I found a '99 sterling mist Maxima SE cloth interior power everything, 5 speed w/41000 miles. The dealership was asking 16,900 and I talked them down to 15000 (pretty good deal I thought). It's about 8 hours away so I'm going to drive down to give it a good look and hopefully drive away in it. Just wanted to know what are some things to look at to determine if it's in bad shape mechanically. This will be my 1t time buying a car! I ran the VIN# and it came back with no problems.

TIA!

 

I just look at the car's overall condition. Is the paint still clean? Any scuffs on the bumper? Are the wheels in good shape? Are there stains/tears or excessive wear inside? These things tell you a lot about the previous owner of the car. Then, when you take it out for a spin, make sure it feels nice and TIGHT. Don't forget to go on the highway to check for vibrations, etc. Another thing I do is check all body panels for the VIN sticker. Each door, trunk, hood, and the front fenders have a VIN sticker, the numbers should all match of course. This tells you that it hasn't been in a serious accident where panels have been replaced. I'm sure others will have a lot of suggestions for you - but these are mine! You've already done the Carfax which is the most important step. You can also call the Nissan dealer near you and they'll tell you if any warranty work has been done on it or if there are any recalls on the car. They have a central database which tells them if any work has been done on the car at ANY Nissan dealer.
- Chad

 

<dont.mind.me>Buying a family sedan used with a 5sp is a guaranteed abused car</dont.mind.me>

 

VIN stickers are helpful but they can be forged. Check for the paint to match all around. A color like silver is hard to match so a repainted panel should be obvious. Make sure all the gaps between panels are even. With the money you are spending I'd pay for a second opinion from someone who is independent of the deal. Even if you use a local Pep Boys. I personally do not trust dealers and least of all a non-authorized dealer (Nissan in this case). You can search this forum for more ideas.