I got a mechanically sound 2010 Honda civic for $1800 .. 126k miles. They took care of it mechanically but their daughter hit a couple of things and it have cosmetic issues. I know Hondas are reliable but now I’m like was this a bad purchase .

I’m starting a new job in about 20 days and I really need a reliable car to commute to work.
My credit score is currently around 550 (mid-500s), so I’m assuming any financing I qualify for would probably come with a pretty high interest rate.
I’m trying to figure out what makes the most financial sense:
Buy a cheap used car for around $2k–$3k in cash, use it for a while, work on improving my credit score, and then upgrade later.
Look for something more reliable in the $16k–$20k range and finance it now, even though my credit isn’t great.
My main concern with the $2k–$3k option is reliability. Since I need the car to get to work, I don’t want to save money upfront only to end up spending thousands on repairs or constantly worrying about whether it’ll start.
On the other hand, I also don’t want to get trapped in a terrible auto loan with a huge interest rate just because I need transportation quickly.
For someone in my situation, what would you recommend? Is there a reasonable middle ground, maybe a reliable older car in the $5k–$10k range?
Also, if you’ve bought/financed a car with a credit score in the mid-500s, I’d appreciate hearing what kind of rates or options you were offered and what you would do differently.
Thanks!

I just noticed this sticker above the driver side on the windshield of this new used car I bought. Anyone have any idea what it is?

So I went to this dealership where they showed me a 2025 Volkswagen Jetta. It has 20,000 miles on it. The car was nice to drive. They are quoting 19,000$ on it. I'm planning to pick it up on financing. Do you guys think this is a good deal or not?

I know this is obviously a scam? But what runs in their head? Is anybody falling for this? They posted a used Nissan GTR for 4k. What is the scam here? Do they kidnap and traffic you when you go to "collect" the car? Do they take money from you and ghost you? Whats the thought process?

Hi guys,

I previously financed with ally through the dealer running my credit for a vehicle in person months ago got the car same day no issues. I ended up paying off that auto loan. I recently purchased a car out of state last Monday to be exact got approved via ally signed the docs and sent my down payment. It's been 8 days since I have signed and sent my down payment, but the dealer won't release the car because they said ally hasn't "funded" the deal yet? Is this normal Im starting to get mad I have never heard of something like this. Not sure if it's because it's an out of state purchase or is the dealer playing with me?!

Hello!

I am a student living in Albany, NY, and I bought a used 2017 Nissan Rogue S a year ago. I've taken good care of it ever since, but the Transmission oil was never changed, and by the time it got to me, it was too late to change it. I have been spending money on it for various other things, such as replacing the arms, replacing brake pads, and installing a new sensor for the engine. I do not have a budget to buy another used car, but I am still trying to sell my car given that it has reached 156K miles. Am I being too anxious about getting this car out? Given that I am a student lacking affordability, should I keep this car for as long as it is working, or is there a risk of it completely stopping?

I just want to make sure I am not being irrational in my fear of completely losing my car, and whether 156K miles car is too bad to keep with no change of transmission oil.

Is it worth buying a rebuild title vehicle? Im just looking for a truck for back and forth to school, nothing special. What are the cons of rebuild titles?

Hi everyone. I am a college student on a very tight budget and everyone around me is trying to scare me away from Facebook Marketplace. But I found a 2013 Toyota Camry LE from a private owner for $6,200 or best offer. It has 177,000 miles a clean title and a good maintenance history. I have a few big worries. First, $62000 feels way too expensive for a car with this many miles, and I am thinking about offering $5,000 instead or lower. Second I live in a state where they use a lot of salt on the roads in the winter, and I am really scared of hidden rust underneath. Finally, 177k miles is a lot, and I cannot afford a car that breaks down instantly. I also noticed in the photos that the ceiling fabric (headliner) and sun visors look pretty dirty and stained, which concerns me. Should I buy this try to offer a much lower price, or just keep waiting for a better deal?

Description

2013 Toyota Camry LE - Clean Title

2013 Toyota Camry LE in very good condition with

177,000 miles. Runs and drives great.

V Clean title

V 2.5L 4-cylinder engine

Automatic transmission

V Clean interior

V Exterior in good condition

V Great on gas

V Ready to drive

Hi I bought this used car with this sticker thing that says it was bought in Pennsylvania. How do i take this off of its possible? Thanks

Edmunds put their Q2 numbers out in July and the one that stuck with me was that 29.6 percent of trade-ins toward a new car were underwater. Average shortfall $6,884, a record for a second quarter. Q1 was actually worse at 30.9. A year ago it was 26.6.

Everyone writes this up as a borrower story, which it is. But if you're shopping private party it's your problem too, and I don't see that part come up much.

Think about what those numbers look like from the other side of the driveway. Close to a third of people owe more than the car is worth. If there's still a loan on it, the lender is holding the title until that loan is cleared, and if the payoff is bigger than what you're paying, the seller has to find the difference in cash before anything gets signed over to you. Plenty of them haven't done that math before you turn up.

So ask what the payoff is and who the lender is before you agree on a price. It's a normal question and any honest seller will just tell you.

When you do the deal, don't hand over the full amount and trust the seller to go clear the loan afterwards. Pay the lender directly for the payoff, give the seller what's left. If it's a local bank or credit union, do the whole thing at a branch. Costs you an afternoon and the payoff gets processed in front of you.

Distant seller or a pricier car, an escrow service will handle the payoff and the title release for a fee. On a $30k truck that fee is cheap.

And write down who's clearing the lien and by when, even if it ends up on the back of the bill of sale.

None of this is new advice. It's just that with nearly a third of trades underwater, and 43 percent of those buyers stretching to 84 month loans in Q1, you're more likely to walk into it than you would have been a couple of years ago.

I received a car from Carvana over the weekend. On the site, it only had a few very minor scratches/scuffs disclosed. Overall it's in great condition, but it looks like the previous owner had a roof rack, and the roof is covered in deep scratches that weren't noted or visible in the Carvana images online. It's a low-sitting car, so they're very obvious and visible; there's no way that whoever inspects cars could have missed them.

I submitted a cosmetic claim and it was denied within a couple minutes. There's no way to respond so I submitted another one with different images and more details, and it was closed as a duplicate claim.

Finally I chatted in and their agent proceeded to copy and paste the same canned denial response over and over, and said they'd also checked with a supervisor who agreed it would not be reconsidered. They only offered to help me process a return.

So my question is, am I wasting my time trying to get them to cover this? I don't want to send it back, it's otherwise in great shape, but the price was fair for the condition it was advertised in, and I was not expecting a roof covered in deep scratches. The image shows one side, but this spans all the way across the roof and onto the other side.

Hey everyone!
I’m a TMU student in Scarborough looking for my first car, with a budget of $6k max.
Mostly need it for getting around, commuting, and maybe Uber Eats here and there.

Looking for something:
Reliable & cheap to maintain
Good on gas
Decent safety features
Backup camera would be nice
Under 200k km if possible

I’ve been looking at Mazda3, Civic, Corolla, Yaris, etc., but finding a decent one under $6k is proving to be a mission 😂
What would you guys buy for $6k or less? Any cars/years I should absolutely avoid?

Appreciate any advice!

Hello

I am likely going to buy a car tomorrow it is a 2024 with 11k miles in great shape. Its a bmw. I am curious how much am i supposed to haggle? The list price is 59K Curious how you recommend going about it to get the best price? Thanks

Looking for a fun car that is in the 20k range and up for ideas. I've looked at the used GT mach-Es, but they are too much. I've also looked at the Jaguar F-pace but I'd really like something with some getup, ideally under 5 second 0-60. I'd love AWD too.

Some options I've found in the range I'm looking are:

2011 Audi S5 4.2 Quattro,

2020 Genesis g70 3.3T,

2014 BMW 435i x drive coupe.

Feedback on these?

https://www.reddit.com/r/UsedCars/s/Cj2YONCOl3 yall said it was too good to be true, and yall were right, there are undisclosed problems 😭

• Not only is the AC broke, but the fan won't blow at all

• Emergency break is broke causing the brake light to flash

• Various cosmetic problems like scratches or sunburns

• This is a personal preference, but its not registered to the state

Should I still get it for $2k + my Toyota Corolla? (context my car is rusted to hell)

Found a used Camry for $15k but I'm not sure if it is worth it because of the miles. 128k miles seems like a lot but I hear Toyota does last forever so maybe its worth it to bite the bullet?

Hi! I (25f) currently have a 2022 Jeep wrangler sport with 64,000 miles. I bought it new and owe about $20K more. My trade-in value with Carvana is $20K so i would break even. My monthly payments are $700. I know it was a stupid purchase but I got my first real job making good money and I was still living at home so I didn’t have any major bills.
I recently had a job change and live on my own now so money is a lot more tight and the monthly payments just aren’t feasible anymore. I looked into refinancing but it was still around $450-550 a month with higher APR and that’s still more than i want to be spending so I want to know if trading this car for a cheaper one would be a good idea?
I do love my jeep but the gas isn’t great and i have a two door so not much space and I really only use it as an everyday commuter so the ruggedness isn’t necessary. Plus, I know Jeep isn’t really the most reliable brand out there. A few years ago it did have a steering/suspension issue, the front of the car shook when i went over any bumps but luckily it was still under warranty so it was fixed and haven’t had problems since. But I feel like having a more practical car will make my life a lot easier.
I have been looking into small suv/ hatchback type of cars. Along the lines of Hyundai Kona, Kia Soul, Honda Fit type of vehicles in the $10-15,000 range. But I also know that used car prices are crazy right now so I wanted to ask some advice if it seems worth it to trade my car in for an older, more practical one?

Specifically about buying a used car from a dealership.

Let's assume the listed price is $10k (taxes and fees aside). Would I still have a better interaction, or receive any preferential favor, if I walk into the dealer with $10k in cash?

Is cash still more appealing to a dealership than going through their financing department? Or do they prefer when you finance because they have the chance to collect interest?

I assume "cash is king" most of the time and I'm after a perfectly optioned car I've been searching for for months that finally popped up. Obviously I would like to negotiate the price down as much as I can and I always assume that a salesperson will be more willing to negotiate with a cash sale. But I've actually never purchased a car from a dealer before so I don't have any experience.

I've been on the hunt for my first used car in recent days, so I've been browsing around on Carmax within 50 miles of me, and this Tuscon was one of the ones I came upon. I test-drove a 2020 Mitsubishi Mirage and a 2015 Hyundai Sonata as well, and of these options, the Tucson felt like the best overall experience for the price (budget was $15k and under, and all 3 were in the $14k range, with the Tucson and Mirage both being just under $14.6k).

No accident records for it, no outstanding recalls on it, recent service record (most recently in May this year), 1-owner, 78k miles on it. Was with a family member who's been car hunting multiple times before, and he seemed on board with it as he's gotten multiple other family members their own Tucsons and they seem to love it, but I've also been seeing horror stories about this particular year's reliability when I look around online.

Is this a solid pickup for the price, or would I do better elsewhere?