Overhaulin'

Is it a good idea to buy a car online?

I'm 16 and my mom wants to buy me a cheap car but she is only willing to spend no more than $1000. We have been looking online and in the paper for cars in our state, but she says she's not sure if it is such a good idea because she's afraid that the car seller will take advantage of her and lie to her because she doesn't know much about cars and my dad doesn't want a part in it because he says its a bad idea. But people buy cars offline all the time. So is it really that bad? And if so do you have any other suggestions on how to find a good first, reliable car that fits my standards, than please let me know. Thanks =]

Public Comments

1. YOUR MOTHER Just kidding ^_^ If it's from a legit site. And if so, make sure you get all the information about the car before you even think of purchasing it!
2. A new car, from a legitimate dealer? Maybe. A used car sight unseen from a stranger on the Internet? Never. I read about scams everyday, "I sent the money Western Union, and he didn't send the car. What can I do?" (Answer, not much.) Your dad is right, it's a bad idea. You're not likely to find anything anywhere in your price range either.
3. If you run a CarFax on it, you have a chance to take it to a mechanic to get everything checked out and everything is OK. Otherwise, don't do it!
4. Audrey, in all honesty, the only cars you're probably going to find in that $1000 range are either A) shot, or B) needing repairs to run. My advice to you is to save up and try to get at least $3000 or so, then go look. It might not be the advice you want to hear, but it's reality. Unless you find that one grandma who's willing to sell her late-model car on-the-cheap. If you do happen to find someone locally or in-state to meet you and let you have a look, make sure you can get all the info you can before you buy: service records, names of former owners (good luck), VIN number for Carfax check, etc.
5. buying a car on-line or from and ad in the paper is ok as long as you have a mechanic your trust check it out.then a body shop to see if it has been involved in an accident.it may cost but it will be well worth it.don't trust web sites that say they can give you a complete car history.they can only check if an accident has been reported.DO NOT BUY A SALVAGED CAR!. no matter how good the price is,these cars are not usually structurally sound,which will make a big difference if you ever get into an accident.one last thing ,as a dad i would want to be involved.saying its a bad idea does not get him off the hook if something happens. good luck.
6. I would no-way Jose' waste my time shopping for a 1000 dollar car on the Internet, if you find it the odds are you are going to get beat senseless in the deal and end up with a repair project. You may end up with one shopping locally due to the limit you have placed on spending but you get to see it first. A more realistic number for dependable transportation, would be 2 to 2500, but you can take your shot at the 1k mark locally, that is a short distance from salvage prices.