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To a lot of people, buying a used car can just be as exciting as buying a brand new one. Still, the process can be a complicated nightmare if you don’t know how to go about it. There are some certain things you should always keep in mind before you decide to buy a used car.
The first thing you need to do is to figure out your budget. Having a budget makes it easy to narrow down on cars that might be of particular interest. Having a budget will also help you to keep your expectations are in check.
Another factor you should be looking at what you’ll be needing the car for. Is this going to be your everyday vehicle, or something for special occasions? There are some brands that are known to be reliable and can go for over 10 years with just minimum maintenance, but according to dmv.org, second-tier vehicles form the biggest chunk of the used car market.
You should also be checking for hidden costs behind the used vehicle. Factors such as depreciation, insurance, cost of maintenance, taxes can have a huge impact on the general cost of the vehicle.
Having said all that, here are 20 used cars you should never buy, period.
20 FIAT 500
It is very hard to narrow down to a model or a year because the Fiat 500 has been pretty consistently unreliable. Car and Driver gave the new model a 2.5-star rating.
Despite the price being dropped to $15,990 in 2017 in a bid to keep consumers hooked, AutoExpress still criticized the basic specs that are available on entry models.
According to Auto Insurance, the Fiat depreciates by 40% in two years. According to Car Buyer, the Fiat 500 received a below average rating in terms of reliability. For the 2017 model, more than 11% of owners complained more than once of experiencing problems with the car, with the main issue being the suspension.
19 MINI COOPER
According to a study conducted by J.D Power in 2016, there were 127 problems reported for every 100 new Mini Coopers sold. This is a worrying statistic for anyone who wants to buy a used Mini Cooper. According to Consumer Affairs, the most common problems reported with the Mini Cooper include body integrity, cooling system, engine cooling, minor and major engine problems.
There are over 17 known major issues with the Mini Cooper according to Consumer Reports. The car might be inexpensive but the costs of maintaining it are likely to become unbearable in the long run. You should at least stay away from the first and second-year models if you do insist on buying a used Mini Cooper.
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