How to Inspect a Used Car for Purchase

Here's another great tip... when taking a look at a Jaguar X-Type, turn the other way and run.

Seen this 4 years ago.. wow time flies. I was 14 at the time now I’m 18 getting ready to buy a car, thanks again Chris!

Me looking the underside: It seems a bit rus...
Chris: Its rust-free, good condition.
Me: Ok i see

When chris pulled up that checklist i knew he wasn't playing.

Make sure to give the car a kick to ensure the alarm system is working.

When I bought and sold vehicles I would open the drivers door all the way then lift up on the door to check for play in the hinge. If there was play, and the mileage was low, I would suspect a rolled back odometer. Also look for excessive wear on the brake pedal/gas pedal. It is a very good idea to measure the paint thickness on the vehicle to see if any body work was done. Pull out the dipstick on the transmission and smell the fluid to see if it is burned. A compression test is very useful as well. Never buy used cars that young males owned. I preferred buying cars from older people, they are much more likely to service the vehicle. Younger people abuse vehicles.

“There was no owner around”
Proceeds to put ChrisFix license plate on it😂

“Would you shop at a store without prices” what about dollar tree lol

I was inspecting a used car and took it for a test drive. Opened the door and started the car. Drove excellent!
After spending a night in jail I realized the car wasn't for sale and I didn't even have a key!

You should also check the shocks. Push down with your full bodyweight once on each corner of the car. It should go down, then up once, and that's it. If it keeps going up and down like it's on the sea, you'll need to replace the shocks, and that's pretty bad.

I could tell that Chris wasn't older than 25, and I checked and sure enough, he's 24. He knows a LOT about cars for that age!

Thank you for posting this series! The last vehicle I purchased blew its head gasket on day TWO! Thankfully the dealer split the repair costs with me despite no warranty. If I checked the radiator cap, I would have seen that sludge instantly.
I just inspected my wife's next vehicle high and low yesterday using your checklist and videos. I tried my darndest to find an issue but came up with nothing. I feel much more assured I made a safe purchase this time around!!!

+ChrisFix .... you missed a big point with the body inspection. Always check the gaps between the hood, fenders, doors, and trunk to make sure that they align properly and there is an even gap between them. I walk away as soon I see that one of these gaps is wrong. At this point you know the part has been removed, for what reason, who knows, but I don't care to find out.

I love it how Chris just explains it down to the nitty gritty instead of having someone taking 20 minutes to get to the point

It is always a good idea to check if all the windows have the same logo, so you can quickly know if someone tried to steal the car (so it would have some damage on the ignition or the owner had to replace the key) or if it had an accident - a replaced one won't ever be the same since they should have the same number printed on them

Just sent this to my sister in law who’s buying her first car, thanks for being in the community Chris!

As long as you are looking under the car, you could check the VIN on the frame and see if it matches the one inside the windshield and then look it up. Sometimes scammers will change the VIN on the top and not on the bottom.

Another great tip. If the owner won't let you test drive the car, don't bother wasting your time with it.

I have used your check list about 4 or 5 times for me and my friends. Works every time. Thank you for making that.

I saw this video about a month or so ago, and it changed my life. I downloaded the checklist and then began my search. I went through 3 test drives and inspections using your checklist. Just the other day I saw where you bought that Jag for your Dad and what you did for the rims. I followed your advice and found a cherry 2005 Volvo S40 t5 that HAULS! Negotiated about 20% off the asking price and believe I made a good deal. Good job by you!

Hey Chris, one tip I think you should put in the body is check the uniformity of the seams between body panels.
I once was helping a friend purchase a used car, and I noticed the seams between rear quarters and trunk didn't flow evenly. Asked the owners about this and they said it had never been in an accident. I looked up the carfax and sure enough it was in a collision, so we avoided the car.

Great tips - THANKS!
One more tip (important on anything more than 5 years old): Take a kleenex and wipe it around the inside of tail pipe; it should ONLY show some carbon powder/residue (yes carbon) and NOT feel even the slightest bit oily. RUN AWAY if at all oily.

These are good tips, when I bought my car (my dad checked everything for me) we used the wheel inspection and body inspection to negotiate down $1,500!!!

Thank you for all you do man! I'm an Auto Shop teacher and your videos are a great way to share information with my students and let them learn a bit before they start working on vehicles! you rock man!

It's been a while since I first watched this video. It's nice that you have a printable checklist, which I plan to ask my local shop to use when they do an inspection of a used Sentra I'm interested in buying. Many thanks Chris to the hundreds of thousands of hours that go into all of your videos. You set the standard for everyone else with a channel, to be sure!

just helped me walk away from a 5000$ truck man thank you!

Thank you sm for making videos like this, you’re really helping so many people including me, I don’t have my dad to help me with stuff like this, I never learned. So thanks

Thank you so much!! My 1999 Civic is still in great condition, but you never know when you might come across a good used car worth looking into. This video and the 2nd part to it really help make me feel less intimidated about the whole process of buying a used car! Thank you!

Love your vids. One thing I want to add though when buying a used car from a private party: MAKE SURE THE TITLING IS IN ORDER. You can find a car that's a deal of the century, but if something prevents you from titling (and subsequently registering) the car in your name, you're seriously screwed. You want to make sure the person selling the car actually has the right to sell the car (ie, their name is on the title), and you want to make sure things like the VIN are 100% correct (even if two characters are transposed, the DMV is likely to reject the title). The first thing though is by far the most important because you can fix the second thing with the previous owner's help.
The problem is though that a number of privately sold cars in the used market are being sold by flippers, and to save (substantial) money on titling and sales tax, they'll leave the "Buyer" field on the transfer of title section blank when they buy the car and just never title the car in their name. Then when they sell the car to you, you can put yourself down as the "Buyer". No problems as long as you don't need a new title for whatever reason (VIN error, cross-out on title transfer, previous owner printed out their married name in the title transfer section when the title is in their maiden name, previous owner signed their name "Jim" when the title says "James", dog ate it, etc), but good luck tracking down the person the flipper originally bought the car from (and that's assuming the flipper didn't buy the car from another flipper).
You also have to be careful of titles with multiple owners, even if the seller is one of them. Make sure all listed owners are around and will help you should you need a new title or some other DMV issue comes up with getting the new-to-you car in your name. Last thing you want to deal with is buying a jointly-owned car from a disgruntled spouse going through a divorce, or buying a jointly-owned car from a son whose dad passed away but the son doesn't have any power of attorney documents.
Also, understand that some states actually have two-part titles: a "liened" title that the DMV sends to the buyer financing the car and a lien release document that the DMV sends to the bank. Once the buyer pays off the car, the bank sends them the lien release. The first part is absolutely USELESS without the second part, and A LOT of people who live in two-part title states don't even realize this (and wind up losing the lien release). So if you're buying a car from a two-part title state, make sure you have both parts OR that the title doesn't have a lien holder listed on it. Unless you're really, really incredibly lucky, a bank will only send a lien release to the person listed on the title/lien release. I've even seen situations where a bank that was listed as lien holder on a title hadn't been in business for years, and that's always an insane (and sometimes insurmountable, actually) obstacle to deal with.
Finally, be careful of dealers posing as private sellers. I've seen schemes where they'll put the dealership's name as "Buyer" on the title and then give you a dealer re-assignment form (or just fill out the dealer re-assignment section on the title) with you as the transferee. The seller will swear up and down that this is fine, that they've done it in the past, and that it's completely legit, but unless you're also a dealer, it absolutely won't work. So once the DMV rejects your title application because of this, you'll be forced to go through the dealership to get the titling done, at which point they'll likely slam you with several hundred dollars (possibly up to a thousand) in various doc and processing fees. They know your only two options at that point is to pay up or spend even more money suing them.
Really, the best way to protect yourself from all of this kind of stuff is to just go to the DMV with the seller and get the title transfer done before keys exchange hands.

Why are people so focused and stuck on ChrisFix license plate cover and not pay attention to all the good things you can learn from the video

Another thing to check when evaluating tires... make sure they're all the correct speed rating for the vehicle. I once bought a car without checking this and ended up having to replace all four because the speed rating was too low. I had four blow-outs before I finally researched this and found out what was causing it.

I remember watching this 3 months after it came out. I used it to get my first truck. 6 years later the truck is the same pile of junk i bought and i wont give it up for the world! Thanks for your videos! Without them i wouldnt have been able to keep my old beater alive!! Its not perfect but no vehicle is!!

Hi Chris,
Just wanted to express my sincere thanks for your exceptional videos and guidance. I’ve been looking for a used car for my mother-in-law for the past two weeks, armed with the BlueDriver code reader, penny, paper towels, fridge magnet, and of course the ChrisFix used car check list. I’ve seen one bad car after another (all of which were described as excellent condition in the ads) and ran into vehicle with bad CV boots, oil and tranny leaks, tire treads that barely covered the top of Abe’s head, massive sludge buildup around the engine, blow-by, suspension clunks, surging engines, pending engine codes and the list goes on and on. Finally, however, today I purchased a mechanically solid 2002 Toyota Camry that passed every single inspection point on your list and feel confident that I got my money’s worth and have a car that will easily surpass 300k with proper ongoing maintenance. Again, a huge thank you for your sage advise and help!

I’ve watched this series at least 5 times. Preparing myself for when I shop for a car, great series.

In addition to the knowledge from the videos, Chris ... enjoy listening to hear a confident, soothing tone of voice !! 😇

Im 15, im so obsessed with cars. Soon, I'll buy a used car and it into my own project drift car, also, buying my own tools, and follow each of your videos, and steps. Loved your vids.
Keep it up👍

Always check by turning on the AC while driving. Some cars starts vibrating after acceleration.

Just a few bits of info for everyone who is asking in the comments section:
1.) Those are plate covers not plates. I use them in all of my videos to protect the owner's privacy (and my own privacy). They go on with tape before I film. The real plates are under them.
2.) This is only part 1 of the series, in part two I meet with the owner to inspect the car: krplus.net/bidio/abJshKChmo6RmYY
3.) I have a new series with buying a parts car Jaguar here: krplus.net/bidio/oLqXdJegl6PIgYY
4.) You can follow me here for updates and other cool projects:
Subscribe→ goo.gl/Yfma59
Instagram→ instagram.com/chrisfixit
Facebook→ facebook.com/chrisfix8

Hi Chris, Thanks for these videos on check up a second hand car. The list is really helpful. On the Tires section I added the date of the tires. Important detail. Thanks and keep up the good work.

I truly do appreciate what you do. You have a lot of useful advice and you are a G for making the checklist. I will definitely tell everyone I know to check you out. Thanks bro.

Gosh I wish I saw this video when I bought my first car 😩

Thank you for these buying/inspection videos dude. Really helped me buying a used car.

@ChrisFix I think you should add "Test keys in door locks" to the list. My cousin got a used truck with electronic lock/unlock and he didn't test the keys. Turned out the keys didn't work in the doors, so he had to replace the door locks and then had to carry 2 diff keys because of the different ignition key.

I just used all your checklists today to purchase a used car. It really helped a lot. I appreciate it

- Check the tires for uneven wear and cuts/ bulges... Uneven wear suggests problems with alignment or the suspension

Are you really still replying to comments on a 2 year old video? 😂👌

Hi Chris, I want to say Thank you this video helped me buy my first vehicle when I was 21 through a car auction. I always look back to this video when I have family or friends who need help buying a used car.

Hi Chris
I've subscribed to your channel cause I really appreciate your professionalism in car fixing. Your tips and instructions on on cars are very helpful to me.
I'm interested in buying a first generation toyota highlander (2001-2007). Which year do you think is best for this generation ? I've heard something about an engine problem for 2001-2004. Calculater or something of that kind. Thanks in advance

If there's no price it's FREE!

That moment when you buy a car and you realized you didn't look at 80% of what you should have , I wish I would've remembered about this video first. Hopefully I didn't make a mistake lol

Because of my job, I drive a lot of heavily used rental cars all around the world. Sometimes they don't look / feel really safe but as I don't (yet) understand so much about cars, I don't know what to look out for. Refusing to accept a car because "it just feels unsafe" doesn't go down so well with the rental companies. This Jaguar series gave me a lot of tips on checking the cars, but I would definitely like to know more. If you are ever low on video ideas, here is one viewer that would love a similar video but with more explanation regarding the safety of the car. Thank you for the amazing channel. It is a joy to see really quality content like yours! :)

This is a very well-made video. Thank you for the value you've provided. And thanks for the checklist.

A few things to check once you have the owner there or the keys. Check in the engine bay for rust or damage. Look inside the oil filler cap for white slime. If it's there there is water getting into the oil. Look in the coolant reservoir see how clean it is and see if there's oil blobs in the water. This can be either or both ways. I've seen cars with oil in the water but no water in the oil and visa versa. Look around the battery tray for corrosion. Most batteries are sealed these days but on older cars corrosion here was pandemic. Check the oil to see how clean and topped up it is. This can be an indicator of how well the car has been serviced. Start the car and make sure it turns over cold. If the car was driven before you got there you should wait till it's cooled. Warm up the car or do the test drive then do the leak check again. Some leaks only show when the car is warmed up. Don't forget to test things like air-conditioning on the test drive. If it's cool weather most people forget then when summer comes and it doesn't work they could be facing a large bill depending on the fault. Check the front and rear lights np

Should have mentioned body panel alignment and gaps, paint tone consistency, wear on seats and steering wheel

Chris: On his way to buy groceries. Sees a for sale sign on a car and pulls out cam to make a video. Nice job!

I can see why you're successful. Thorough and to the point. Great content. Thanks for the video.

another important check to do before buying a new car: check that there are no dead bodies in the boot of the car..

also always like kick the tire, because it shows the seller that you're gullible and will give more money

I remember when this series first came out and I was waiting for each episode. Now, I'm in the market for a car after a hybrid battery failure. I can't believe I've been watching you this long!

can't believe this is 5 years old now in 2021 this is my second time buying a car on this checklist thanks alot chris

As a rule, I try to avoid used cars with aftermarket things such as rims or loud sound systems. Besides the possibility of maintenance issues they cause, they are often a sign of a young person as the primary driver and the possibility of engine and drive-line excessive wear due to hard usage. There's a reason for looking for a car only driven by grandma to attend church on Sunday. Most grandmas don't "drift".

Hey Chris, i just used this guide to buy my 2nd car i've ever owned, a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta. The dealership said they loved the idea of your checklist and it helped wonderfully.

Im going to look at a used truck tomorrow, and this is still relevant! Glad Chris is around!

Thanks! Did I miss the link to the checklist? Update: I see it now in the description box.. really helpful!

Which stupid guy puts such rims on a Jag?!

Just FYI, This is an AWD car, meaning it is strongly recommended the tires should ALL match and be replaced at the same time. Therefore, if you are considering an AWD car, you would need 4 tires. Not 2. BTW-- I owned this particular model Jag in an 06. High performance tires are REQUIRED. I never believed the difference in expensive versus cheaper tires was that great until i got this car! Believe me, IT MATTERS! Just something to consider when buying a car that is a drivers dream, like this one, and considering the expenses of bringing the car to proper standards. BTW, I LOVE mine. It's the best car I've ever owned. I paid $3000 for it, put in $1000 (it had 88000 miles) including 4 tires, and never needed anything more than an oil change. Driving it is a religious experience. I know this video isn't about Jag's, but since I'm such a fan, I had to add these particulars. LOVE YOU VIDEOS CHRIS FIX!!!

Man...I can't thank you enough for this video. Much respect to you brother.

Thank God this playlist exists lol. I'm finally looking into buying a used car and a lot of the things you've covered in here (as well asin the next video) are things I would've never thought to check...I feel like an expert in cars now and I haven't even done anything 😂

Thanks so much for these 5 videos. I watched them before I went out to buy my car. Turned out, I got an amazing deal on a 1993 Corvette, 40th Anniversary Edition. Thanks for all these tips and I now I hope you do more Corvette Videos.

Thank you so much for this video Chris. I am a young guy, and recently bought my first vehicle. It is a 1995 jeep wrangler. It has 75k original miles, 2.5 liter straight six, 5 speed. I checked all these things, and jeep specific things. (Drivetrain, the top, rust on the fire wall) I bought it for 6,000, and it runs perfectly. Thanks for helping me!

Chris...great channel and great tips/advice/how to's. Much appreciated!

Thanks man, these videos really helped me out for buying my first car. I actually got half the original asking price off cause of these

Thanks Chris, I am still looking to buy a used car, and your videos have helped me a lot to filter out the bad choices. I must say I had no idea what to look for, but now atleast I know what works and what doesn't.

Tires on an AWD car should ALWAYS be the same brand. Sizes run differently from brand to brand and in AWD vehicles different size tires (even worn tires of the same brand) can DESTROY the AWD system. I'd pass on this car.

I bought my 1995 Jeep ZJ used...I've had it for around 20 yrs.....most repairs though few are around $100....I love it....and didnt know much about cars at all ,then,as far as working on them..Though I definitely knew how to drive fast cars and what they sounded like in good running condition.(I owned them growing up) I just drove it for the test drive and it ran good and was comfortable to me I learn only now because I Love it 💖 Those few repairs are one hell of lot better than monthly car payments 👍

This is well inspected Chris. Seen one like this when I served at Fort Drum, NY.

Tip 6:Check for any blood stains in the boot :P

chris fix the best car-related youtuber

This video and other videos of yours came across my feed, I’m glad I learned something new! Really informative. I’m trying to buy a used car and I will know what to look for now 😊

Great! @ChrisFix i liked your video just seeing the list of what to check in car.... Good man... I started watching your videos just by two days back...... Good luck... God bless you.... Love from INDIA 🇮🇳

Chris ! i just wanted to thank you so much for all your vids and hard work making them ! i always learn from them and i really enjoy learning to fix things on my own ! i luv the jag and think you got a really killer deal on it !im 62 and recently retired and i want to buy myself an old benz 1999 thru 2002 e320 model I've always liked that body style any advice on those cars ? i know they are expensive to pay for repairs lol, but if needed i can do minor work myself ill let you know when i find and buy one . thanks again Bob K.

No reason to inspect a Jag. Unless you are an electronic engineer well versed in automobile wiring & computers and, need something to do every Sat & Sun for the rest of your life.

Thanks Chris 😊 Been a long time viewer and finally, I bought my first car!
A 2009 Skoda Octavia 1.9 diesel, manual.
The inspection sheet helped me a treat to check the car out.

Very good video. Please note: when checking tires, check the 4 digit manufacturer date. six years it expires. anything after the sixth year consider the tires a threat to safety and a must to replace.

Haha thank you Abe Lincolns head!

Your 1st mistake is looking at a used Jaguar

Chris.... a couple of points to improve your used car videos and worksheet
1- Most used car dealers sell wrecked cars, So when looking at used cars always look closely at the body lines and body gaps (where panels meet), Vehicle manufacturers have for decades now held less than 1mm body panel gap on most every vehicle made. If you see body gaps of 2mm or more, be suspicious and start asking questions, especiall if those gaps change in width (Wide to Narrow) along the length of any single gap or body line. Next, looking down the body lines at a slight distance, one can easily determine if they flow correctly. This is an area where prosepecive buyers need to take great care, as most vehicles today are unibody construction, where the suspension mounts to the body and not to a seperate chassis. Dealers don't care what they sell a prosepective buyer "Caveat Emptor"
...
2- The main reason most private folks sell ther vehicle is because of factual or feared issues with its engine, drive train or electronics (especially engine or drive train computers and their components). Vehicles are not as easy to diagnose and repair today as they were in the 1960s when the engine electroncs were a simple. With the computer controlled, fuel injected vehicles of today, it takes far more diagnostic work in order to determine a potential or factual failure. Most people are not trained or don't posses the acess to proper software wich could be used to diagnose such issues.... Therefore its easier for them to sell the car on ... cheep... I just advised a private seller on such an item coupled a specific brand. It turned his/her a useless vehicle with electronc failure into a selable, reliable used vehicle for under $400 for the repair. However, without the knowledge, those sellers were pulling their hair out trying to figure the gremlin out... and couldn't. That is very common in the private selling, used car world...

Another thing you could do when inspecting the tires is to run your hands around the tyre to check for any bumps. Bumps can indicate suspension issues such as bad alignment.

I definitely think an under the hood inspection and even running a scan tool would be a good idea

Chris, really helpful video. You provide a ton of real world experience information in your videos. I'm learning a lot. Thank you for taking the time to do them. :)

As a reseller understand the worry of buyers and agree with this, but if a buyer came with a list like that or does this. I'm just going to walk away lol. Respect for CHRISFIX on trying to help. Much love

As women we're always being screwed over when buying used cars. Here's a great tip to find undisclosed repairs in cars that have been wrecked. There's alot of plastic in newer car models but always take a magnet with you to run along the body, especially the quarter panels, (the area at the rear sides of the car), to find "Bondo" compound. A product used to fill in deep dents or to cover up body rot(rust). The magnet won't hold onto the surface on areas that have Bondo. My Dad taught me this old trick. Thought I'd share it.

Thanks for the video! Great tips. However, if I were the buyer, I would have paid more attention to the mechanical details, not really body and stuff. You had some really great tips including tire matching and brake, but I would pay more attention to whether timing belt is changed (if it has timing belt), any issue with alternator or serpentine belt, shock absorber, transmission fluid etc. While driving I would consider looking at if brakes have any squeaking/grinding sound, transmission shifts smoothly or takes time to shift, engine jerks greatly during shift of not (probably an engine mount issue). I would try to take a look at the history of the car to see it had any accident or been stolen before or had any major repair, how many owners it had etc. And finally, I would definitely talk to the owner, to understand how good he was at taking care of the car in general.

As a teen looking for a used vehicle to drive from work and school. This is very helpful :)

Chris! I’m doing my online drivers Ed right now, and my instructor used this video for reference. Thought it was kind of cool👍

God bless you my dude. What a great help you are.

Thanks Chris! I've purchased 2 used cars in the past year as we have 17 yr old twins. Sure wish I'd seen your vids beforehand.

Great video Chris, alot of information too!
Keep it :)

Thanks Chris for the used car check list. Very helpful.