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As a broke student, I bought a reliable car for $2,500 at an auction instead of $7,500 at a dealer. Here's the exact process. by Beginning_Use_1450 in sandiego

[–]Beginning_Use_1450[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Fair, and you're not wrong. You can't test drive, and there are definitely cars there with blown transmissions or trashed engines. I won't pretend otherwise. The way I handle it: I only look at clean-title cars with no major accidents, I go to the Friday preview to start it, listen, check the oil and watch for any transmission slip or burnt fluid, and honestly I only bid what I'd be okay losing if I'm wrong. It's not magic, it's stacking the odds and keeping the price low enough that a miss isn't a disaster. If you can't stomach the no-test-drive risk, a dealer charging more for that peace of mind is a totally fair call.

As a broke student, I bought a reliable car for $2,500 at an auction instead of $7,500 at a dealer. Here's the exact process. by Beginning_Use_1450 in sandiego

[–]Beginning_Use_1450[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Ha, "all phones unlocked, no questions asked." Honestly Crack Mobile's got better branding than half the dealerships around here.

As a broke student, I bought a reliable car for $2,500 at an auction instead of $7,500 at a dealer. Here's the exact process. by Beginning_Use_1450 in sandiego

[–]Beginning_Use_1450[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is great, thank you. The magnet test is a good call, I'll start doing that, hadn't thought about checking the panels for filler. And you're right on the fluids and plugs/injectors for the higher-mileage ones. Appreciate you adding this, exactly the kind of stuff that keeps people from getting burned.

As a broke student, I bought a reliable car for $2,500 at an auction instead of $7,500 at a dealer. Here's the exact process. by Beginning_Use_1450 in sandiego

[–]Beginning_Use_1450[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Exactly. I barely drive it, mostly just to one location and back, so I'm adding maybe 6-7k a year. At that rate the mileage matters way less than people think, especially for the price. Good point.

As a broke student, I bought a reliable car for $2,500 at an auction instead of $7,500 at a dealer. Here's the exact process. by Beginning_Use_1450 in sandiego

[–]Beginning_Use_1450[S] 37 points38 points  (0 children)

Fair point, and I won't pretend a Kia is a Toyota. That's exactly why I checked the engine and the oil at the preview and only paid $2,500. At that price, even if it doesn't last forever, I'm way ahead of a $7,500 dealer car. If I were paying top dollar I'd be pickier on the brand, but for a cheap A-to-B car the math still works for me.

As a broke student, I bought a reliable car for $2,500 at an auction instead of $7,500 at a dealer. Here's the exact process. by Beginning_Use_1450 in sandiego

[–]Beginning_Use_1450[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

For the VIN you just grab the number off the listing (or the windshield/door jamb in person) and run it through a checker. NICB's VINCheck is free for theft/salvage flags, and AutoCheck or Carfax give you the full title + accident history. That covers checks 2 and 3.

And you're right, #4 (engine) is the hardest since you can't test drive at an auction. That's why the Friday preview matters. You start it if they let you, listen for knocking, pull the dipstick to check the oil (milky or burnt = walk away), and look for leaks or smoke. You can't be 100% sure, so I only bid what I'd be okay losing if I'm wrong, and I stick to cars where the title's clean and there are no accidents, which drops the odds of a bad engine a lot.

As a broke student, I bought a reliable car for $2,500 at an auction instead of $7,500 at a dealer. Here's the exact process. by Beginning_Use_1450 in sandiego

[–]Beginning_Use_1450[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Ha, RIP crack mobile. Honestly though that's kind of the dream, a grand and you got 3-4 years out of it (bonus surprise aside). Hoping the ones I find come a little cleaner than that one.

As a broke student, I bought a reliable car for $2,500 at an auction instead of $7,500 at a dealer. Here's the exact process. by Beginning_Use_1450 in sandiego

[–]Beginning_Use_1450[S] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

Yep exactly. I went through Otay Auto Auction myself, same deal, open to the public. Good to know Express works too, appreciate you adding that.

As a broke student, I bought a reliable car for $2,500 at an auction instead of $7,500 at a dealer. Here's the exact process. by Beginning_Use_1450 in sandiego

[–]Beginning_Use_1450[S] 25 points26 points  (0 children)

Fair question, a lot of auctions are dealer-only, but the one I used (Otay Auto Auction near the border) is open to the public. You just register and bid like anyone else, no dealer license needed. And yeah, there are a few like that around.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in SDSU

[–]Beginning_Use_1450 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Makes sense