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[–] nospyingpls 0 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago  (edited ago)

If you're looking at cheap cars there is no guarantees. You'll get different outcomes with 10 different cars of the same year/model. It really depends on how it was driven and maintained earlier in its life.

Imagine one car that was kept in a garage and another that was parked on a grassy field with no cover for the majority of its life. Another that was driven by a teenager as their first car and one that was owned by a grandma. The "race car driver" teenager will ruin a car more in 20,000 miles than the "high mileage commuter" grandma will in 100,000. One that was driven out of state and spent years on the coast or in a high snow environment with corrosive salt exposure and another that was primarily in a sunny state.

Try to find out the specific car's history. How many owners, who was the owner, where is the car from, etc. Get underneath it using a jack and check under the hood. Look for leaks, etc. Also take it out for a nice 30+ minute drive minimum at highway speeds and in traffic if possible. A lot of problems won't show up until a car is warmed up. If you're looking at a used dealer they're going to wipe away the oil leaks and let it sit cold. Get that thing warmed up. Do a burn out to make sure the wheels have power and the thing doesn't fall apart with a bit of load on it.

I bought a used truck awhile back, was choosing between two at a dealer. One of them seemed fine but right at the end of my 30-45 minute test drive the transmission started catching when accelerating from a stop. If someone won't let you really test the car then just pass on it.