What is a Good Deal when Buying a Used Car? (How to Buy a Used Car)

buy an endoscope, stick it down in every hole and start making sounds like "hmmm..." and "ho boy..."
Price will drop fast..

How about this: Chris makes an app with his voice asking the questions and you just play it.

"Dont get emotional". I cry, can't help it

Without haveing a dad I love KRplus cause it’s like a parent. I mean I have mom who is the best but KRplus is a good place to learn

Another good tip is to never go alone. Bring a friend! They might spot things you might miss, and its just safer as well.

Add blinker fluid to the list, it's very important and can save your life.

i am a teacher showing these videos to my high school students taking Financial Algebra. real life math! thank you!

That checklist is really a life saver

VIN number = vehicle identification number number

STUFF TO LOOK FOR WHEN INSPECTING A USED CAR
Outside of the car-
•look at all the body panels and make sure they're the same color. If one is rusted, all should be rusted.
•go around the car and look ar the reflections for any bumps
•look at all the glass/mirrors
•make sure both front tires come from the same company and both back tires come from the same company and make sure they are the same size.
•check that all 4 rims are the same. And that there are no scratches,dents, etc. Can be expensive to fix.
•check how deep the threads of the tires go woth a penny.
•turn wheel, run ur hand evenly flat around the wheels. If its bumps, that means its not aligned or parts are worn out, making it thousands to repair.
•open and close all doors/trunk/etc and see the alignment on the sides of it
•look under car and see if theres any oil leakage/rust
•look at the break discs. If shiny, its been running which is good. If rusty or not shiny, its been sitting which is bad.
Interior-
•check transmission fluid. (Yellow cap, should be red.) smell it to check if its not burnt
•check engine oil ,check smell
•check brake fluid. If its low, then brakes are worn out. If full, ur good.
•check overall engine, make sure the cables are good, no rust
•check antifreeze. Should be a nice color.
•check for any scratches/broken plastic or ripped rug.
Finally-
test drive it in the city and highway.
•Check if its straight or shakes at all.
•Listen for sounds
•make sure to do a high acceleration test and a high breaking test
•turn both ways fully, hear for noises

When my mum was looking for a new car she found a used 13' VW Golf she loved. I am glad I went with her though. While I didn't know about this checklist, I went through most of these points anyway and found out that it had missed it's 70k miles service and timing belt change. I managed to knock about $3k off the asking price of $7k (We are in the UK here)
The reason I got so much knocked off is because it is about 750 to get it done at our local VW garage and we also needed to put new tires and the breaks needed to be completely replaced.
Did the breaks my self thanks to a Chris Fix vid, but wasn't confident enough to tackle the belt.

This is a fantastic series of videos on buying a used car. I used these strategies for a recent purchase at a dealership, and although they didn't budge on the price (deep in the middle of the chip shortage), I got them to include new tires (even though the existing ones were okay), a new battery, and a brake fluid flush. The checklist is priceless.

I’ve watched this video when it first came out just for fun, but now I’m getting serious on buying this used car. The owner asked for $3500 but I got it down to $2500 thanks to you. Very helpful tips and very in depth video on what to look for. Thanks again Chris, looking forward to future videos!

Seem's an honest seller because they wouldn't usually tell you about issues that have existed and that they have been fixed ...they usually try to make it look perfect as possible

Omg I can't believe I watched this like 4 years ago and was like "I will need to know this when I get my first car" and I just got mine a few days ago, I followed all the steps and I got a great deal! It is insane how much information you put in your videos! I got my dream first car because of following these steps, keep up the amazing work Chris!

Love how Chris sticks to the subject and keep the information coming! No chit chat and unnecessary dragged out information about other semi- related things! Nice channel!

In some places you can meet in a police department parking lot if the person seems real shady or if you are scared.

i totally had anxiety while you were on the phone with the owner haha

I like your voice. You seem like you'd make a good friend.

hey Chris! Just wanted to give you an update and also a HUGE thank-you!! I went into this process badly needing to know what to do with no clue how to start and what to look for, and nervous I was gonna get overcharged or stuck with something awful when I don't have much money to start with. These vids were empowering; they gave me the know-how to approach this process with confidence. Your checklist is also a phenomenal tool, thanks so much for making it available for free!! By the time I found a solid side-of-the-road car I already knew what to look for and what I needed to ask the owner. The one I picked should last me for at least a few years, and it wouldn't have been possible without your resources.
Anytime in the future I have any doubt on how to handle anything car-related, the first thing I'll do is come back to your KRplus channel, and I'll also point anyone I know who's stuck with these problems to you too.

Cris.
I think these vids are going to be very helpful to a lot of folks.
I responded to your last video. Again My father has sold, managed, and owned car dealerships my entire life (I'm 50). I have worked in the industry. So I have a lot of first hand experience. All of the points you make are valid and useful information.
Additionally I would advise your viewers:
Dress down, It's a mistake not to look underneath the car (I absolutely lay on my back and look underneath. Looking for fluid's, exhaust condition, CV boots, ect . . . Also this is another opportunity to put that paper towel you suggested to use. If you see fluid, touch it with the paper towel. That may be the only way to tell if it's oil, brake fluid, condensation, ect. Bringing an old cardboard box to lay on is never a bad idea.
Inspect rims for damage, they may be a red flag for suspension issues. push top's and sides of tires looking for play.
Look for mismatched body/door panel seams, and mismatched paint (faded/shiny/color) these may indicate non reported damage or repair.
This often is missed. Look to see rims, hubcaps, from driver side match passenger side. (easy to overlook and makes me look stupid)
Temper your expectations when negotiating. If the paint is not perfect on a ten year old car, get over it. If the car wont make it through the week in the current condition (cracked windshield, bald tires, damaged exhaust. Negotiate that you expected not to incur immediate expense and car should be safe to drive.
Ask for consideration if your research indicates an expensive scheduled service or repair is required or imminent. Often this is what pushed the seller to put the car on the market. It's not likely the seller will "Belly up to the bar" and pay for the repair. But just as often they will acknowledge this burden and possibly split the cost, or share the burden. This is especially true if they did not initially disclose that information. Research, as you suggested is king.
If you have a wife or child with you. Use
that as an excuse to do a more detailed examination. "I want to teach my boy what to look for" ect.
Every car seller in the history of car sells, will tell you they have two or three other buyers lined up. If you feel rushed like you have to buy now. Walk away, you don't. This is where bad decisions and regret are born. I promise unless this car has some rare historical significance (first off the line in 1964&1/2). You will fall in love with another car within a week, at worst a month. If you are buying for spouse or child. DON'T LET THEM FALL IN LOVE!
Respectful and polite. Your not trying to make a new friend (In fact I advise not to buy used cars from friends). There is going to be some polite small talk ect . . don't let that distract you. You absolutely should be friendly and considerate. Just don't let that overwhelm your diligence.
I know your next video will be the "Test Drive". I would like to make a couple of suggestions for that.
Only turn the radio on to see if it functions properly. Then shut it off.
Drive in town, stop and go, bumpy roads. Then highway. Windows up, and windows down listening for noises.
Reverse and forward.
Look under the hood and under the car (after the ride). You will be able to see fresh leaks best then.
If it's winter, turn on the AC. If it's summer, turn on the heat.
Roll up and down ALL windows.
Keep up the good video's Kris. I am not much of a wrencher but have been using your video's more and more often, to save myself money and do DIY myself.

the suspense is real for that test drive video!!!

Thank you so much for the videos and the checklists you made! I feel much more confident looking at used cars now. What a great tool your lists are so you should be proud of them! 😊 Again, thanks Chris!

I love how thorough and thoughtful Chris is with whatever topic he is addressing.

Question 1. Do you own this car?
Question 2. May I see your ID and the car title to see if the names match?
Then you know if the seller is flipping the car for someone else or "curbstoning" you.

Not to intrude, but here are some precursors you can check before you check the car out:
1. A 200k+ mile motor is going to be pretty worn-down, so ask the owner if it's ever been rebuilt. Contrary to popular belief, a car with a rebuilt motor or transmission with these kinds of miles often means the person cared enough about the car to keep it running. But remember! The keyword is "rebuilt," not "replaced." You don't want to skimp on this distinction, because a lot of car shops will replace a bad motor with an old motor (sometimes even older than the one that failed!), and that can spell bad news down the line. The same can be said for transmissions and other components that have been replaced, so it's always helpful to ask first.
2. Avoid "KBB costs." Often times, when you're looking for a deal, people will try to cite the Kelly Blue Book price estimate for the vehicle, and more often than not, that's because this person has no experience with cars, so they default to something they think is fair. In the end, you may get little things that can add up to a lot, like joints, filters, mounts, and other things that can go bad slowly over the life of the car without the owner noticing. This can lead to repairs that can double the KBB cost of the car! The answer here is to obviously check carefully before you buy, but if you have a decent price with someone religiously citing KBB, be on your toes or avoid it entirely.
3. The "Mechanic's Special." This simply means that there was an issue the owner couldn't fix themselves, so they leave it to a mechanic. This varies in difficulty from headlights to CV axles, to extensive body damage, but the most common issue is a failed engine or transmission. If you see "mechanic's special" in the title, click with caution! Remember to ask what exact symptoms the car is exhibiting, and do your own research on what it could be. Knowledge is power, and this could help you greatly in the long-run.
4. Be careful of terms like "you won't find this lower anywhere!" or "I know the cost of this car, so no lowballs!" Often times, this can - and probably will - be followed up with a price lowering in the next few weeks, or a car will pop up with the same specs for much, much lower. There are exceptions, but this is the rule. In general, I personally don't like to get involved with these people. Sometimes you can get somewhere, but often they won't even let you pop the hood, so be wary.
5. Don't meet up and inspect the first car you come across. Often times, a car will have hidden common issues that no one wants to admit to, but if you look around, you see patterns that are too large to be coincidental. A famous example is the early Northstar Cadillac (1995-2004), where it was common for the cylinder heads to fail after a certain amount of years or miles. You won't find much official information on this, and the only way to glean this information sometimes is to research other models for sale. Be sure to look around with the car you're interested in, and see what the most common issues you run across are, as well as how expensive it would be to fix, or even if you can replace the part with an aftermarket substitute that solves the problem entirely. Or, if you're not set on a particular make or model, just move on.
6. Beware of scams (this is the more obvious and less useful information). This shouldn't need to be said, but if you find an immaculate ten-year-old car with only 60k miles on it and the owner is generously selling for a couple hundred dollars, be wary! Giving them your e-mail can put it on a lot of companies' mailing list, and your phone number can be further sold to scammers, and good ones, too! Always practice personal protection; if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. A helpful tip on this is to look for multiple listings of the same vehicle in different states. This is easiest on Craigslist, where clicking "include nearby areas" will pull up listings from nearby states, allowing those multiple posts to list consecutively.
7. I can't remember if it was listed in the video, but please remember to STAY SAFE. When setting up a viewing, insist on viewing the car in a public place, with a lot of potential witnesses. This carries a few benefits, one being that it makes it harder for the person selling to rob you. Public places are also often easy access to roads for further personal test driving, which can be useful for obvious reasons. Remember, if they shut down the idea, it's safer to just avoid it altogether. If you want to buy a car that runs, and they can't even make it down the street to the local WalMart, it's not worth your time anyways. Remember to check your rear-view for the vehicle if you don't buy it, as well, and pull into a police station if you discover them following you. Be observant, smart ones will follow a few cars behind at all times. Always bring a buddy, and again, STAY SAFE.
These are a few rules I can think of off the top of my head. If I missed anything, feel free to hit the "reply" button so we can keep this information in one place. Once again, knowledge is power, and the more you know, the more likely you are to come out on top!

Thank you for checklist. Now it wont be so overwhelming when I see a used car on side of the road!!
You Rock!

You should be given an award for helping out people like this man. Thanks. Much appreciated.

Just used your videos to get a great deal on a 2008 chevy malibu with only 38000 miles, thanks Chris!

Step 1: Don't buy a Jaguar.

Bro I apreciate what your doing man you're actually one of the good ones wich makes you the best ones, keep it up there's not much left and again thank you very much.

Thanks so much Chris for this videos they are really helpful I'm sharing your videos to others friends and they loveeee your video.
Keep it up with the awesomeness Chris.

don't buy a car that already has warm engine. u wanna hear cold start.
another tip is, when the engine bay is super clean or appears to be cleaned recently means the seller is trying to hide something.
3rd, make sure the seller is not stopping you from looking at something at detail. for instance you are looking at the trunk and looking or pulling the carpet at the trunk and the owner is stopping you from doing that let's say by saying don't pull the carpets it might fall off or other excuses, means he or she is trying to hide something.
4th, don't ever look at car body work when it is raining, you will be amazed what water can hide

How to buy a used car.
First tip: do not buy a used British luxury car.
Now, there's always exceptions to rules.
However, I can confidently say that the first tip applies, absolutely and without any exception, to a Jaguar X-Type.

4:09 "Good idea to bring a fle...ASH light." Nice save

What a solid advice. I just watched the second video and I was mind blown. I found this channel, hoping to negotiate for a budget that I have for the next day.

Don't forget the first vital question: "Do you have the title?"

I've bought and sold dozens of used cars as a hobby. He is right on the money with all his tips and tricks. There's a lot to know when it comes to buying a used car. Unfortunately there are a lot of hurdles to navigate out there... Luckily, ChrisFix is helping us navigate them.
THANKS CHRIS!

4 years and do you respond lets see

Just wanted to say thanks Chris. You're an awesome person and I appreciate everything you do for the community. Happy New Year too!

Lol, when they say soccer mom car, beware.

another test is sticking your finger in the exhaust, you can tell if it's running rich or burning oil, if your finger comes out relatively clean, the engine is running fine.

you are my favourite person right now. thank you for this video series.

Dude you're impressive! Appreciate the thoroughness, keep making videos :)

you SHOULD be proud of that check list. Good job sir and thank you.

You are awesome, Chris. This is a VERY helpful video. I'm sending others your way because this is so helpful. Thank-you!

I am so happy I found your videos. Very helpful for someone like me that doesn't know much about cars. Love the checklist. Very helpful.

I appreciate you making this video. Clear and concise and well done. I’m about to buy my first car and I’ll be using this as a reference. Thanks so much, you’re doing a great service and I hope you know that!

Great tips, thanks a bunch Chris. You've surely helped many people in their process in restoring, fixing or buying cars. I think this is great, just wanted say this because it means a lot to me and surely others that you take time to film these videos and share your knowledge about cars :D Have a great day!

Helpful tip: never buy cars Haggard Garage style aka buying shit boxes in the middle of the pitch black night, listening to the sketchy owner talking up the car lol

You make the most clear cut videos on KRplus man! Keep up the good work.

I've watched this video twice and truly appreciate the detailed checklist you created, ChrisFix. Thank you.

Could you possibly make a video on what to change/fix/service when you've bought a used car that you don't know everything about? Like a top 5 or top 10?

now I have to go put pants on, so I can check my VIN

Man ,what you share with us is gold,thanks a million.

Fantastic series, Chris. Thank you -- I learned a ton!

Thanks chris.
Guy wanted 2500 for the car i bought
I paid 1300 :) It was super clean and no issues i got a steal!

I usually ask for their license and registration just make sure the car is under their name, and also their title for the vehicle. My uncle bough a Nissan Altima a few years back for $13,000 off of craigslist, and when he took the papers to the dmv they said it was actually a rental car. He lost all of his money sadly but at least I learned a lesson! A very expensive lesson loool

I genuinly think you just saved my ass ive been looking everywhere for something concise and informative. You're doing some real good work thank you so so muuch

I love your videos. I'm proud of your check list too. 👍 Thanks for your professionally done, informative videos. Keep up the great work.

Ideally you should go to their home to look over the car. I know it's "safer" to meet in a public place, but it means that you can check to see if they live where the car is registered. You can also get an idea of how well the car is likely to be looked after - if the home is run down and lacking care, then chances are the the car is treated the same. And if they say it's a family car, but the house looks like a bachelor pad...
You can also ask them to leave the car and not start it up, so you get to hear it from cold - something you can't really do if you meet somewhere.

I wished 8 would have waited for this video before I got my car. I bought it at Downtown Nissan in Nashville Tennessee (yes I am blasting them). i got a 2012 Nissan Altima Coupe for $13k out of the door, but the original was $15k out of the door. They gave us two keys, one belongs to the car and the other one doesn't belong to it. We test drove this at night and we didn't see the scratches on it and when I parked it, it was under a pavilion with bright lights and I didn't know the driver side underglow was broken till I got home and they won't fix it, I went back and told them and they said that we needed to pay $200 for inspection and over $75 to rewire the led, and I also asked about the key and they said that we need to pay $250-300 to get the key fob reprogramed. Just never go to Downtown Nissan in Nashville Tennessee. They are a terrible dealership and Andrew was the guy selling me the car.

This is great Chris. If you have no experience with cars then this will be able to help anyone out! Thanks for sharing it and great work!

Also leave money in bank or at home not in car. Great advice with everything else though. Awesome. Thanks

Been waiting for this video for ever

Thank you, Chris! This video was wonderfully informative!

Dude....for real!....thank you so much for everything you do. I've learned so much with your videos since the first time I needed to fix my car. And I'm being serious with this...I didn't know one thing about cars. Again...thank you!

I wish I had found you sooner so I could’ve known what to look for when I bought my truck. Nothing wrong with the truck but there were a lot of things I missed out on. Love your videos, man! Subscribed in an instant.

when is the drift car build coming?

Chris puts his heart and soul into these videos...how can you not like it. Great work Chris..and Thanks!

Absolutely Invaluable information! You are the best....I'm looking for a second car for my business and you probably just saved me some big headaches....you rock!!!

Awesome video man. The details you were giving are invaluable.

For KBB you should go by the Private Party price, not the trade-in. You'll be insulting most people if you ask for the trade in prices which range from Fair, Good, Very Good, and Excellent. You make the determination based on inspection of the car and negotiage from there. Never pay more than 25% more than KBB Excellent value. Cargo vans are notorious for this, some being priced up to 200% over KBB Excellent value.

Thank you for making this, Chris. I wish I had this to review a long time ago when i bought my first used car. This will definitely help a lot of first time buyers. Thumbs up!

I love you man. I thank God that you exist. Truly valuable person 💪❤️

I can’t tell you how helpful this was - thank you!

This came out at the perfect time because I'm looking at a car tomorrow

Hey Chris, its great you're making all these useful and awesome unexpected videos!! But please also don't forget the police car project, in the next one you said you would do all the wiring up of the switches and maybe you could even update the center console, which some people said wasn't the best. The storage compartment was too deep, it would be inconvenient to manage things back there. However, you're still the best car dude around and your videos are better than any others' so keep yourself motivated and thanks!

Thank you so much for the checklist!!!!!! especially for also having one is Spanish! you're a lifesaver!

Man I’m subbing
This channel gives real value!

Great video Chris! The checklist is good stuff. I can't fault you for anything really, so I would only add a few bits that I may have before on part one of this.
Take a tape measure in addition to the flashlight, and a friend. Because reports on VIN searches can omit accident damage info, it helps to do a basic X measurement with the hood up. This will show quickly if the unibody chassis has been twisted or tweeked. Also, look at the bolts that hold on the fenders on both right and left of the top of the engine bay. Those are painted after assembly at the factory, so the bolts should have the same even coat of paint as the rest of underhood area of the car. If there is paint scraped off those bolts, like as if a socket has removed them, then put them back on, then it's clear that its' been in an accident.
If you find other things wrong, they can be negotiating points that the buyer can use to reduce the cost. Example, if you drive in very slow circles in a parking lot, one full circle in each direction with the steering wheel fully locked. If it makes clicking sounds, or acts like it's rolling over bumps that aren't there, then it likely has a CV axle that is bad. Those are not hard to replace in reality, but you could tell the owner that could be a CV axle, or the transmission going out, either way that will take shop time and cost to repair, and it could be very expensive. I've had the cost of a car reduced greatly for that. I say that specifically because many Chrysler minivans have factory service bulletins that say the side of the tranny can blow out litteraly, if the driver tries to gun it faster while slipping on ice or snow.

When it comes to the used car market, you get what you pay for 98% of the time. Getting a good deal should not mean anything more than getting what you pay for.
Keep it simple....
1. If it's too good to be true.... it probably .....
2. Mostly highway miles my ASS
3. Women-driven does not mean anything
4. Since when does A/C + power windows and doors makes a car fully loaded?
5. On newer cars, the smallest issues will cost a fortune to replace/repair. Junk yards don't have the parts, aftermarket parts are either not available yet or are still very expensive.

Wow!! thank you, I appreciate the thoroughness of your video, EXCELLENT WORK :D it's very helpful!

You earned a sub for this video, thank you so much. It was very informative, and will work great for when I buy a used car shortly

Don't forget to listen to the owner's voice and stories. It explains if hes lying or if hes truthful.

Chrisfix, this is totally EXCELLENT!

Wow! Thank you kind sir for making a video like this. It's so informative and it provides you with tools (buyer power), thank you.

Your videos are extremely detailed which makes them very helpful. Thank you so much!

Wow, this series is excellent. So much great knowledge and experience here. And making those print outs for people to use is above and beyond. Thank you for putting this together.

Chris!!! Can you do a video on car auction like police department selling old car's and stuff.. I can't find anything like that anywhere

Thank you so much for making this video, very knowledgeable i learned a lot of things that I didn't even know. Again thank you.

I should have seen this the day it was posted. Million thanks, ChrisFix!

Hi Chris, I love your videos and I'm starting to learn how to work on cars now, thanks to you and some inspiration from my friends! :) These videos are super helpful, but I have a few questions. I've bought cars before, but only at Carmax where I didn't have to negotiate, so I'm totally new to the private sale game. I'm also looking for my first "project vehicle" that I can tinker with that has a manual transmission (want to learn how to drive one). Ideally, that would be a mid-90s Nissan hardbody pickup. I'm mostly looking online (Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, Autotempest, etc.), so the listings don't usually (if ever) have the VIN displayed. Some of these vehicles are up to 2 hours or so away, since I'm starting relatively narrow, so is it rude to ask for the VIN or ask for more photos first before I set up a test drive? I'd hate to essentially waste an entire day for a bust, but I don't want to tick off the owner either. Any advice? Thanks!

Always check for uneven tire wear. It could help you avoid expensive repairs.

another good tip, as i work at discount tire/americas tire, always ask about previous tire blowouts or tire flat repairs(fix of holes/leaks) because this could be the deciding factor if you need to get a new tire if you current one goes flat, or if you are still able to get a fix if needed.

THANK YOU. I was considering buying a beautiful low mileage 9th gen corolla but I used your salvage checker link and found out it had been in a rear end collision that compromised its frame. I test drove it today and it was a great car overall and I could not tell that there was a single thing wrong with the car other than a few things the buyer disclosed like a wheel bearing. saved me from a bad purchase.

Wow so much information :O so good but I also feel like it's over my head. I need to study this more. 24 year old female about to move across the country alone... I need a car when I get to the state. Trying to do as much research as I can.

Fantastic job and thanks for the video.

It's the best detailed what to do and look for in a used car. Thanks!

I downloaded the Checklist. It's way more detailed that he alluded to. It's 4 pages and amazing! Chris even included a QR code to bring you to this video. Outstanding!