I am looking for a 99-00 Sedan (manual), and found a few listings in So Cal. So what do I need to check before I buy it? Should I drive it to a mechanic nearby and pay him to check it? Also, is there any common problem with that model year that I should be aware of?



Modified by andylawcc at 2:16 PM 9/11/2006

 

Anyone has any input?

 

Timing belt, timing belt tensioner, water pump...make sure all of those have been changed...and the usual oil leaks things like that

 

get a ex haha...thats my advice...

 

yea check the oil, cause if it's low it could be a leak, actually, check where he parks it. Timing belt change is important, look at the tires, check if it's been maintained (tune ups, etc).

but who are we kidding, that's the perfect used car, so most likely none of that stuff will have been done and you'll pay about 1K to catch it up. That's what i did , and mine's stock, btw.

 

umm... all of this is off the top of my head... soo bare with me
ask questions first... was it given on time maintenance? ask if there were any repairs done or any problems in the past...
any crashes? clean title? how the car was driven (hard or babied)... how were most of the mileage accumulated...
then if you decide you still like the car.. and you go to go see it

you can first check by giving it a visual inspection...
body of the car... is there any dents or major paint flaws
interior of the car... any big stains, rips, broken parts
then you can check the oil... check the oil cap to see if theres any dark, brownish residue...
check the motor mounts to see if they're blown...
check how dirty/clean the engine is.. if the engines dirty with oil.. it might be a sign that you need to replace gaskets...
check the condition of the battery...
take a quick look under it, is there an oil leak (around oil pan) or check on the ground if there's any fluid leaking at all...
pinch your hoses to see if they need replacing or not...
if you still decide you like it.. or have any doubts that you want to clear up.. ethier ask or test drive it

test drive... i really dont have any tips on test driving other than...
how does the car start?
how does the motor sound?
how long does the car take to warm up
when the car is warm is it idling at the right rpm
is there any check engine lights
does the A/C work... does the fan blow strong...
if its a manual... step on the clutch a few times.. how does it feel?
check if all of your lights work... parking lights, low beam, high beam, brake lights, signals...
after that you can start driving it..
does it go into gear... does it grind any gears? does it reverse properly
test your brakes... listen for any sounds... does the wheel vibrate...
does acceleration feel like it should be...

umm i know theres more.. but i can't think of anything else..
if there are any problems... think about how much it's going to cost to fix it... then try to drive down the asking price... when the owner gives you a new price or he keep the original price... then think about the repair cost again and see if it's still worth buying the car
if i have something else ill leave a reply...

edit... yah!! those guys up there have some of the things i was missing... lol good lucc on car shopping