In the Used Car Market

[Mike]

Hypothetically, suppose there was a dad in Michigan who was in the market for a used car so he could hand down his current one to his son who recently got his license. Suppose he was keying in on a Jeep Liberty or Jeep Compass. And, hypothetically, suppose this dad doesn't take cars apart in his sleep, if you know what I mean. What do you suppose would be the best method of ensuring that this was a reliable vehicle?

More generally, how do you do your homework to make a good decision? Here's what I would do if I were that dad in Michigan.

• Do a vehicle history report with the VIN.
• Compare Blue Book and the market prices.
• Have a friend who's a mechanic give it the once-over.

What would you do if you were "that dad". ;)

 

[jasoncran]

Hypothetically, suppose there was a dad in Michigan who was in the market for a used car so he could hand down his current one to his son who recently got his license. Suppose he was keying in on a Jeep Liberty or Jeep Compass. And, hypothetically, suppose this dad doesn't take cars apart in his sleep, if you know what I mean. What do you suppose would be the best method of ensuring that this was a reliable vehicle?

More generally, how do you do your homework to make a good decision? Here's what I would do if I were that dad in Michigan.

• Do a vehicle history report with the VIN.
• Compare Blue Book and the market prices.
• Have a friend who's a mechanic give it the once-over.

What would you do if you were "that dad". ;)

said dad wouldnt be wise in being used dodges or mopar vehicles. the american cars if maintained can at times be reliable but dodge to me has never really impressed me. especially the dodge caravans.mom had two of them both were junk. first one engine blew, the second one aint much better.

 

[joethemechanic]

In addition to the stuff you listed, look for something that is pretty much "virgin".

If you see signs of major repair or someone starts telling you about the "rebuilt" engine or transmission run away fast. Probably 90 % of anything that has been touched ends up being a hack job. Lots and lots of incompetence and dishonesty in the auto repair business

 

[jasoncran]

In addition to the stuff you listed, look for something that is pretty much "virgin".

If you see signs of major repair or someone starts telling you about the "rebuilt" engine or transmission run away fast. Probably 90 % of anything that has been touched ends up being a hack job. Lots and lots of incompetence and dishonesty in the auto repair business

i hate to say that but yes there is alot of that in the field. i know im in that area but work for a municapality. i do side work from time to time and i only repair what is needed.

 

[Mike S]

Hypothetically, suppose there was a dad in Michigan who was in the market for a used car so he could hand down his current one to his son who recently got his license. Suppose he was keying in on a Jeep Liberty or Jeep Compass. And, hypothetically, suppose this dad doesn't take cars apart in his sleep, if you know what I mean. What do you suppose would be the best method of ensuring that this was a reliable vehicle?

More generally, how do you do your homework to make a good decision? Here's what I would do if I were that dad in Michigan.

• Do a vehicle history report with the VIN.
• Compare Blue Book and the market prices.
• Have a friend who's a mechanic give it the once-over.

What would you do if you were "that dad". ;)

You probably already have a mechanic you trust. Take it to him for a look over.

 

[Car Guy]

Hypothetically, suppose there was a dad in Michigan who was in the market for a used car so he could hand down his current one to his son who recently got his license. Suppose he was keying in on a Jeep Liberty or Jeep Compass. And, hypothetically, suppose this dad doesn't take cars apart in his sleep, if you know what I mean. What do you suppose would be the best method of ensuring that this was a reliable vehicle?

More generally, how do you do your homework to make a good decision? Here's what I would do if I were that dad in Michigan.

• Do a vehicle history report with the VIN.
• Compare Blue Book and the market prices.
• Have a friend who's a mechanic give it the once-over.

What would you do if you were "that dad". ;)

If you are buying a used car, it's worth spending the $100 or so for the dealer to do a sales inspection. Jeep's are notoriously unreliable, especially with transmissions and rear axles. I would be weary. I worked at Chrysler for 7 years and I am very familiar with their shortcomings.

If you are only considering American brands, I would take a look at a Chevy Equinox or Ford Escape -- both better vehicles and more reliable than the Jeeps you list, IMO.

One other point. Used car prices are extremely high right now..........it's almost worth looking new.

 

[Free]

Hypothetically, suppose there was a dad in Michigan who was in the market for a used car so he could hand down his current one to his son who recently got his license. Suppose he was keying in on a Jeep Liberty or Jeep Compass. And, hypothetically, suppose this dad doesn't take cars apart in his sleep, if you know what I mean. What do you suppose would be the best method of ensuring that this was a reliable vehicle?

Best place to start is by not buying a Jeep.

 

[Lewis]

Consumer Reports, will give you the lowdown on the most reliable vehicles out there, hands down.
You can also research cars online to see how many people has or had trouble with that particular car, I have done that many times.

 

[Pizzaguy]

In addition to the stuff you listed, look for something that is pretty much "virgin".

If you see signs of major repair or someone starts telling you about the "rebuilt" engine or transmission run away fast. Probably 90 % of anything that has been touched ends up being a hack job. Lots and lots of incompetence and dishonesty in the auto repair business

^^^^^ THIS! ^^^^^

A rebuilt engine (or transmission) or replacement rearend, is not only risky for the reasons outlined above, but it also a sign of a car that has either been driven harder than even I drive and/or has not been maintained well.

 

[Lewis]

Something else I do is look at how worn the brake pedal is and the wear on the drivers side seat on the left edge for wear of getting in and out of the car. This gives me a good idea of how used the car was just in case a used car dealer rolled back some miles.

 

[jasoncran]

Consumer Reports, will give you the lowdown on the most reliable vehicles out there, hands down.
You can also research cars online to see how many people has or had trouble with that particular car, I have done that many times.

i should ask you too look my two trucks up and see if they come up.particuarly the ranger.

 

[Mike]

Well, since everyone has already seen right through my OP, I'll fess up.

Thanks for all the advice. I have to admit when Jason responded first dogging Jeep, I chalked it up to anecdotal opinion. But Jeep has received bad reviews across the board. I live in the land of the Big Three, and my father retired from Ford, so I never plan on owning anything but American.

Every consumer has to weigh the value of owning something new, but all else being equal, I've never heard a serious finance person suggest buying a car new is anything but a bad idea. But, if it's an acceptable loss, buy new.

 

[Mike]

i should ask you too look my two trucks up and see if they come up.particuarly the ranger.

No, with 3 kids, we couldn't use a pick-up.

I meant to mention that I am also looking at the Ford Escape someone mentioned. Like the Jeeps I mentioned, I'm a significant my decision on mileage, size, and I like SUV & SUV crossovers.

 

[jasoncran]

mike i work as a mechanic, i have 4 ase's. we work mostly on the fords and chevy's but seldom on the toyota's.

when i worked in the market we had alot of work on dodges and jeeps.

 

[Pizzaguy]

I suggest you buy used:

Chrysler Crossfire (but the kid will want it!)
Mercedes SLK32 (but the kid will want it!)

Wait, you live in Michigan, ok:
Nissan Xterra 4wd


Stay away from Ford, GMC, Chysler (the Crossfire was made by Karmann, not Chrysler) - any of the domestic, UAW / AFL-CIO crap.

 

[Mike]

Stay away from Ford, GMC, Chysler (the Crossfire was made by Karmann, not Chrysler) - any of the domestic, UAW / AFL-CIO crap.

I think you're living in the past, man!

Another question for my brothers. What is meant by "Rebuilt Title". Is that no better than any other potential hack-job on the engine? Can you drop an engine, certified with ~50,000 miles on it and feel safe that it will not be a problem any more so than if it were the original engine?

Would you stay clear of any kind of engine mention, even if the whole thing is replaced?

 

[jasoncran]

it was in severe car wreck and repaired.

uh no he isnt. i have done more work on the ranger then my nissan in the past two years.

 

[Mike]

it was in severe car wreck and repaired.

uh no he isnt. i have done more work on the ranger then my nissan in the past two years.

Jason, honestly, you must stop using anecdotal stories as evidence. I'm not bagging on you, brother! But you do that a lot, and I don't think it ever reaches its mark. People will only think you had a few unfortunate things happen to few friends or family. That doesn't make a dent in the national statistics.

 

[jasoncran]

Jason, honestly, you must stop using anecdotal stories as evidence. I'm not bagging on you, brother! But you do that a lot, and I don't think it ever reaches its mark. People will only think you had a few unfortunate things happen to few friends or family. That doesn't make a dent in the national statistics.

most of the fleet in where i work is ford and chevy. we have toyota tundras that are used the same the same size chevy trucks., far less problems. fords and chevy trucks often have failures.i have seen simple front wheel bearings fail on them ere 30k miles. not once but almost a dozen of them. ball joints and control arm bushings that fail early in the s-10s. yes they are driven way more then the average american but still.

 

[jasoncran]

:bigfrown

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/...reliability-findings/reliability-findings.htm

still not impresed, though i was off in what i thought would be the best foreign car, jeep came out the best in reliability? hmm interesting, still im not buying of them.