Car Repair: Tips for Finding A Good Car

In a perfect world everyone would be able to afford brand new cars and cars would last a lifetime without any need for repairs or maintenance. However in the real world, car repair is a fact of life for most of us. Even new cars need on ongoing maintenance to keep them in good running order and older cars even more so. If you are considering buying an older car you should budget in the cost for car repairs with the initial price tag to buy the car. Some repairs are obvious like a cracked windshield or worn out tires that will need to be replaced. Other car repairs can be less easy to spot such as a bad alternator or a starter that is about to go out. Still, it is important that you do some basic research before you buy to ensure you won’t be rebuilding a car from the ground up after you purchase it.

One of the most expensive things to replace on the car is the engine and if the car has a bad engine, it won’t be something that can easily be concealed. Other things though like bad brakes, faulty wiring, or a clogged fuel filter may not be as easy to spot if you don’t know what to look for.

Obviously if you are considering an older car because you have a tight budget you cant expect to get something that is perfect. But you want to try and get a car that will last as long as possible. The best way to know what you are getting before you take the pink slip, is to take your potential new car to a trusted mechanic for a once over.

Sure, you will be out a little money for the time and diagnosis but in the long run you won’t be wasting money on a car that can quickly turn into a money pit. Ideally if you have the current owner’s car repair records and receipts your mechanic and get a good idea about what has and hasn’t been done to the car recently and they can tell you what kind of care the car has been getting. This is also the best way to find out if your potential new car is about to need massive repairs or a new engine or any of the other millions of things that an older car can need to keep running.

With a little mechanical help before you buy, you may be able to ensure your car repair bills of the future are as realistically in your budget as possible.