Buying 2nd hand car

[thaibook]

I am looking for information and advice.  I wish/need to buy a car, have decided 2nd hand is th ebetter option but know nothing about cars nor and more importantly I don't know how to tell if a car is in good condition other than obvious things - rust, paint, noise, etc.  

 

There are two of us but we sometimes carry others too plus luggage so a four door sedan or suv would seem sensible.  Most of the year driving in the greater BKK area with a few trips to Chiang Mai, Surat Thani, Roiet, Chantaburi.

 

Initial ideas are Toyota because common so easy to find mechanics and Mercedes because reliable.  But open minded.  All information on how to choose, who to trust and advice/recommendations welcomed.

 

[transam]

Toyota is the way to go, very reliable, and I can't think of seeing a rust problem on one. I would stay away from Mercs unless you have a very local repair shop who know what they are doing....

[bbko]

Look for places selling "Certified" used or pre-owned cars, they sell at a higher price than one just off the street but they go through an inspection process and have a better guarantee/warranty.

 

 

Edit; This website sells certified cars of all makes/models;

https://www.toyotasure.com/Home/AdvanceSearchDetails

Edited November 30, 2021 by bbko

[grain]

You say you know nothing about cars. So do you have a farang friend who is a mechanic or has sound mechanical knowledge of cars? If so get him to come along when you look at 2nd hand cars. If you don't have such a friend then ask around in the expat community for someone to help you.. You can't trust a Thai to advise you because the car sellers will speak with him in Thai and tell him to tell you it's a great buy and they'll give him a small cut. Alternatively a Thai will be afraid to tell you a car is not a good buy because if the car seller sees him somewhere later he'll get a hassle or even a bashing for taking sides with the foreigner and doing the Thai dealer out of a sale. I know about this as I've been through it all a couple of times. In the end I bought a brand new car as I was sick to death of being BS'd to.

[FritsSikkink]

23 minutes ago, grain said:

You say you know nothing about cars. So do you have a farang friend who is a mechanic or has sound mechanical knowledge of cars? If so get him to come along when you look at 2nd hand cars. If you don't have such a friend then ask around in the expat community for someone to help you.. You can't trust a Thai to advise you because the car sellers will speak with him in Thai and tell him to tell you it's a great buy and they'll give him a small cut. Alternatively a Thai will be afraid to tell you a car is not a good buy because if the car seller sees him somewhere later he'll get a hassle or even a bashing for taking sides with the foreigner and doing the Thai dealer out of a sale. I know about this as I've been through it all a couple of times. In the end I bought a brand new car as I was sick to death of being BS'd to.

If he had a friend he wouldn't have to ask here.

He is asking here in the expat community.

That you can't trust a Thai is racist, there are like with any nationality good and bad people. 

[seedy]

Find a good garage - independent - and have them check it out.

Expat Auto and Pro Auto in CNX being 2 good ones

[dddave]

This past year, Thailand has experienced more floods than usual and that means more "Flood Cars" on the market.  You will need to be careful.

Thailand doesn't have "Blue Books" like most western countries where you can look up current used vehicle values.  It does have very active auto auctions where dealers buy a lot of their used car stock.  If you search "Thailand Auto Auctions", most have websites showing the latest prices paid for specific models by wholesale buyers.  Add maybe 20 to 30% mark-up for approximate retail. Toyota's are always in demand so expect to pay a premium for a good one.

Most of these sites are in Thai language so somebody who reads Thai will have to do the digging.

 

 

[Card]

I wouldn't buy much older than 1 year old. The price drops quickly by that age but less so after. Also most cars esp with low mileage are still in great nick and guarantees are still in force after 1 year. Some great bargains from those who realise after buying that they can't afford the hire purchase payments and just give them back to the banks who just look to sell quickly to get some money back. 

[thaibook]

33 minutes ago, Card said:

I wouldn't buy much older than 1 year old. The price drops quickly by that age but less so after. Also most cars esp with low mileage are still in great nick and guarantees are still in force after 1 year. Some great bargains from those who realise after buying that they can't afford the hire purchase payments and just give them back to the banks who just look to sell quickly to get some money back. 

I have seen banks advertising property they have repossessed but not cars.  Where would I find this?

[thaibook]

Thank you all very much.  The posts are all to teh point and helpful.  I certainly have enough to start my search.

[Road Warrior]

beat avoid thai owner of any car 

[transam]

1 minute ago, Road Warrior said:

beat avoid thai owner of any car 

Why's that...?

[Card]

13 minutes ago, thaibook said:

I have seen banks advertising property they have repossessed but not cars.  Where would I find this?

The banks auction them off and dealers sell on. You won't be able to buy direct from banks. Look in Bahtsold etc or dealerships.

[Humpy]

Check the Service history... If it has not been serviced every 10,000 km.... forget it.  My Nissan 4 door turbo pickup with Carryboy,  20 years old, has been serviced every 10,000 and has 380,000 on the clock and still goes well. I also have a  3 ltr Isuzu SUV.... excellent car.... regularly serviced........

[Presnock]

One thing to keep in mind, 2nd hand cars' prices sometimes are not that much lower than

the original cost of the cars.  Next thing to remember, is a lot of flooding this year again and

watching the news, quite a few vehicles were inundated with flood water.  Anything that you

consider buying, you should go to a dealer or auto shop and have them do a thorough 

inspection of the engine as well as all of the body and interior areas.  From the sounds of 

the driving you envision, an SUV would probably be you best bet but from experience,

Honda JAZZ and their other vehicles are quite trustworthy too.

[hotchilli]

20 hours ago, thaibook said:

Initial ideas are Toyota because common so easy to find mechanics and Mercedes because reliable.  But open minded.  All information on how to choose, who to trust and advice/recommendations welcomed.

Forget the Mercedes, they're all plastic and sensors, after 5-6 years they will become a money pit.

Find a good Toyota or Honda, they have the longevity... but have the car checked using a knowledgeable mechanic and a smart-scan tool..

DO NOT trust the word of anyone, even the dealers.

Check for any issues using this tool, it scans the cars computer and shows any notifications.

Other than that look at wear & tear, inside the car, roof lining, carpets/boot area, plastics/seating/trim etc etc use common sense as to whether it's been looked after or had hard use.

 

[Grusa]

My 12+ year old 4-door 4wd 3l diesel Toyota Vigo truck has been virtually trouble free from new, 350000 on the clock goes anywhere (4wd) and cost considerably less than the Fortuner equivalent, which is in my view a very uncomfortable  car. I know several other Vigo owners who have regretted trading them in for something else.

Make sure to have sight of the blue book, and the sellers' name matches the owner!. You also want sight of the maintenance record, which should be dealer stamped at every appropriate interval. Be very suspicious of any vehicle which is not dealer maintained. Farang owners are in general terms a safer bet.

[ujayujay]

My best Experience: Buy an used Car from a Expat or Brand Dealership!

[MrJ2U]

You have to take it to an independent mechanic.

Preferably the actual dealership that sells the car. Toyota,Nissan, Mazda,etc.

 

It'll cost more but its a lot cheaper than a big repair.

 

Brother in-law bought a nice 2 door Toyota pickup for 400,000 baht.  Its still running after two years and looks great.

 

I'd aim for Toyota or Honda,

Totally reliable and cheaper to repair in any place if you happen to break down.

 

Avoid Bentleys and Rolls Royce.

Hard to find parts.

[CharlieH]

Havnt read through all of the above.

 

My comment is buy Toyota, Transam hit that on the head.

Second DONT buy from a "used" dealer you dont know what you are getting and they"ll tell you pretty much what you want to here.

Toyotasure is a network attached to most Toyota dealers that sell secondhand cars and all have been verified and checked over etc.

 

Be aware that cars under 2 yr old wont be far off the price of a new one, thats how it is in Thailand for vehicles generally.

 

 

[Gsxrnz]

The OP (being a virgin car purchaser) is in the same boat in Thailand as he would be in Farangland.  Virgin car purchasers are at the bottom of the food chain and will be eaten.

 

I'd suggest that he reconsider his decision to buy a pre-loved vehicle, but without knowing his budget it's difficult to advise. It also depends if he wants a newish vehicle or any old banger will do.  In the case of the old banger, you pays your money and takes your chances.  Buy something with 200K on the clock for 85K Baht and it will end in tears.

 

If he spends 400K on a 2nd hand car of unknown pedigree and the new price is say 50% more at 600K, he may well consider the extra cost worth the peace of mind.  Second hand cars in Thailand are a ridiculous price anyway.

 

The above is just an example.  Do a comparison of what you want.  You will find that a 3 year old fully optioned model is only a fraction cheaper than the brand new basic option.

Edited December 1, 2021 by Gsxrnz

[Hanuman2547]

Whatever you do, don't buy a used car from one of the "used car tents".  You just don't know for sure what you are getting.  Car has been in a flood, odometer rolled back some, etc.  Best if you can buy from someone you know that is looking to sell their car.  

[bert bloggs]

1 hour ago, Humpy said:

Check the Service history... If it has not been serviced every 10,000 km.... forget it.  My Nissan 4 door turbo pickup with Carryboy,  20 years old, has been serviced every 10,000 and has 380,000 on the clock and still goes well. I also have a  3 ltr Isuzu SUV.... excellent car.... regularly serviced........

Same here,when we arrived 16 yrs ago i bought a chevy optra,i have had it serviced every 6k ,very few problems,runs really well and looks about 3 yrs old its done 180000kms.

We also have a nissan which our son drives.

[JustAnotherHun]

I would avoid Mercedes and other European cars. They may have good service stations in the big cities, but you're lost if you get a problem somewhere in the outback. To get spare parts could take some time too.

I am happy with my 4WD CRV and the Jazz, but Toyota might be the better choice. You find them everywhere in Thailand and even small repair shops upcountry are used too them.

 

And as one said above: If you buy second hand and have the choice, buy directly from a foreign owner. They usually take better care of their vehicles. Thai "tent-dealers" are champions in hidden faults

[khunPer]

22 hours ago, thaibook said:

Initial ideas are Toyota because common so easy to find mechanics and Mercedes because reliable.  But open minded. 

If you can afford a second hand Mercedes that is not completely worn out and rusted apart - second hand cars are relative expensive in Thailand - then buy a new small Toyota with full warranty instead, then you don't need to worry about knowledge of cars when buying second hand; a brand new Toyota sedan costs around 600k baht...????

[dddave]

2 hours ago, thaibook said:

I have seen banks advertising property they have repossessed but not cars.  Where would I find this?

Repo's usually go to auto auctions.  I've been told that a lot of repo's are bought by agents who export them to 3rd world countries.

[Aliflair]

I took a risk and bought from an ex-pat with no mechanical check, a 2019 MG ZS, it had been registered for 10 months. New list price around 710k, I paid 455k. I know its had at least a minor ding as I can see a little damage underneath up front, but body no issue. This was in April, its been running fine since. The first owner was Thai and I think the 10k service was either not done or "by a mate", the 20k service was done at MG by the ex-pat and he had the receipt. I've just had the 30k service done after putting 8 on. I put a 5000 baht deposit on it and only paid him the balance after we went together to the DLT to make sure it wasn't going to be a drama to put it into my name, ie the ex-pat basically started the transfer to my name before I paid him the balance. 

I've been happy so far, its a decent size, runs well, not awesome power but an ex GF had a new Yaris and to me that was lesser quality and ride comfort, and totally gutless, but I'm sure many on the forum here will disagree with me. So may be an option for you. Good luck.

[brianthainess]

It maybe helpful if you tell us how much you want to spend. I would recommend Toyota as it is easier and cheaper to buy after market spares. A hatchback may meet your requirement better than a saloon. First off give it a road test, boot it and see how it performs, get it hot, any smoke ? leave it idling awhile without the A/C on and see if the electric fans kick in on normal, then look underneath for any dripping oil, still interested get it checked out independently, only rust here normally is on the bottom of doors, not chassis, (no salt on the roads here)  unless it has been parked up near the sea/driven on beaches, stay with 2 wheel drive if I was you. Also drive it on full lock left and right note any clicking sounds from CV joints. Good luck.

[seedy]

There are great deals to be found buying second hand.

If you have no experience, find someone who does.

Then you can get much more car for the money than buying a new econobox.

Forget all that junk about 'only buy from an expat' In my years here the only time I have had someone try to fleece me was by an - wait for it - expat.

200,000 Km is about 50% life of a car now-a-days, if maintenance is kept up.

Find one that has had this care.

If you near BKK then Siam Motor World - Tim - will inspect and list what your intended purchase requires

https://siammotorworld.com/

JoeW - member of this forum - is also a great source of info

 

Edited December 1, 2021 by seedy

[roo860]

23 hours ago, bbko said:

Look for places selling "Certified" used or pre-owned cars, they sell at a higher price than one just off the street but they go through an inspection process and have a better guarantee/warranty.

 

 

Edit; This website sells certified cars of all makes/models;

https://www.toyotasure.com/Home/AdvanceSearchDetails

Toyotosure are very good, bought a motor from them about 5yrs ago.