Early one December morning at about 5 AM, I was rushing down Coliseum Boulevard in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to my warehouse job. I hit something solid, and my workhorse Toyota Camry slammed to a stop, and the engine quit. The only thing I saw was what looked like a tire bouncing away.
Almost immediately, steam rose from the hood of my car, and in that moment, I thought maybe my car was on fire. Thankfully, I got the engine started, and I crawled over to the side of the road. The smoke turned out to be just steam from the radiator, which had been hit directly. The front grill and radiator were pushed in, and beneath the radiator, the crossbar was dented. The car was totaled.
Just like that, I had to buy a used car. I’m not a mechanic. I hadn’t shopped for a car in years. I didn’t really know what to look for when I went to check out cars.
I got some tips from a guy I knew who spent 20 years selling used cars — things like where to look (Facebook Marketplace was one). I picked up a Bluetooth OBD2 scanner that plugs into modern cars and shows you any electronic issues right on your phone. And I just figured it out as I went.
What I didn’t have was a checklist. Something I could have in my hand while I stood in front of a seller. So I didn’t have to remember all the little and big things to check. A checklist that told me exactly what to look at, what to ask about, and what to watch out for. I was going into it haphazardly. I did some market research, but I was winging most of it.
That’s why I built this site.
The free checklist here is what I wished I’d had. It covers everything from researching market value to pulling a history report to what to inspect physically on the car. No scammy tactics — just a straightforward tool that takes the guesswork out of it and helps you stay objective when you’re standing there with a seller who wants to close the deal.
I also review tools like the OBD2 scanner that I used, and I’m adding more resources as I go.
If you’re in the same position I was — suddenly needing a car and not really knowing where to start — this site is for you.
— Jack