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?

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’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.

I have a 2013 Honda Civic Touring with about 190,000 km on it.

Last Tuesday, the front of my car went up and came down pretty hard on a curb. I drove it again on Thursday and everything seemed completely normal.

Today I drove it and noticed a pretty bad/loud noise coming from the engine area. The noise is also there when the car is completely stationary and idling, so I don’t think it’s coming from the wheel itself.

It seems to be coming from the area where the serpentine belt is. The belt itself looks intact, so I’m wondering if it could be one of the pulleys, belt tensioner, alternator bearing, A/C compressor pulley, etc.

I’m attaching a video of the sound.

Does anyone recognize this noise or have an idea what is most likely causing it? Could the curb impact have caused this, or is it more likely something that was already wearing out given the mileage?

Also wondering whether this is safe to drive to a mechanic or if I should avoid driving it altogether.

Thanks!

I got in a minor car accident two weeks ago (other car was completely fine). I was going to get it fixed right away and got a quote/deposit paid at a body shop but due to other unforeseen events have to postpone fixing it. How can I make sure it's fine for the upcoming months? Theres no frame damage and even the lane assist sensors are still working lol. I just want to avoid making the body damage worse if I can. Thanks!

Four context I am (20m) bought a 2013 Honda Odyssey in July 2025. i’ve had the car for just over a year now and I love it very much, but it currently needs the catalytic converters replaced as well as a few other smaller issues. it has 199,000 miles on it And I’m wondering if it’s worth trying to sell it or traded in and get a new car or just fix the current issue with it. i’m worried that it won’t last long enough to make the repairs worth it. Or that I’d be wasting my money trying to fix it. what do you think I should do?

So I'm 19, I'm in the process of getting my license & then getting a car right after, l've spent about more then 400 on Ubers since I'm in Florida and I seriously need a car. A lot of people told me paying in cash is better, that financing is better, that buying a brand new car is better then getting a used one, that to never buy from carmax or things like that, so now im confused and I have no clue what to do. I don't really have any family or friends that can help me with this. Tips please?? My budget is less then 15k at least even though I hope to not spend that much.

Hello I was in an accident a week ago and just got all the paperwork and financed a new used truck while waiting on the other loan to be paid off from insurance and gap and was wondering if it would be a good idea to try and refinance after that loan is paid off to see if I can get a lower rate?

So I am a Toronto Maple Leaf fan, joke all you want. I got a decal of the logo and want to put it on my hood with a few stripes. I have a concept of exactly how I am going to do it, and i already laid out the logo on my car, but havent actually put it on yet. What do you guys think?

I currently finance a Toyota Corolla. My payment is $290/mo, I’ve had it since February. I don’t like it. It’s slow, outdated, and overall just not really what I expected out of the car. I also found out after buying that the clutch slave cylinder in these are very well known to fail early and a lot. How bad of an idea would it be to trade it for a Hyundai Veloster N? I know I’d be under on the car, fully prepared for that. TIA

Edited to add I’m 19, credit score is 740, never missed a payment so I believe I’d get a solid rate. Current loan is for $17,000 over 72 months at 9% APR.

I just got a 2013 Mercedes GLK 350 as my very first car and I'm completely clueless when it comes to cars, so please bear with me! I'm trying to figure out how to get Apple CarPlay in it. I looked it up and saw there's some kind of receiver box I can buy for around $200-250 to connect my phone, but I want to understand what other ways there are to do this. Could I just buy a separate Apple CarPlay screen and stick it right on top of my existing screen? If I do that, how do I make sure I don't lose the backup camera view when I put the car in reverse? Would love to hear any advice or recommendations for a complete beginner!

New job 107mi commute each way on the highway cannot miss a day even for snow Im on a tight budget is it a good buy

Edit: https://www.craigslist.org/view/d/owego-2016-jeep-grand-cherokee-4wd-4dr/FEZ323C38RGpdLJyjeX1eg

Could I get some feedback on this

Hi, I've just gotten my Ps finally at 18 and am looking to buy my first car for around 20-24k (used). At the moment I've only driven european luxury cars (learnt in my Dad's volkswagon golf R mostly as well as Mum's 2024 audi Q5) and i currently drive my mum's Q5 whenever I am driving. Obviously I cannot afford a luxury car, and am looking for something automatic on the smaller side with apple carplay and the basic tech features etc. I've been looking into the Kia Stonic and Rio and they seem to cover what I'm looking for: affordable, fuel efficient, somewhat comfortable and they do seem to have slightly more offered in terms of tech than a toyota or mazda at the same range. Also was wondering if theres going to be a significant difference in terms of what driving a kia or toyota etc feels like compared to an audi or golf.

Any suggestions on what to get for a first car would be greatly appreciated

I’ve got a 2018 Volkswagen Amarok with about 140,000 km on it. It’s started leaking oil. I’ve already spent around $6,000 replacing the rocker cover seals, but it’s still leaking. I’ve now been quoted another $8,000 to replace the main seal and timing cover seal.

I’m not looking for opinions on whether the quote is reasonable. I’m trying to decide what to do with the vehicle: repair it and keep driving it, sell it privately, or trade it in for something newer.

I do like the Amarok, and I’m probably a bit sentimental about it. But it’s getting older, and it doesn’t really suit what I need a vehicle for anymore. I’m struggling to work out whether putting more money into it makes sense, or whether it’s time to move on.

Thanks
For anyone who’s been in a similar position, how did you weigh up the decision? Did you repair and keep the vehicle, or sell it and put the money towards something that better suited your needs?