My budget is $4k, I’m aware my options will be limited to older/higher mileage. I got my 2012 Mazda3 four years ago at 155k and it’s still running at 217k but starting to have transmission issues. I know Asian brands will be my best bet, but what are some specific makes/models that will hopefully last at least a few years?

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Hey guys,

I’ve got a 2012 Toyota Camry with about 165,000 miles on it, and the transmission has been slipping. I called a bunch of shops, but most won't touch Toyota or sealed transmissions. I finally found one that would, and after paying for a diagnosis, they told me the transmission is shot and will eventually fail. Other than that, the car is fine, but it’s going to cost thousands to fix, less if I go with a used one. He said he didn't want to mess with the trans now because it could make it worse. Now I’m worried it’s going to die on me, and I’m not sure what to do? Any advice?

Thanks!

*Edit : Kelly Blue Book trade in value is $4,315 and private party is $7,910

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

Yo just needing more experienced car folks to explain benefits/downsides of these cars, civics in general really, this one has 266,000km

Currently driving a Japanese 20-y/o subcompact AWD sedan that is no longer made. They stopped importing them to the US one year after mine was made. They stopped making them entirely 2 years after that. It still runs great. Everything works. But it is old and it's showing its age.

So I've been looking at newer cars for over a year now. I have more or less settled on a higher-trim Mazda CX30 with the features I most want. Naturally aspirated (no turbo). I have looked and looked online and in hardcopy magazines for people who hate/loathe them. The very worst I have found is, I don't know, someone who expressed mild "mild regret" at their purchase. And that was with just one poster who felt the seats were uncomfortable. It might have been here on Reddit, but I don't remember for sure. Other than that post, almost everything is "Praise Mazda".

So I am seeking out people who hate the CX30 or Mazda in general. Someone who isn't afraid of badmouthing the brand. People who have pet peeves about anything. Does the CX30 make creaking noises that drive you crazy on the road? Does air leak in, whistling through the moonroof? Does it lack passing power for left lane hogs? Does it shift weird? Do the seats give you a backache? Is the backup screen too small? Is the cabin noisier than an unrestored 1954 GMC pickup truck (you know, with the little rear corner windows?

Anything. Anything.

Listed at $3500 - is the rust underneath too bad to consider buying? It’s an Ohio car. Ideally hoping to get a decent car at this price without need for a lot of work in near future

“Selling my well-maintained mazda3. It has a few bumps and scratches and a bit of ohio rust (all pictured), but runs and drives great. Automatic transmission and 2.0L engine.
.
- 2 Owners
- Clean title
- All new brakes and rotors
- Michelin all weather tires, 5/32” tread
- Spare Toyo tire and jack
- 2 key fobs
- Bluetooth and aux port
- Around 30mpg
.
Bonuses
- Backup camera with display in rear-view mirror
- Infinity reference component speakers
- Snow chains for deep snow
.
Recent maintenance includes
- Full synthetic oil changes every 6k miles (last at 142.5k)
- 4 fully coated rotors and ceramic brake pads at 140k
- Full brake fluid change at 127k
- KYB struts at 122k
- Iridium spark plugs at 112k
- OEM coolant and transmission fluid change at 109k
- New TPMS sensors and tires at 109k
- KYB shocks at 104k”

TLDR: they promised 2000 for my trade-in, but did a bait-and-switch, and only gave me 1000. I noticed too late.

Longer version: I bought a used car a couple days ago (it’s a dealer in Illinois). The salesperson barely spoke English, but he definitely said (like 10 times) that he’s offering me 2000 for my trade-in. He even showed me a printout with two lines (1000 each), and explained that 1000 is base price for my trade-in and the second one is an extra trade-in allowance, so in total, I’d get 2000 for it. I even asked “2000 for my trade-in? Is that correct?” To which he replied “Yes, 2000”. I spent like 7 hours there, so when I was signing the paperwork in the finance office, I didn’t read everything carefully because that would take until 1 am or so, and I felt bad about wasting their time. After I drove my car home (I live 150 miles away in a different state), I noticed that they had only given me 1000 for the trade-in. I could’ve sold it for 3000 in a private sale, easily. I was willing to sacrifice 1000 for convenience, but not 2000.

I know it was a mistake not reading everything carefully, but at that point, I wasn’t so miserable, I just hoped they wouldn’t do a bait-and-switch. It’s impossible to prove that they verbally promised me 2000, although many reviews say they had the same issue with the dealer (again, I saw it after the fact).

Is there any recourse at all? Anything I could try doing that has at least a small chance of getting me my 1000 USD back? I already contacted their general manager, but he flatly refused to do anything as the contract is signed.

Hey everyone, looking for some advice on a used 2018 Tesla Model 3 Long Range (89,000 miles) I’m trying to buy from an independent dealer in the Bay Area.

We negotiated a price of $18,500 Out-the-Door (OTD), but I insisted on taking it for an independent Pre-Purchase Inspection (PPI) first. The inspection report just came back with some major red flags:

1. Front Lower Control Arms: Both bushings are badly cracked and worn out. Needs immediate replacement + a full wheel alignment.
2. Horn: Completely broken / does not work at all (legal safety violation).
3. Coolant: Thermal cooling fluid is well below the minimum line.
4. Rear Differential Filter: The housing/filter is physically damaged, and the mechanic noted they couldn't safely get a fluid sample to check for metal shavings or burn-out.

When I sent the list to the dealer owner and said I’d buy it if they fixed these safety/mechanical items, he called back and said he will only fix them if I raise my price to $19,275 OTD. Is this a bad deal?

they are asking for a 3500 down payment + 9000

I am interested in a honda civic from FB market and I reached out to the seller for the VIN so I could check out the car history. Everything looked fine except for the section I have attached in the image.

Is it soomething to worry about that the car was repossessed before the seller put on marketplace?

I might be a bit paranoid but I could really use some advice here. So I’m purchasing a car through a private deal in Ontario.

I ask for proof of registration. Seller hands me a green permit, but the odd thing is, there is no name attached to it. The address is as simply put as a dealership name as well, so there is no street address attached to it.

I asked for his license beforehand, he said he didn’t have it on him. I asked if I could e-transfer him the money, he said he didn’t have an account to accept it and could only take cash. He’s a recent immigrant from Germany as well which could explain the lack of a bank account. The license plate was also a temporary one from Quebec.

The carfax seemed legit. It matched the VIN. It had a minor collision at the front he didn’t tell me about initially. Some other imperfections as well such as a cracked headlight and the left taillight blinker not working.

I really want this car and it has a low amount of kilometers on it. But I don’t know if I should go through with this deal. Any advice?

Hey everyone! I’m planning to sell my 2015 Honda Civic LX, which currently has around 160,000 miles on it. It has an automatic transmission and is in good overall condition, with only a few minor scratches.
I’m wondering how much I could realistically expect to get for?
For those who have bought or sold a similar car recently:
What would be a fair asking price?
How much could I realistically sell it for?
Any tips to get the best possible price and avoid lowball offers?

Thank you!

Hi, I’ve had my vehicle for 5 years, it’s my first vehicle ever. It’s a 2013 jeep grand Cherokee, it had 113,000ish miles and I bought it for 15,000 after everything and paid it off in 3 years. It’s now at 203,000 miles and need a few repairs.

I need to replace the tie rods on the right front wheel, the struts are leaking apparently, I have a transmission leak, the o2 sensor needs to be replaced and last but not least my coolant mixes with the engine oil meaning my head gasket blew or is going to? I don’t understand it fr but that’s the heavy hitter. If I do fix it there’s a chance the transmission will go right after and I don’t want to feel like I wasted my time and money.

On the other hand, I’ve been searching for two months so far and everything I find is overpriced as hell. I don’t mind paying smtn off over the course of 2 years for a low price a month. Like I test drove another jeep and it was 7000 and would’ve been 170smtn$ every month after the initial down payment.

Which way would y’all go about it if it were u?

I am having to buy new car and I have made the decision between these 2, but I heard lot of stories about cvt transmisson issues with altima but it does have power seat controls and keyless igniton system, much bigger space. the corolla is nice in terms of MPG, reliability like going 200K miles with light mainteance but cons being power seat controls and igniton system is with keys, tight space .Seems like corolla keeps it's value where the altima loses value quicker. I would appreciate any feedback!

Hey everyone! I have been taking a look at these two cars and wanted your guys opinions on which car I should get. Btw both these cars are used.

2024 Kia:

Pros:
- beautiful dashboard
- 50k km driven so far
- heated seats and lane assist
- big enough space for me as I’m only 5 foot lol
- AWD
- clean history
Cons:
- no remote start but the dealership is offering to have it installed
- warranty is almost up after 2 years but dealership is also offering a 3 year extension
- I hear many people who told me not to get this car or it’s a risk to
- no push button start or power seating

Base price went from 25k to 23900 with all that included

Toyota Corolla Cross:

Pros:

- also nice dashboard but not compared to the Kia
- lane assist
- heated seats
- push button start
- AWD
-clean history
- Toyota is known for its reliability so I’m not too concerned about break downs and or malfunctions

Cons:
- no remote start
- warranty is almost up
- 89300 km already driven and they placed the car at 28900 base price

What I value:
- lane assist
-remote start
- affordable (24-25k max)
- reliability
- good warranty
- low mileage
- clean history
- AWD
- nice dash

Personally I like the Kia Seltos but I keep hearing so many people saying it’s bad, there were recalls, engine short circuits and so forth so I’m scared to commit. But out of the two it’s the one I can afford. The thing that concerns me too is that the remote start is gonna be an aftermarket installation, it’s not a factory made so I’m afraid of the problems it might run into after I purchase the car bc rn it drove smoothly when I test drove it

As for Toyota, it’s pricer but I know I can rely on it to last me longer. It just sucks that it’s expensive even for a used car. I honestly this it’s the price of this car that’s setting me back. Not sure if it’s worth for me to invest it in. I rather not spend over 30k on a car :/ I also don’t drive alot.

I live in Canada so winters here are cold.

What are your guys thoughts and which would you go for?

I’m looking to buy a used car through Carvana and want to finance it through my credit union rather than one of Carvana’s financing partners.

When I get to the payment page, Carvana displays a message saying they only accept financing through four lenders. My credit union isn’t one of them.
Has anyone found a workaround for this?

I recently had an accident where my previous car (2008 Ford Focus) was totaled. Now I need to get another car, but I haven't looked at buying a car in many years and I don't really know what models I should be looking at or if there are any I need to explicitly avoid.

Some information about my situation:

• Currently live in Eastern Massachusetts, but I am going to be moving to Western Massachusetts in a month or so for a new job. It's going to be a more rural region than I am used to, and I have heard that having AWD would be beneficial.

• Budget: ~$20,000, but I'm willing to be talked up or down if there's a particular budget sweet spot to be aware of. I'm planning to pay cash, if that matters.

• Intended Use: Mostly commuting and general travel. I'm not planning on doing major off-roading, towing, or long distance driving. I did not rack up a huge number of miles on my last vehicle, and I wouldn't expect to do so on this one either.

• Time frame: Unfortunately, I need to prioritize accomplishing the move at the end of the month so I can start my job on time. I acknowledge I might not get the best deal on a car by needing to expedite this process, but I'd rather pay a bit more for a car than miss a pay cycle at the new job. So it might make more sense to stick to car models that are readily available.

I've talked to some people I know and started doing a bit of reading online, but there's so much information out there I'd like to pick the brains of people who pay closer attention to this area than I do. The brand suggestions I've heard so far are Toyota, Honda, and Suburu, but are there any others I should be paying attention to? Additionally, are there any specific models in those brands I should be paying attention to, or specific ones I shouldn't? If you were in my position, what makes and models would you be most interested in?

Thanks for your input, and if there's any other info you might need to make a suggestion, I will try to provide it.

I’m in Pittsburgh and just wondering how much do you think is a reasonable listing price privately.
Miles: 150k
Fair condition
Some rust to trunk lid and hood trim nothing structural or crazy visible
Needs (1 tie rod, abs module error but getting a new battery will hopefully fix this)
All oil changes, brakes and rotors and general maintenance has been kept up from 100k miles to 150k (when I got it)
Car runs great no engine issues or anything like that, currently using it for commuting to work.
Reason: different phase of my life now looking to go onto a better gas mileage car.

So honestly just looking on what the area and car market would mark this at as a fair price. I was thinking asking 7k and comfortable taking 6k for it.

I'm planning to buy my second car, and I prefer an SUV over a sedan. My budget is under $20k, preferably a Toyota or Honda. Any suggestions? TIA!!

Alright guys we’ve moved on from the jeep, is this a good deal?

2019 Toyota 4 runner limited nightshade
V-6 4WD
60,000 miles
39000 OTD

One owner
Regular maintenance
Certified pre owned toyota

Over 2 years ago I sold my 2014 Ford Focus with 80k miles with routine maintenance and service records. Then one day I get a ping from Facebook Messenger that the buyer is super pissed because the transmission blew up. He demanded that I pay for a transmission replacement since I never disclosed the transmission issue.

I told him no, sorry that was 2 years ago and 20k miles later. It was sold as is. He now threatens to take me to small claims court.

Do I have to worry about this?

Hey all. I’m going to look at a 2006 Honda CRV SE with 150k miles. It’s nice in the pictures and I even bought a carfax and the service history checks out as decent although I’m not the most knowledgeable. The issue is whoever this is, listed the car as sold by an owner and not a dealership on Craigslist. He also waited till last second to tell me the address. It just feels strange. But the price is great, 5500, and it looks like the car was used up till 2 months ago in Florida, and there hasn’t been any crazy flood. I’ll still check it out but I wanted other opinions. I really want a car of that year with that body style. It’s a great deal. But should I just wait for another one to pop up? I’ll still go check it out because it’s only about 40 minutes out but I want to know if there are any huge red flags or it’s worth getting. I’m wanting a car to replace my 2006 Honda accord v6 (I like her but I wanted smth bigger)