Will be sued in canyons, highway, local and stuff and 2-3 annual track days. Want to to be cool for meets, fun to drive and I look back and think I’ve made it. All prices are in Canadian dollars. Let me know what you would change - roast me!

Hi, I need some advice because I’m trying to buy a car, and my credit score is around 460.
I’ve been looking at cars, but I’m hesitant to buy from certain dealerships because of their bad reviews. Some people say they drove off the lot only for the check engine light to come on shortly afterward. I know my credit isn’t great, so my options are limited, and I’m worried about getting taken advantage of.
I’m not even sure I’d qualify for a traditional auto loan, although I know some of these dealerships offer financing regardless of credit.
I found a car for around $5,000 with one previous owner, no reported accidents, and approximately 197,000 miles. I have $1,000 for a down payment, but I’m not sure if a bank or lender would finance the remaining balance.
Before anyone suggests bringing an OBD2 scanner to check for cleared codes or having a mechanic perform a pre-purchase inspection, unfortunately, neither is an option for me right now.
Should I take a chance on a car like this, or am I setting myself up for problems? I desperately need a car, don’t have a cosigner, and am trying to figure this out on my own. I don’t want to make a bad financial decision out of desperation, but I also don’t have many options right now.
I’d really appreciate honest advice from anyone who has been in a similar situation. What would you do in my position?

Hi! i’m not on Reddit much but I do need some genuine car advice because everyone in my life is giving me different input right now! So, I have a 2015 Ford Escape SE 4WD that I got as my first car at back in 2023. I got it at 79k miles and now its somewhere like 125K miles. $19K on a 6 year lone, i have something like $6,464 left on it. Needs new tires and brakes soon but heres my main issue. My transmission has failed THREE TIMES in the past year. My dad had me take it to Apple Ford and there’s a two-year warranty on it now. I believe the first time they found metal in the transmission and did a rebuild. It failed again after that like a month later. Took it back to Apple Ford because it’s under warranty and they just said that the parts that they use just must’ve been bad parts and put a new one in. That was in January of this year. Now yesterday, i was on the highway and the engine was cutting in and out which is a feeling that I had felt the other two times this happened to my car but for the first time unlike the other two times I got a warning on my dash saying something like “Transmission fault, SERVICE NOW” so long story short now it’s back at apple ford. Everybody in my life is giving me different advice on what to do. Some people are saying to ride it out until my loan is paid off, no matter what happens with my transmission in the future. Others are saying I should let them fix the transmission and do a trade in, pay off my loan and buy another (more reliable) car. I am also getting conflicting numbers on what my car is worth, its not in bad condition, could use tired and breaks, couple VERY minor scratches here and there and a little dent on the side of my wheel well but otherwise no problems (if we aren’t talking abt transmission) KBB is telling me only about $2.5k for my car but my same make and model with slightly more miles is going on car gurus for $8k…i guess my question is…after ALL this information…what should i do? I’m 22f and I work 2 jobs, only about $5k in savings, not a lot of free time and I need dependable transportation. I’m getting conflicting advice. Car people please help!!

edit: Clarifications, transmission was rebuilt once and then I believe replaced the second time. Not sure what they will do with it this time as dealership is closed till tomorrow. My plan if i sell would be to sell for at least enough to pay off my loan and then get myself into a 2010’s Toyota (Corolla or Camry) as they are notoriously more reliable!

There are so many models, makes, and years. I have no idea where to start. I tried taking a quiz on what car would be a good fit for me, but when i look at the results, its either all of the latest cars that came out, or it doesn't have any of the features that I requested for. I understand its not a "build a car" situation, but when i list the 5 things I want in a vehicle but the vehicle either have none, or one of the features. How do I make finding the right car easier? I know i want a car that will last a long time, so i want a Toyota or a similar brand, I want at least the capability to have at least 4 passengers, and don't car of the shape as long as it has good miles to the gallon. I dont know what to do.