Before you look
Decide what you can fix yourself and what you cannot. Set a budget for the first month of repairs on top of the asking price.
At the car
- Match the VIN on the car to the title and the listing.
- Look underneath for rust, leaks and fresh undercoating hiding something.
- Drive it cold, then hot. Test every gear and every switch.
- Ask for service records and read the known-issues field twice.
Paying
Meet somewhere public, verify the title is clean and in the seller name, and use a payment method that leaves a record. Beater for Sale does not hold funds.