Used-car buying guides
Short answers to the questions people ask before they buy, with the official sources linked on every page.
Free recall and problem check by VIN
Before you buy
- Used car inspection checklist: what to check before you buyPaperwork, body, tires, engine, interior, underneath and the test drive.
- Questions to ask a private seller before you go see the car15 questions to ask by text, and the answers that mean walk away.
- How to tell if a used car has been in an accidentPaint, overspray, panel gaps and welds, plus what a history report misses.
Selling privately
- How to sell a car privately in Ontario, step by stepUVIP, bill of sale, signing the ownership, keeping your plates.
- Bill of sale for a car: what to include (US & Canada), with a free templateWhat to include, official forms by province and state, and a free template.
- How to avoid scams when selling your car onlineOverpayment cheques, fake payments, history-report links, verification codes.
Rules by province
- Buying a used car privately in BC, step by stepLien search, the APV9T, 10 days to register, and how PST works.
- Buying a used car privately in Alberta, step by stepVehicle information report, lien search, bill of sale, out-of-province inspection.
Ontario buyer's hub · All buy and sell rules
Still covered?
Which history report should you buy?
- Carfax vs AutoCheck vs EpicVIN: which history report should you buy?What each report costs, what it's good at, and when to pay for which.
- Free VIN check: what you can find out for free (and what it misses)The free lookups worth doing, and what they can't tell you.
- Is EpicVIN legit? An honest review for used-car buyersWhat it is, what you get, what it costs, and who it isn't for.
Used models: years to avoid
- Used Honda Civic: years to avoid and what to checkCracked blocks, transmissions, oil dilution and A/C: which years and what to check.
- Used Toyota RAV4: years to avoid and what to check2006–08 oil burning, the 2013–18 battery recall and the 2019–20 Hybrid tank.
- Used Honda CR-V: years to avoid and what to check2017–18 oil dilution, the 2015 vibration, and what to check on any CR-V.
- Used Toyota Corolla: years to avoid and what to check2005–08 stalling recall, 2009–10 issues, and what to check on newer CVTs.
- Used Ford F-150: years to avoid and what to check5.4L spark plugs, the downshift recall, EcoBoost phasers and the 10-speed.
- Used Nissan Rogue: years to avoid and what to check2014–18 CVT problems (extension expired) and 2017–18 phantom braking.
- Hyundai and Kia engine problems: which years to avoidTheta II engine recalls, the lifetime warranty's conditions, and the anti-theft fix.
Scams and title problems
- What a vehicle history report shows, and the free checks to run firstWhat's in a report, what it misses, and the free checks to run first.
- Facebook Marketplace car scams: 7 red flags and the safe way to buyDeposits, fake report links, cloned VINs, and how to buy safely.
- Salvage title explained: what it means and whether to buy oneSalvage, rebuilt, flood and junk brands, and how to check them by VIN.
- Title washing: how a damaged car gets a clean titleHow salvage and flood brands disappear between states, and how to catch it.
- Odometer rollback: how to tell if the mileage is fakeWear that doesn't match the miles, records that go backwards, and what to do.
- How to spot a flood-damaged car before you buyNine checks you can do in ten minutes, and the VIN history.
- How to read a VIN: what each of the 17 characters meansCountry, model year and the check digit that catches fake VINs.