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Tips on Buying Cars/Questions Answered by Expert webfoot
| Subject | Date Asked |
| Demos | 1/31/2009 |
| Q: What is considered a dealer demo? I bought a 2008 Mariner represented as a demo driven by a dealer ... A: I cannot speak for WA but in my state, dealer demos are always sold as new, never titled vehicles. ... | |
| 2006 Montana SV6 | 1/18/2009 |
| Q: My front accessory power outlet is not working. I read in the manuel that a fuse may be blown, but I ... A: There should be a section in your owner's manual that states what fuse links to which function. ... | |
| Paint Problems | 12/14/2008 |
| Q: I bought a 2009 BMW 328i X-drive sedan last monday. When I got it home I realized there was a dent ... A: How would the swirls come back? I've never in 25 years had someone ask such a question. Swirls do ... | |
| 1985 Cadillac Eldorado | 12/4/2008 |
| Q: I have the opportunity to bid on this vehicle. It has 133,000 miles, interior is immaculate, ... A: As this particular car was one of the worse cars every built by any manufacture in the last 30 ... | |
| How to make my car have an easier steering wheel to turn | 9/22/2008 |
| Q: i have hurt my hands at work, and have great nerve pain while driving. do you know how i can i ... A: To my knowledge, there are no after market steering columns produced and even if there were, the ... | |
| bad paint from factory | 6/1/2008 |
| Q: I just purchased a new 2008 gmc truck in march of 08 and recently noticed some bad paint areas and ... A: Oh my God. "they want to stick in the dealers paint booth and repaint it by hand" And this is a ... | |
| F-250 diesel, Age vs. Mileage | 12/27/2007 |
| Q: I am considering a F-250 diesel to tow a 5th wheel. A local dealer has a 1997 F-250 with 80k miles ... A: With age, the biggest problems surface with parts the deteriorate over time such as seals, gaskets, ... | |
| trade in | 9/22/2007 |
| Q: I have a 2005 Nissan Frontier king cab SE. I've have it for about a year and want to trade it in for ... A: You can only trade a vehicle in if the lien is paid off in the process. I'm afraid that if you owe ... | |
| Insurance | 8/5/2007 |
| Q: I forgot one more thing sorry which is higher in insurance between the two cars the hyundai or ... A: The Hyundai will be more reliable than the Cadillac and will use less fuel. Personally, it's hard ... | |
| Choosing between the two cars | 8/5/2007 |
| Q: I am interested in getting one of the two cars from carmax. a 2003 Hyundai Tiburon GT V6 2D Coupe ... A: Though the Hyundai is relatively more reliable and gets better gas mileage, neither are particularly ... | |
| Need Information | 6/5/2007 |
| Q: My name is David, I need your opinion. I want to buy used small truck like Chevy S-10,Ford ranger or ... A: My experience has been that compact pickups such as the S-10 or Ranger with a V-6 use nearly as much ... | |
| Longevity of Different Vehicles | 5/25/2007 |
| Q: Can you give me a quick opinion on the length of service to be expected when comparing Chev/GMC ... A: Basically with that kind of mileage on either vehicle, any type of failure could occur at any time. ... | |
| Longevity of Different Vehicles | 5/24/2007 |
| Q: Can you give me a quick opinion on the length of service to be expected when comparing Chev/GMC ... A: Puzzling to me as to why someone would want to put a young driver in a SUV, or even drive one ... | |
| car donation for filming | 5/17/2007 |
| Q: I am an independent filmmaker in Los Angeles looking for driving cars to wreck for a short film I'll ... A: Interesting question. I'd start by running some adds. Craigslist.com is a great free forum tor ... | |
| Two Choices | 5/10/2007 |
| Q: I have two possibilities right now; a 2000 Corolla VE, with no options and 105000km (the previous ... A: Compared to the Corolla, the Hyundai is a huge gamble. Those nice options won't mean anything ... | |
| Wheels | 5/4/2007 |
| Q: What is the difference between a car with 14 inch wheels and 15 inch wheels? I know that the 15 inch ... A: The wheel diameter is only one part of the equation. What really matters is the overall diameter of ... | |
| Category C cars | 4/18/2007 |
| Q: Hi I am considering purchasing a category C car (previously written off but now repaired and back ... A: I guess you are referring to what most states call rebuilt salvage. It will not affect the premiums ... | |
| 1988 Toyota Corolla Wagon | 4/13/2007 |
| Q: Do not question why but driving home one night I noticed a light blue 1988 Toyota Corolla Wagon for ... A: $2,995 is absolutely crazy money for an 88 Corolla and $2,200 NADA is too high as well. NADA is ... | |
| 1984 Chevy C-10 | 2/12/2007 |
| Q: I am looking at this truck. Power steering fluid put in automatic transmission by mistake. It seems ... A: Actually, if the transmission is working fine right now, a good transmission flush should take care ... | |
| ====trade in====== | 1/3/2007 |
| Q: i have a 2001 ford focus, that i bought in Nov 2004, the tag price was $10,000.00, and they give me ... A: If you owe that much money on the car, then I would recommend that you hang on to it, increase your ... | |
| 1999 honda odyssey | 12/29/2006 |
| Q: I see you are knowledgeable on general automotive issues. I have a 1999 Honda Odyssey and the check ... A: The ECM/PCM is classified under Federal law as part of your emissions system and is therefore ... | |
| headlight bulb replacement | 12/20/2006 |
| Q: How do I replace the headlamp bulb on a 2003 Chevy Blazer? How do I access the Bulb to replace it? ... A: I think you've directed your question to the wrong forum but I'll try to help. If the Blazer is ... | |
| Used Car | 12/17/2006 |
| Q: I think I recently asked you a question about buying a used car. My equity loan didn't go as well as ... A: My opinion of the Escort is that it is a fair car. Some may go 200k miles but they are likely the ... | |
| used car (hidden problem) | 12/15/2006 |
| Q: I live in New Jersey. I bought a car from a dealer. (99 toyota corolla) I tested the car and ... A: Generally speaking, used cars are sold "as is". The time to have a mechanic check the vehicle is ... | |
| Extended Warranty Advice | 10/14/2006 |
| Q: I’m looking to buy a 2003 BMW Z4 with very low mileage. The warranty is about to expire so I would ... A: Well let’s first get the terminology correct because otherwise, one may misunderstand the product. ... | |
| TRANNY | 10/11/2006 |
| Q: 1999 taures problems with tranny not shiting into gear by mechanic does this mean may need new ... A: Based on my experience with that generation Taurus, most didn't make it much past 75,000 without a ... | |
| Sellin my car for parts | 10/3/2006 |
| Q: A used tranny is only $200-$300 really. I took it to one place they told me $1200. Then I took it to ... A: Any good independent repair shop can install a used transmission. The dealer should always be the ... | |
| Sellin my car for parts | 10/1/2006 |
| Q: The year of my car is a 1998 Ford Explorer Sport.Hi I was wondering if you could help me. I would ... A: Wow, I wasn't expecting to hear that. Surprising that you'd want to junk a vehicle like that over a ... | |
| Sellin my car for parts | 9/28/2006 |
| Q: I would like to sell my car for parts. The only thing that is wrong with it is my tranny. I have not ... A: I would run an ad in an inexpensive local paper or classified publication. If it's only a ... | |
| What car make will be best for less maintance and problems? | 9/28/2006 |
| Q: Im looking to buy a car, and I dont know if acura, mazda, or honda , which of these would be best ... A: An Acura is an upscale Honda so the reliability will be close to the same. The repair cost on the ... | |
| used car | 9/28/2006 |
| Q: I have bought 23 new cars. However I have only bought one used car and that was back in 80 ... A: Your rights on used cars vary from state to state. I can only say that in Georgia, there is no ... | |
| New Cars | 9/22/2006 |
| Q: im currently in the market for a new car because of all the trouble i am having with my tauras. ... A: Hmmm. I hope that you have a very old or high mileage Taurus or maybe just a bad egg because that ... | |
| Mileage | 9/16/2006 |
| Q: Its an 84 Fiero, the EXEMPT thingy began in 95 according to CarFax I was also told that the car had ... A: As far as how to find the value, just see what they are going for on autotrader.com, ebay etc. I ... | |
| Mileage | 9/16/2006 |
| Q: What does exempt miles exaclty mean? Is there a way to get a title saying the miles on the car how ... A: Exempt mileage simply means that the vehicle has reached the age where tracking the mileage is no ... | |
| Price | 9/10/2006 |
| Q: I have an 84 Fiero but i wanted to know if there's a website where i could find the value of the car ... A: Personally, I've found KBB to be pretty accurate but on unusual cars like a Fiero, each one commands ... | |
| all wheel drive vehicles | 8/26/2006 |
| Q: I have a 2002 leased Pilot with 65,000 miles that I am trying to decide whether I should purchase it ... A: Laura, I just had some surgery so my answers are kind of short lately. There is something that I ... | |
| compression normals..... | 7/10/2006 |
| Q: I bought a 1994 Accord LX wagon new in March '94. I did a compression test today since I have ... A: Jim, Your question is in the wrong forum but I can answer part of it. This forum is geared toward ... | |
| insurance 101 | 6/29/2006 |
| Q: I extremely appreciate the lengthy response. i just have a few more questions for you. you said: ... A: You wrote you mean i am on the hook for $2600? my insurance paid all of them the max of $25,000 of ... | |
| insurance 101 | 6/28/2006 |
| Q: i am a complete novice when it comes to auto insurance. i have some very basic questions. why do i ... A: Great questions SK! Time for a little auto insurance 101 There are three "parties" that are ... | |
| got ripped off | 6/22/2006 |
| Q: I just bought a car yesterday..June 21, the lady I bought it off said that all the car needed was a ... A: I'm sorry to hear about your situation, but it sounds like you're learning about life the same way ... | |
| Rustproofing/Paint Protection | 6/19/2006 |
| Q: I am purchasing a 2007 Honda Fit. I will NOT be taking the dealer rustproofing and paint ... A: Honestly, I'm not much of an expert on rustproofing as we really don't have rust problems in ... | |
| Buying a used car | 6/1/2006 |
| Q: Hey I am a college graduate (as of this may) and am looking to buy a used car to replace my 84 Ford ... A: Wow Bryce! An 84' Tempo? Sounds like you know how to get your money's worth out of a car. Well ... | |
| Transmission worth it? | 5/27/2006 |
| Q: I have a 1991 Rodeo great shape engine rebuilt about 5,000 on it. Transmission was check out during ... A: Debbie, I'm afriad that there is no way that anyone will know the answer to this question without ... | |
| purchasing faulty used vehicle | 5/26/2006 |
| Q: My problem is that about 30 days ago, I purchased a 1999 Chrysler 300M and a week after I purchased ... A: To my knowledge, you have no recourse in California under the "Lemon Law" unless the issue involves ... | |
| Car Insurance | 5/25/2006 |
| Q: Whats the cheapest 5 door car to insure? A: First let me clarify that my insurance background is strictly claims related. Rate issues are ... | |
Tips on Buying Cars
Answers by Expert:
webfoot
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
General automotive ranging from mechanical and collision repair, insurance, purchasing and maintenance.
Experience
20 years of automotive experience. I am an ASE Master Certified Auto Tech, I-Car Platinum Collison certified, former licensed used car dealer and currently an auto insurance claims adjuster. I also own and operate a used car pre-purchase inspection business in metro Atlanta
Education/Credentials
B.S. Criminal Justice
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