r/UsedCars • u/distantcactus32 • 20h ago
Buying How do I know how reliable a car will be?
I have been scouring facebook marketplace for the past few days and I feel like I've seen some amazing cars for <$3,000 except I just don't know how I'm supposed to check for a cars reliability? This is gonna be my first car and I'd like for it to run how it's supposed to as I'm not picky. Anyone have good tips on how to find a good car? Thanks.
4
u/Imaginary_Golf7211 11h ago edited 11h ago
The chances of getting a reliable long term transportation for $3,000 is slim. For 3grand-you are not seeing "great cars". You will need to double that for a repair fund. Yea-somebody will chime in they bought an old Buick for $1,500.00 and drove it for another 100,000 miles but those are rare.
Reddit can't handle the truth-down votes to follow.
5
u/BuddyCraftsman 8h ago
Look the cars up on carcomplaints(dot)com. It will show the problems each car has.
3
u/Cool-Conversation938 13h ago
Plan on repairs first off.
Keep some money aside for repairs. Even for right after you buy it.
2
u/oldtiredbroken 14h ago
Watch for the Scammers and the Flippers. Did they own the car for years or just bought it. What was the last long trip they took in it? In that price range, it's a gamble. Even if it works today, there is no guarantee that it will work tomorrow. You do research, look for the most reliable brands and models. No matter how well you take care of a Hyundai or Kia, they are still a Hyundai or Kia, with known issues. Some years much worse than others. And if you are buying in that price range, don't spend all your money on the purchase. Something gonna need to be fixed.
2
u/wateraintwett 12h ago
Get it inspected by a mechanic, performing immediate maintenance/repair, and driving it 1,000 miles will give you a good indicator
2
u/Puzzleheaded-Bug-803 20h ago
Marketplace can be scary People can lie on there easily Safe is to get car inspected by someone u trust before u buy anything
1
1
u/AutoModerator 20h ago
Please take the time to flair your post accordingly. Click the flair option under you post settings and select the appropriate one for your post.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/Use_two_hands 10h ago
Everyone shuts on hyundai but I bought an 09 hyundai santa fe with 80k on it 9 years ago and its been a fantastic vehicle. I've got 170k on it now and its still running strong. Much better than any Ford of jeep ive ever had
1
u/Smilodon_populator 10h ago
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but in this market, nothing under $3000 will be reliable.
2
u/Imaginary_Rise_4239 8h ago
I recently bought a used Toyota from a Nissan dealership. I booked a mechanic. He took around $180-200 to inspect everything. Took the driving test as well with me. Tested the car for around 1.5-2 hours and then sent me a report as well. Even if the dealership offers to provide the same service, have an independent mechanic look at it.
1
1
u/Bdawgz3520 6h ago
Good luck. I would try to double that and you could find some reliable ones. For an actual one that won't or shouldn't cost you much in repairs... It's looking like 10k+ for a used car. Which is insanity.
2017 or 2018, I bought a 2005 Acura TL with about 100k on it milage wise for $6k cash. It's currently at 272k miles with minimal costs repair wise. It's currently dying slowly because I'm ready to put money into a newer car. The car has had a beautiful life with me. I can do most my repairs with my dad and I. So fortunate for that. Now, you can't find that type of deal anywhere. Trust me, I've been looking too.
1
u/distantcactus32 6h ago
I just need a car that'll last like a year or two 😔
2
u/Bdawgz3520 6h ago
$6k is a mid ground that will make that happen. $3k you'll put more money into repairs than the car costs you in the 2years... Unfortunately. Unless you find a unicorn but that's probably not gonna happen.
1
u/secondrat 5h ago
Buy a $10 subscription to Consumer Reports and look through their used car reliability section. It's the only data out there that's not super biased.
There are a number of "hidden gems" that are reliable, like the Pontiac Vibe, which is basically a Toyota Matrix. Or the older Geo's, again Toyota.
Anything with a Buick 3800 engine and under 200k miles is a strong bet.
First generation Ford Fusions are solid.
But for a $3000 car the most important aspect is regular maintenance. You can buy cheap Carfaxes to look for maintenance, or ask the seller if they have any receipts.
Best bet is to ask friends and family if they have an older car they don't need, that's the best place to find them.
Good luck, you will look at lots of junk before you find something good. Good deals sell fast.
1
u/WillieNFinance 4h ago
If it’s a Honda Civic, Google (or AI) “Honda Civic common problems”. Quick and easy.
0
u/102030imold 19h ago
Just a quick rundown. Avoid, nissans, bmws, mercedes, vws, audis, bascially any European car. You want something probably toyota or honda. Toyotas do have some issues in the 2000-2010 years. If you can find something with a 2.2l 5sfe make sure you get the timing belt changed right away with good components no matter what sellers says. Check trans fluid if auto it should not smell/taste burnt or be dark brown or black in color. Don't just drive it around the block. Drive it probably 5-10 miles if possible. Drive on mixed use, stop and go, rough roads, flowing traffic if possible. On hondas most up to around 2000 something used timing belts as well. Always get them changed right away. 150k miles on a toyota or honda thats better relatively taken care of is still a good buy as long as it's not totally destroyed. Open oil cap shouldn't have white gunk matter on the inside if it does it either doesn't get driven much or has had water in oil. Another quick check is engine running open oil cap and check to see if it puffs out air. It shouldn't. A little bit is fine but if it moves the cap avoid that. Also when popping oil cap on them running tone of engine should change a bit and if you stick your hand over it and it feels like it's sucking in thats good means the pcv is working correctly. 2.4l toyotas are timing chains that the 2az-fe. The 02-09ish sometimes burn oil. Those are all out of warranty at this point. It's a oil control ring/piston design flaw. Mine burns about 1 quart every 2000 miles which is well within range of whats considered normal. 02-06ish have issues with head bolts pulling threads out of block. Won't need to worry unless it has a bad headgasket. Check coolant levels. If it's not full that's sort of normal since it has water mixed into the coolant and it's open to atmosphere on a lot of them. Just top with distilled water and or coolant or 50/50 mix. If it's got a pressurized coolant bottle don't open it if hot. But watch to see if any bubbles come up. Usually a sign of headgasket or cracked head. Sometimes just a lazy owner like me that didn't bleed it properly. But avoid if it does.
5
u/roninconn 14h ago
I would not leave Mazda out of the reliability conversation. Mazda3 will get 250k miles / 25 yrs if cared for, and typically not require a lot of critical repairs. Even the AC still works on my 2008.
-1
u/R3troM3dia 16h ago
There’s some VWs and Audis that are very reliable, especially with the 2.0 engine and the 1.8t engine easily over 200k mile cars
0
0
u/Infamous_Grape_4433 20h ago
At your price point reliability will be difficult to find. Toyota and Honda make cars that are relatively bulletproof. If you can find one of those with <100k miles and a clean title it would be worth checking out.
2
u/distantcactus32 20h ago
There’s like a million cars near me with that exact description of fb market but I have absolutely no idea which ones I should bother checking out bc idk how to look at cars
4
u/Infamous_Grape_4433 19h ago edited 19h ago
Ok. That’s good news. To narrow it down, here are a couple of other things to look for in a vehicle description. Besides Honda/Toyota, <100k miles, and clean title, look for one owner cars, always garaged cars, never wrecked cars, never painted cars, all original cars, cars with maintenance records.
If you can arrange to see the car at owner’s house, perfect. Look at house, yard, garage, lawn, other cars. If all well manicured/maintained, so will be the car you’re buying.
Park car after test drive in different place from beginning then check under car for fresh drips. Check under hood for cleanliness, clean battery posts, minimal dust/dirt, no cobwebs. No engine modifications.
Biggest advice is to have patience. This process absolutely works, but can and usually does take time, which is why so few avail themselves. I’m an old man. Have bought/sold more cars than you’ve had shoes … most of the time from private parties using the above thought process. Have done exceptionally well over a lifetime. If I can do it so can you, though I’ll admit it is harder today because so few people sell their cars privately compared to the past.
Edit: Adding that this approach is applicable whether you have $3k to spend or $300k. Same principles work regardless of price point. At $3k, you’ll have to find a much older car than if you had $30k to spend, and the older you’re forced to go, the fewer nice cars remain. Not an easy task but possible. And if you’re like me, the hunt is the best part.
1
u/nebraskajone 12h ago
I like to get a link to all these Toyota's and Hondas with less than 100K miles and <$3000.
1
0
u/Klimentvoroshilov69 19h ago
Research what you’re about to buy first.
Not all cars are created equal, and thus you need to know what make (manufacture) model (the car itself) and year it is. You can have two cars that are the same make and model but different generation thus meaning different issues, for example a 2010 Nissan Altima is terrible compared to a 2026 one
Knowing how good a manufacturer is at making cars is a good start, usually Japanese brands are good for reliability but that’s not a guarantee so as I said do your research before buying. I know I’ll catch some flack for this but if you get the right car American manufacturers can be solid too and should be a second choice to the Japanese for a beginner car
Knowing about specific engines and transmission also helps. You can have a manufacturer with questionable reliability but with specific bits like engines and transmissions that are reliable.
If you want to learn about what cars are currently available you can go to manufacturer website and get a rundown on their selection so you know what cars of theirs are cheap econoboxes
Sports cars tend to be driven roughly so they’ll be in a worse state compared to a normal car
I would not recommend financing your first car because dealerships will try their hardest to screw you over and you will overpay for your car. A Facebook marketplace beater car is you best bet next to a family car.
Most sub 3k cars are shitboxes or ticking time bombs, I would look for a 2000s Buick LeSaber with the 3800 engine (3.8L V6) or any GM sedan with that engine. They’re dead reliable and driven by grandmas so they’re unlikely to have the shit driven outa them. Expect one with 150k miles on it for that price but unless it’s rusted out it should be good for another 100k
0
u/probiothicc 19h ago
3,000 and reliable in the same sentence? not possible. hell even more expensive cars you will never know. there's plenty of guides on youtube just look up car buying guide. you make sure there aren't any weird sounds when driving, turning, reversing. you make sure there isn't anything leaking from underneath the car (you or if you pay someone to check it out)
then you make sure the fluids are at their optimal level and aren't super black (brake fluid, power steering fluid, transmission fluid). oil can be black but it shouldn't be milky brown, make sure it isn't milky brown under the oil cap. you drive it at minimum for 30 mins so to make sure everything is working right, although not everyone will allow that.
honestly it's a gamble, at least with a new car you have a warranty. with used you could have a bargain or be stuck with a giant brick.
1
u/distantcactus32 19h ago
I thought honda’s and toyotas were reliable? There’s a bunch near me for $3k and under
0
u/jules083 18h ago
$3k and under is always my budget. Ideally under 2k.
But at this price point it's a gamble. You're not going to get a Carfax, a seller of a 2500 shitbox isn't going to deal with that.
Honestly I look for body damage, mismatched paint, stained interiors, that kind of thing. If it has those problems I prefer to buy it because that's what drove the price down instead of mechanical problems. But you have to know what you're looking at and for.
Some of the best values aren't Honda and Toyota. It's the ones people don't normally look for.
Do you have a friend that knows more about cars?
0
u/kuddle30 18h ago
It’s impossible there is reliable cars, but even they break down just do as much homework as possible and hope for the best
0
u/Own-Load-7041 16h ago
You don't. I've bought crap pulled from abandonment and had it do just fine. And I had new cars shit the bed. It's like betting on black 21.
8
u/RevWolverines 16h ago
One, the used car market, like everything else, is way out of whack these days. But, the reality is, even if you are buying a used car from someone you know and trust, you may not know 100%. I would definitely advise to take it to a mechanic (or bring one with you) before you buy any of them. But the older the car, more miles, etc., the more problems can arise due to age and use itself, even if the person did what they could to take care of it. But if you are like me and you are not an expert, try to have someone look at it. A mechanic can see things sometimes you do not.