Buying a used car

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ARnut

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Long story short motor caught fire in my caliber and found a car I am really interested in. Do you all have a mechanic you take your car to check it out before buying? Any one dealt with Orr Nissan west? Thanks in advance for the replies


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O4L

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Snattlerake

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swampratt

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I would have not owned a Caliber due to the CVT transmission unless yours did not have that transmission.
I assume it is beyond fixing.

I have zero love for newer cars and making that decision as to what is good is as good as rolling the dice.

I have people come to me often asking what car they should get and ask if I will go with them to look at one.

Check antifreeze lever .. it should be all the way full under the radiator cap.
What no radiator cap on the radiator..That one is on you.

Pull the oil cap and look for moisture under it and on the oil dipstick look for rust or moisture.. Moisture will look like foamy light tan froth.
Slide under it and look for stuff that has been repaired like bent metal that has been welded on.

While you are under there look at the condenser in front of the radiator.. how beat up is it..is it bent from a wreck??
Does it have a lot of rock dinks in it leading you to believe it has 100,000+ miles on it rather than the 30,000 the odometer shows???

Yes digital speedometers can be programed to read different mileage.
CARFAX is a waste of time.

That only tells you what was reported.
I had a car 1991 Ford escort..Buddy got it as a second owner and it had 24,000 miles on it .I got it for 900 bucks and showed 27,000 miles on it. Not 127,000 as it rolled back over to 00000.
So it was tagged and tilted as 27,000 miles and when I sold it the odometer showed 74,000 miles.. it was 274,000 miles but looked perfect inside and out and the guy thought it had 74,000 miles probably got tagged at that.

Are the tires on the car very new showing no wear??
That could be an issue with the car wearing out tires really bad needing an alignment or worse some parts on it.

Turn sharp in circles and the tires should be noi8se free if all is right.. you know the drill.

Check all gears and make sure all the controls work like AC and heat high medium and low.

Is the windshield all pitted up from many road miles.. Look at the under sides of the seats and at the glove box area behind it and fuse area under the dash .. look for mud or grass..Like a flood car.Trunk area's are a good place to find little spots that hold debris from sitting in a river bed.
As is under the car on top of the frame or around fuel line area's.

Crap shoot really.
Then when you find a type of car you want research the snot out of it.
Google Dodge caliber sucks. or Dodge caliber issues. see what you find.

When the smoke clears then go shopping.

Wife wanted a newer car and kept showing me what she found and I would shoot it down.. she finally said Then what car can I have!
I got her a 2003 Pontiac Vibe. Happy so far.
She said my 57 Chevy is too big to park at tinker around the idiots that have no respect for the person next to them.

The 47 dodge truck is a little too rough for her unless she wants to haul something then she takes it.

Maybe if I ever finish this old 1927 Ford roadster she will drive it. 434" BBC with tunnel-ram and dual 4 barrels.
It will be small enough and quick in traffic and sound loud enough to make people aware you are there :)
Maybe.
EEEHHH she will probably want power brakes and power steering or ac.
Or a top.
 

John6185

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My son makes well over $200,000 per year and has been living from paycheck-to-paycheck like. poor man. He leased a new Nissan Altima and has been paying monthly payments on that for two years and he may have finally gotten wise. He turned the Altima back in to the dealer and bought a 2015 Toyota Camry at a Toyota dealer with 150,000 miles on the car for a few hundred dollars and he's as happy as a fat rat in a grain barrel. The car should go another 100,000 miles. But like the guy above said, "It's a crap shoot." You could be buying someone else's troubles.
 

BReeves

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Last 3 cars I bought were rentals, all 3 Dodge Caravans with around ~10,000 on the clock. 94 went 260,000 before I sold it to someone I knew, put a transmission in it at 190,000, went over 300,00 before it ended up being junked. 2005 wife still dives with 120,000 trouble free miles on the clock. 2013 I drive, now that I am retired it doesn't rack up many miles only has 40,000 on the clock.

Paid cash for all 3 and at a considerable savings even over the asking price. Bought the 2013 in 2013 for 12,000 less than the best deal on a new one would have been. Some say they would never buy a rental because it may have been abused. Has not been my experience and wouldn't hesitate to buy another.
 

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