co_maxima98

iTrader: (3)

I just got screwed buying a car through a dealership (it had a salvage title and they didn't tell me). I finally ended up getting my money back and they got the Maxima back.

Has anybody ever bought a car on eBay? I was sort of thinking about it, but I really don't want to get myself into trouble again. There are some nice looking Maximas on there, at good prices. Would you recommend it, or would you say no?

multiplexor

I bought my car from an independent person.... i ran a carfax on it after i got the car... yes i am an uber idiot... it had a slavage title. yet... the car has no engine problems and runs really great. The slavage title is from like 97... i have a 96... anywho

I wouldn't buy a car from ebay. I've seen a bunch of people posting ebay auctions of max's here, and watch people here rip the auction apart. Saying this is wrong, that is wrong... etc... I wouldn't buy a car from ebay.

finny

i used to work for a dealer and i know how hard it was to find cars in person. so if ya really care bout what kinda shape the cars or whats its history is go for ebay. otherwise its hard enough knowin what your gettin starin at the care rather than buyin it over the comp

Jepht20

iTrader: (10)

if i were ever to seriously consider buying a car on ebay, i'd run the carfax first...then if i had anymore questions unanswered i'd definately want to check the car out in person or pay some mechanic inspect it. when it comes to spending big money especially on ebay, you gotta make sure everything seems perfect and everything's covered. i think i'd also only really do it if the car was near me so i could see it in person first. but then again, that's just me.

fst96se

iTrader: (1)

I bought a 99 Maxima SE on ebay, and it turned out very well. THe seller had GREAT feedback for many car sales, and sent me about 35 pics. He detailed everything that wasn't perfect, in all a very good experience. I bought my i30 over the net, and have bought two other cars on ebay, all very good transactions. If you KNOW what to look for, and are quite vigilant, it can work out. THe Max's that were referred to were butcher jobs, parts from many different maximas on one car....if you are on this board, then you probably know what to look for. Email the seller and ask MANY SPECIFIC questions....and be sure to get answered to all of them!! Stay away from low feedback/shady dealers.

You can potentially save THOUSANDS if you take the risk.......but it is a risk.....but it is a rush too!!

kvzeyde

All what fst96se said!!!
I bought my 99 SE via Ebay and it had a salvage title THAT I KNEW ABOUT BEFORE I BOUGHT IT because the seller advertised it as such and I ran a Carfax report BEFORE I BOUGHT IT.
The key is to ask all the questions before you buy. Research like crazy before you buy. Know what you are willing to fix yourself in order to save money.
GOOD LUCK.

mzmtg

iTrader: (11)

And might I add, your I30 rocks!

How rare is a car with those options?

Or lack of options I guess...that car is so cool

multiplexor

exactly what should be done

and at the same time... post the auction here and see if anyone here can help you out and point out potential problems hehe

anywho, i guess as long as your very very cautious and don't umpulsively purchase the car then you'll be safe

BTW i meant Salvage... not slavage... (in my first post above... ) hehe

blizz20oma

iTrader: (1)

There's no fail-safe way to buy a perfect car. But just because you got burned by one dealership doesn't mean its time to head to eBay. If you had done ample research before making the trek out to the dealerships, you would have been able to point out the tell-tale signs to the salesman that the max he showed you was not an actual SE, and was fishy. Not to mention had you ran a carfax before buying the car, you would have seen it was a salvage. I mean, all these things *should* be brought up to *you*, in a perfect world (really, the salvage should regardless), but of course, our world is not perfect.

As Dr. Gonzo would say, "We have to arm ourselves...to the TEETH"...with research. You can find out what you want by reading around and taking a few test drives (seems you've already done some research in that respect, and have decided on a 4th-gen SE). Either while compromising that decision, or in the next step, the progression would be to soak up all information possible about the car, said 4th-gen SE. Then, start the search. One troublesome part to me, not being real gearheaded or proficient under the hood, is I don't have the ability to fully check out potentials. For this I'd recommend a trusted mechanic, or at the least an independent mechanic familiar with Nissans. Whoever you're buying from should allow you to take the car to get it inspected. If they won't, draw the line there.

With the rarity of 4th gen 5-speed SEs around here, not to mention the complete rarity of any trustworthy independent mechanics that specialize on nissans, I had to settle on omitting the inspection part. However, I was able to talk to the prior owners of the car, and got all the paperwork on what's been done with the car from the dealership. That helped, but still leaves more uncertainty than I'd like.

Just try to minimize uncertainty, and maximize research/knowledge. You'll find this is probably a lot easier to do at local dealerships/private sellers than it is over ebay.

BBaker025

iTrader: (1)

Instead of going on ebay, where you dont know anything about the sellers go HERE. The people take car of cars, and are very reliable!

co_maxima98

iTrader: (3)

Why didn't I think of that?

Maxima91

hi, wher is the VIN number so i can check a car on carfax, can anyone please tell me where to find it on a maxima

co_maxima98

iTrader: (3)

Open your hood and on the firewall (on the passenger side) there is an ID tag that has the VIN number. There should also be a tag on your dash right under your windshield on the driver side (I think the VIN is there also)

blizz20oma

iTrader: (1)

Where *isn't* the vin number on cars these days? They practically engrave it into every hose clamp anymore.

97BLKMAXSE

i bought my 97 maxima se on ebay when i got the car it had some minor damage to the front not body damage but it needed a new pasangerside axle and strut mount i paid a very good price for the car and didnt mind fixing it i was looking for a while on ebay and most of the 95-99 maximas where going for between $11,000 and $13,000 i got mine for $9,000 just watch out for scams tho ask a lot of questions and deffinatly run a carfax before you puchese

97BLKMAXSE

davey6693

I agree with most of what's been posted above. I personally was screwed on the transmission when I bought my car, and the rebuild added 2000 dollars to my very stretched savings account. Since then I've learned a great deal about how cars work (90% of it due to the people on this forum), and if I knew then what I knew now, I'd never have bought the car. I actually mistook the tranny dipstick for the oil (DON'T LAUGH!!) and the dark brown colour led me to believe the oil had just been changed.
There are a few sites I've seen since which would have helped me out here or here.

In the end, knowledge is power. Try and get a mechanic to check it out if you're not sure, and if you see one on ebay be sure to post it here; people on this board will only be too happy to take a look.

Good luck