What are you supposed to look for when you buy a cheap used car?

>>17388644
At this point it's a 17 year old car, even if it's a Honda or Toyota shit is going to start breaking. My friends gf had one of those and it was a pile of shit a decade ago.

>>17388659
Yeah, but that's the same kind of car that's recommended in the sticky. Is it really just "if you want a reliable car, you need to spend more than 5k?"

4k is a lot for a 1999 Civic.

4k here gets you like a 2006 Civic

>>17388644

Helps to pick a model with a good track record. Try to find one with as little miles and years as possible.

Most important thing is checking that the engine is in good shape and doesn't leak anything or produce any coloured smoke.

Service history and proof of regular oil changes should help confirm the car's been cared for. Also, if you can, check recent owners and how long they've had the car. Usually the longer someone has had it the more likely they've taken care of it.

Before even looking for the car, research the car and look up any common defects it has. In person

>Check coolant level in radiator
>Check oil
>Check miles
>Check for any leaks under the car
>Check for any worn out screws under the hood
>Check for fluid levels
>Check spark plug wells
>Ask when was the last time the timing belt has been (Owner will probably lie anyway
>Ask owner if he has used the vehicle recently (AVOID VEHICLES THAT HAVE BEEN SITTING FOR TOO LONG.

...or you can find a mechanic to inspect the car for you.

You really can't prevent it. It's either a hit or miss but doing the things above will improve your chances of finding a good cheap car.

>>17388865
It was smoking from under the hood and leaking green shit (coolant, I'm guessing) even before it broke. It was also apparently rusty as shit under the hood, too. Now she's telling me that the engine was repaired with electrical tape (which melted into the gauge).

And they took it to a mechanic before buying it, who said everything looked fine. Well, better he makes that mistake than I do.

>>17388896

Before even seeing the car in person**

>>17388907

The mechanic definitely should have seen something was wrong. Maybe he was in cahoots with the seller.

But anyway, both Scotty Kilmer and ChrisFix have videos on how to buy a used car, you should watch them all.

They really helped me when I bought my current/first car all by myself. As I said before, the engine is the most important part to check, because anything wrong there will cause breakdowns and be expensive to fix.

By comparison, tyres, shocks, body panels etc. are cheaper to fix or replace and can help you knock down the price if there's anything wrong with them.

Get a compression test before you buy a car. Anything else is relatively minor and fixable, an engine is not

>>17388644
lol your brother is either lazy/retarded when it comes to cars or he got raped

i've bought my civic over a year ago for a whopping 1600 bucks and it currently runs like a champ due to keeping up with maintenance