If i am buying a used car...

before you buy it ask the seller of the used car to take it to YOUR mechanic, if he is not willing to or it is “uninsured” or something see if a mechanic will come look at it for you, chances are if hes not willing to let you take it to a mechanic before you buy it its a POS.

Well said ppcakes, I’ve bought two cars from craigslist and always have a mechanic check it out prior.

It is a POS if the seller won’t cooperate.

In addition to taking it to a mechanic, get a Carfax report to find out the history of the car. Also, check kbb.com to find out how much the car is really worth and to see if the seller’s price is fair.

bigwei is right on with the carfax and http://kbb.com.

I think what you’re really asking is how you find a mechanic to check out the vehicle. If you have a mechanic, just use him and have the person meet you at the mechanic’s place to check it out.

If you don’t have a mechanic, I would get on the phone and call around to the shops closest to you. Ask them what they would charge to look at a car you’re thinking of buying. They’ve dealt with this before so it’s no problem. There might be a charge, there might not. Just be prepared to pay something for having them check it out.

I’ve bought a couple of cars like this. It is extremely important to make sure a mechanic sees the car. Once, There was $700 worth of repairs that needed to be done on a car I was buying. The previous owner paid the bill to get me to buy the car. Good stuff. I would have been pissed if I had found stuff wrong with the car after the purchase.

Take a mechanic or car knowledgeable person with you. Have him look under the hood, and make sure you test drive it.

But honestly, buying a car off craigslist, you may be doomed to a crappy car anyways :P