about $60 around here at a dealership About $45 or $50 at many independents or chains like Meineke etc.

If you have a "regular" mechanic they will often cut you a good deal just to get/keep your business - and make sure you are getting a good vehicle.

[Terry Coombs]

  Yeah , and the fastest horse may not win , but that's the way I'm going to bet .

[Ralph Mowery]

Yes, a good mechanic often knows of probem cars. Like a new car I bought. My shade tree mechanic friend told me that at about 40,000 miles a gear in the timing chain system would wear out. Sure enough about every 45,000 miles it wore out and left me stranded 2 times before I got rid of it.

Son bought a new Nissan a couple of years ago. Factory knows of a transmission problem. They had extended the warrenty period from 60 thousand to 120 thousnad miles. Sure enough at about 130 thousand miles the transmission needed a $ 4000 repair. They would not do anything about it so son had to eat the repair price.

[Ralph Mowery]

Yea, you can not even see the engine now for all the covers.

[micky]

When there is a warranty on the engine, like from a used car dealer, is that supposed to cover oil pan gasket leaks?

(As is often the case on that show, the stories are not compatible with each other. Supposedly they had a 2-day warranty and the mechanic they took it to on the 2nd day said so many things were bad he couldn't write them all down but even when she called h im on the phone, the only things that were mentioned was oil and antifreeze dripping and the gas tank held up by a bungee cord. Isn't replacing the metal strap that holds it up a cheap repair?

There is often a big difference between the issues the announcer reads at the start and the ones they bring up in the "trial". I know the thing is edited and they might have said more, but even alllowing for that, there seems to be a big difference sometimes.)

[micky]

Both of those are better than I thought.

[micky]

I have a 2005 and I think it has only one cover. So I guess I have more covers to look forward to next car.

But the read 3 cylinders are so far back, I don't know how anyoone can change the plugs or the wires. (I don't even know if you can change the wires without changing the whatevers, transformers?)

[Brock O'Bama]

A good mechanic (or lemon law attorney) can steer you away from Ford's loser cars.