What is the riskiest used car to buy?

My school teacher had one. I remember him saying it was broken down in the Ames department store parking lot for two weeks.

View attachment 146656

Here’s one that sold for $7500

OT: I remember Ames from when I was growing up in the early-mid 90's; it sat in the "mall" in St. Johnsbury, VT, near a Rich's department store. Both went out of business quickly when Walmart opened up in Littleton, NH. Can't blame people for traveling across the border, NH has no sales tax. Prior to that, it was a 1-1/2 hour drive to get to the nearest Walmart in Concord.

Back on topic- riskiest vehicle purchase IMO is any vehicle 5-8+ years old that hails from deep in the rust belt. Modern cars seem a lot better at preventing body rust, so you don't necessarily see it. I've seen a lot of ugly stuff underneath on cars only 5+ years old that are transplants from up north.
 
For what its worth, after buying several used Jetta's over the years here is what I found:

1. Coolant looks like water at 112,000 miles (current 2.slow mk6 when bought)
2. Transmission fluid never changed (All of them)
3. Heater core clogged
4. Power steering fluid never changed (All of them)

If you get a VW and do not feel like investing money into neglect from no maintenance then get a low mileage at or around 100,000.
 
Ha I took the risk and recently bought an 81K mile 2015 Volt. It’s a nice car! Infotainment/center stack is a mess and the stock speakers suck but otherwise it drives amazing and gets great fuel economy.
 
I looked at 2012 with the Bose system and it sounded pretty good but I think it might have been on its last legs because the ICE was running all the time.
 
I would personally not even consider a new or used EV. Those batteries are too expensive to replace, and can even be damaged with a small accident and require replacement thereby totaling the car.

As for conventional ICE? As a general rule (not vehicle specific) any (typically German) car that requires the engine overhaul to need pulling out the engine for a timing chain. I think normally VWs and Audis, Mercedes and BMWs of several eras require unbelievably expensive engine maintenance which will generally exceed the value of the car.
People tend to forget even though your getting a $10,000 used car, you're still PAYING to maintain a $100,000 car.

Anything post, say 2010, needs to be looked at with skepticism. Lots of cost cutting, lots of electronic bloatware that goes bad and is very expensive. Also lots of very cheap plastics involved as well, I have noticed. Fake leather seats do not age well. Cheap dash materials, etc. break.
+1 any EV, the battery is dying the day it installed and it is never going to improve just get worse. If you know how to work on and maintain Euro cars most are easy enough to live with and some can be a PITA from the get go but nothing like an EV as they age.
 
My school teacher had one. I remember him saying it was broken down in the Ames department store parking lot for two weeks.

View attachment 146656

Here’s one that sold for $7500

A co worker of mine bought a Yugo (1987 I think) brand new like the one in your pic except red in color. He drove it for a couple of years as I recall with no major issues, then traded it. I rode in it a couple of times and my 85 Corolla I owned at the time was a lot more solid feeling/riding for sure as to be expected.
 
A co worker of mine bought a Yugo (1987 I think) brand new like the one in your pic except red in color. He drove it for a couple of years as I recall with no major issues, then traded it. I rode in it a couple of times and my 85 Corolla I owned at the time was a lot more solid feeling/riding for sure as to be expected.
Same story as yours and 1987.
I got to drive it brand new.
Flickering lights and gas gauge and a real turd as new.
The guy ended up defaulting on it too....lol
 
A used Corolla, Civic, Camry, or Accord give you the best overall odds for reliable, cost effective transportation IMO. They cost a bit more up front, but more than make up for it with years of dependable service. An independent mechanic's inspection is always money well spent when buying used.
My comment is based on personal experience with a used Accord, a new Accord, and a used Corolla. All long lasting, trouble free cars.
Several GM 3800 series 2 drivetrains have been good to our family as well, though the rest of the car is not as durable as the Toyotas and Hondas.
 
Last edited:
I wouldn't single out any one particular brand. I've seen brands that were considered reliable turn into absolute nightmares that bankrupted people because the vehicle itself was neglected, salvaged, previously stolen or modified, etc..

1. A salvage/rebuilt title car, or a flood car
2. A car that was repaired or modified by a "DIY mechanic" with zero mechanical knowledge or regard for safety of the vehicle
3. A neglected vehicle
4. A car you know nothing about (common problems, maintenance costs, service history)

There are cars that are extremely expensive to own (some Euro cars like E60 V10 M5 come to mind) but at least the many issues/fixes for that car are documented and well known. Imagine a car that has daily random electrical issues due to the fact that it was driven into a swamp/pond by the previous owner. ;)
 
Back
Top