Tips for problem-free second hand car purchase

APoc184 said:
We do but I was hoping to keep this thread a bit more generic and informative for every type of purchase. If that makes sense.

We are not looking to spend more than R300k. Hoping to get away with something decent in the R200-R250k range.
One of the non-negotiables is that we want an automatic this time round. Lots of city driving for her and she is not kind to a clutch :ROFL:


Wife really likes the CX-5.
I'm really liking the Corolla Cross and VW T-Cross but prices are out of our budget and I ignore too good to be true deals immediately.
Then I see cars like the Hyundai Creta, Suzuki Vitara, and Opel Crossland that falls in the budget.
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www.autotrader.co.za

Toyota RAV4 2.0 VX for sale in Johannesburg - ID: 27256318

Used 2020 Toyota RAV4 2.0 VX For Sale - R 379 900 - ID: 27256318
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Don't take the wife with, comes with many extras
 
Buy Japanese or Korean.
Also time in the market is critical if you are on a budget and/or want to find something in really nice condition. The longer you wait the better the deal/car.
 
So some basic checks before signing on the dotted line.

Get the VIN of the vehicle you're looking at from the Dealer and go to the manufacturers dealership (if you're buying outside of their footprint) and get the records on the vehicle in terms of services and any other work that was done on the car so you can see if there has been an recurrent issues, as well as an possible accident damage that hasn't been disclosed (as the new parts for the vehicle should show on the parts details.

Check all the bottom door jams and seams of the vehicle for rust or obvious bubbling of the paint that is indicative of rust starting to creep in.

Look for overspray in non-obvious areas, like the engine bay or boot under the carpets to indicate if there is any possible accident damage that hasn't been disclosed.

This is more finnicky, and requires some knowledge of the motor/drivetrain but look for obvious evidence of oil leaks on subframes, etc underneath the vehicle.

If you're going to look at many cars, and possibly play with your own car, invest in a cheap OBD2 adapter and take a genericish scanner app on your phone and plug it into the car to get a list of obvious faults that are stored in the vehicle. If the dealer doesn't want you to do that, walk the fsck away.
 
APoc184 said:
We do but I was hoping to keep this thread a bit more generic and informative for every type of purchase. If that makes sense.

We are not looking to spend more than R300k. Hoping to get away with something decent in the R200-R250k range.
One of the non-negotiables is that we want an automatic this time round. Lots of city driving for her and she is not kind to a clutch :ROFL:


Wife really likes the CX-5.
I'm really liking the Corolla Cross and VW T-Cross but prices are out of our budget and I ignore too good to be true deals immediately.
Then I see cars like the Hyundai Creta, Suzuki Vitara, and Opel Crossland that falls in the budget.
Click to expand...

Skip the first two, but have a look Avis Car Sales for the Opel Crossland as it's one of their fleet cars and you'll find them at very low mileage and still under warranty with full service histories and in automatic.

As for the thread it depends entirely on the kind of mileage and budget you are looking at, but my advice to people is always to be ready and willing to walk away from a deal and not convince yourself to "make it work" because you'll already chosen the car.

I would take a higher mileage car for instance with a higher price even that is in good shape over one that is lower mileage for a better price where something was evidently wrong and they claim "they'll sort it out". If they weren't willing to sort it out before letting you test drive it...then they are going to take every shortcut available to them to tick that box.

If there is anything leaking or any strange noises at all that is the end of the game for me. Also if a car looks like trash inside then odds are it was treated like trash otherwise and likely driven like ass too. If a car looks decent all round then you can be sure it was treated well in general.

Obviously don't buy something without a service history and ideally buy something with a warranty still in place so that any niggles that do pop up aren't your problem. **** does just randomly happen and like I've had in the past aircon died two weeks after taking ownership of the car and the warranty simply sorted it out.

I generally check tyres and try to check brakes but not always possible with some rims. Take your phone flash out and get under the car and check for any sort of oil residue anywhere that might be a drip or a pool.

Check for overspray, good sign something was fixed which isn't the end of the world...but how they aswer your questions related to it says a lot. Just this weekend I looked at a car that was sprayed so badly there was literally a droplet showing in the panel gap...asked as got a diversion bullshit story and I walked away. If they were simply forthcoming it would not be a deal breaker and I would just say polish it out.

Often the way the sales person speaks and responds to things says more than the car itself. Sales people who trust what they are selling have a whole different demeanour.
 
APoc184 said:
We do but I was hoping to keep this thread a bit more generic and informative for every type of purchase. If that makes sense.

We are not looking to spend more than R300k. Hoping to get away with something decent in the R200-R250k range.
One of the non-negotiables is that we want an automatic this time round. Lots of city driving for her and she is not kind to a clutch :ROFL:


Wife really likes the CX-5.
I'm really liking the Corolla Cross and VW T-Cross but prices are out of our budget and I ignore too good to be true deals immediately.
Then I see cars like the Hyundai Creta, Suzuki Vitara, and Opel Crossland that falls in the budget.
Click to expand...

I would scratch the Opel Crossland off that list. Opel will not last long in this country with their current pricing (their engines are also French now).
The Vitara is discontinued so you will start to pay more for parts and have to wait longer. But, the 1.6 Vitara is reliable if you can find one with full service history.

CX-5 is very nice, it's one of Mazda's best sellers. Also bigger than the Corolla Cross and T-Cross. Mazda resale is atrocious but you'll still have to do some work to get a good one under R300k with less than 100000km
Also check that you have a Mazda dealer nearby, their footprint in the country is shrinking due to costs and losing business to cheaper Indian and Chinese manufacturers.

When it comes to automatics, know what type. CX-5 and Vitara (and the older Creta I believe) are old school torque converters, nice and reliable.
When you move to DCT/DSG (T-Cross) or CVT (Corolla Cross, Honda CRV, etc), I would not buy one that hasn't had the fluid changed by 90 000km. My cousin's Mitsubishi with CVT broke completely with 90 000km on the clock and it was uneconomical to replace the gearbox.
 
NR7 said:
When you move to DCT/DSG (T-Cross) or CVT (Corolla Cross, Honda CRV, etc), I would not buy one that hasn't had the fluid changed by 90 000km. My cousin's Mitsubishi with CVT broke completely with 90 000km on the clock and it was uneconomical to replace the gearbox.
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For DSG that would be 60 000 km, and is specified by VW as a service item.
 
Thanks for all the advice so far guys.

Last two days have been chaos at work so unable to check in.

Our Private banker advised that we should contact him directly for finance as he will do effort to get us the best deal as he just did for us on a loan for building improvements. He said F&I at the dealership will get you a reasonable deal but make sure they get their kickback included.

I absolutely love a Honda because of reliability and the Honda Jazz would be the perfect solution for me. But wife is a bit stubborn when it comes to aesthetics. But sure I can sway her that way if needed.

CX-5 really does tick all the boxes for both of us so will be our primary focus for now.

Facebook Marketplace is littered with too good to be true deals and really frustrating. But I am also inclined to think a great deal can be had if we do our due diligence when checking condition of the vehicles.
 
APoc184 said:
Our Private banker advised that we should contact him directly for finance as he will do effort to get us the best deal as he just did for us on a loan for building improvements. He said F&I at the dealership will get you a reasonable deal but make sure they get their kickback included.
Click to expand...
Definitely work through your private banker.
 
APoc184 said:
Thanks for all the advice so far guys.

Last two days have been chaos at work so unable to check in.

Our Private banker advised that we should contact him directly for finance as he will do effort to get us the best deal as he just did for us on a loan for building improvements. He said F&I at the dealership will get you a reasonable deal but make sure they get their kickback included.

I absolutely love a Honda because of reliability and the Honda Jazz would be the perfect solution for me. But wife is a bit stubborn when it comes to aesthetics. But sure I can sway her that way if needed.

CX-5 really does tick all the boxes for both of us so will be our primary focus for now.

Facebook Marketplace is littered with too good to be true deals and really frustrating. But I am also inclined to think a great deal can be had if we do our due diligence when checking condition of the vehicles.
Click to expand...

So one comment, just be wary of brand "reliability" and focus more on where the vehicle for that brand is manufactured. A Jazz still does have the general Honda Reliability, but their smaller models are just horseshyte of note.

And yes, deal with your Private Banker for the finance rather than the dealers F&I.
 
I asked a dealer if they have an Toyota urban cruiser in demo.
He replied yes and with a price and model after 30 seconds of googling i noticed the price was higher than a brand new one.
Wont be asking him for any good deals.
 
APoc184 said:
Thanks for all the advice so far guys.

Last two days have been chaos at work so unable to check in.

Our Private banker advised that we should contact him directly for finance as he will do effort to get us the best deal as he just did for us on a loan for building improvements. He said F&I at the dealership will get you a reasonable deal but make sure they get their kickback included.

I absolutely love a Honda because of reliability and the Honda Jazz would be the perfect solution for me. But wife is a bit stubborn when it comes to aesthetics. But sure I can sway her that way if needed.

CX-5 really does tick all the boxes for both of us so will be our primary focus for now.

Facebook Marketplace is littered with too good to be true deals and really frustrating. But I am also inclined to think a great deal can be had if we do our due diligence when checking condition of the vehicles.
Click to expand...
The Jazz Mk3 is a awesome car and it looks great as well, hard to beat considering for not much more than R200k you can get a mint one.
 
airborne said:
The Jazz Mk3 is a awesome car and it looks great as well, hard to beat considering for not much more than R200k you can get a mint one.
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Unfortunately like the CX-5 there are not too many (good ones anyway) of them available. Especially the 1.5 Elegance.

Going to view a CX-5 2.2 Diesel this afternoon from a private seller.
 
APoc184 said:
Unfortunately like the CX-5 there are not too many (good ones anyway) of them available. Especially the 1.5 Elegance.

Going to view a CX-5 2.2 Diesel this afternoon from a private seller.
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I’d go with any of the 1.5 Auto models, it’s worth the wait for a good one considering the low cost of ownership and how nice they are.
 
Tim_vb said:
My tips:
Wouldn't touch a car that hasn't got a record of annual oil changes
Cars with big engines most equal big issues after 120k milage - part of the issue is when things like timing chains (and guides) fail the engine isn't designed to be serviced and has to be lifted out of the car
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It depends on the mileage also. I rather look at that than annual oil changes.

ie I drove 2000kms with my car for the entire of last year. My service intervals is 15000/1yr, however I service every year and a half at the agents.

Honda Jazz/Honda Fit would be the car to buy but best buy in Gauteng and drive to CT.
 
Corelli said:
It depends on the mileage also. I rather look at that than annual oil changes.

ie I drove 2000kms with my car for the entire of last year. My service intervals is 15000/1yr, however I service every year and a half at the agents.

Honda Jazz/Honda Fit would be the car to buy but best buy in Gauteng and drive to CT.
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I might be wrong but AFIK oil degradation is highest when the engine is cold. So 2 000 kms in a year may have been 400 5km trips. Petrol blows past rings, condensation on cylinder walls and tolerances are all wrong on cold engine starts. Oil changes are also the cheapest maintenance you can do, if the owner is skimping there then most other maintenance is likely AWOL
 
So any tips on the exorbant On the Road and Registration fees the dealerships charge?

Surely it is something I can do for a fraction of the cost myself.
 
Bought a second hand car recently 2017 c class Merc and i insisted on a longer test drive - 50km plus, to put my mind at ease. Switched off the radio and listened to the car throughout the journey. I feel like you need to really drive the car to make your final decision if everything checks out. Especially if it is a car that costs quite a penny. Over and above the usually due diligence that everyone is suggesting. I ended up buying it. A stress free car.
 
APoc184 said:
So any tips on the exorbant On the Road and Registration fees the dealerships charge?

Surely it is something I can do for a fraction of the cost myself.
Click to expand...

They group all sorts of shiat into that charge, number plate holders, car valet, full tank of fuel, the "gift" they give you etc
 
zulucat said:
Bought a second hand car recently 2017 c class Merc and i insisted on a longer test drive - 50km plus, to put my mind at ease. Switched off the radio and listened to the car throughout the journey. I feel like you need to really drive the car to make your final decision if everything checks out. Especially if it is a car that costs quite a penny. Over and above the usually due diligence that everyone is suggesting. I ended up buying it. A stress free car.
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Fully agree....push to test it on a highway, even if you need to have a pre-approval in order to do so (although it shouldn't be a requirement if they are serious about selling the car).

But test drive on the highway and open that thing up properly! If nothing breaks or no limp mode then perfect. If something happens, they sort it out and you good to go.
Personally also prefer to buy something still on maintenance plan as you can get any potential issues sorted. Especially if you bought it from the actual manufacturers dealer used section.

Went through the above experience recently and glad I took it on the highway as no issues picked up on first test drive around the block
 
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