Questions about parts for used cars

[steve2470]

I'm debating whether to buy a used car in 3 months or a new one. The parts availability issue is really the deciding factor. If I can buy a used one for a decent price and be assured I can get spare parts for many years, I'll go used. Ford and Honda are the two brands I have in mind.

How long can you usually buy parts for used cars before you have to go to auto scrapyards ? I've never owned a car past ten years, so I'm not well versed with this. I know you can go to the scrapyards at any time, but I mean when the auto parts stores/dealerships no longer stock the parts routinely.

Thanks for the help in advance.

[TalkingDog]

1. If you have a regular mechanic, he'd be the person to ask. Especially about a specific model.

As for cars over 10 years old, we have 2 of them and 1 eight year old. (technically 2 cars and a truck) 1 Saturn '98, 1 Nissan '96, 1 Toyota . The Saturn has 353K miles and is obviously the one we worry about most. All of them bought used.

In some cases, you can use parts across models and even across brands in a pinch. In some cases there are adapters. The headlight/tail light arrays are costly to replace (but not on a Saturn, it's just bulbs.... I love that car)

The main problem would be in the plastic molded body parts or interior parts like door handles and etc.

I would highly recommend finding a small local garage that is trustworthy and sticking with them like glue. We've used the same locally owned garage for over 20 years and that kind of loyalty will get you a lot of loyal effort in return regarding honest feedback and going out of their way to make you happy.

Good luck.

[steve2470]

2. thank you, that was quite helpful ! nt

[Edweird]

3. How 'used' are we talking?

You can go to the auto parts site as well as parts locators for recyclers and poke around to get an idea of parts availability. One of my vehicles is a 1980 Toyota pickup. Parts availability is a mixed bag. I REALLY need a driver side window regulator but can't find one anywhere - but the truck is 32 years old. My 1997 suburban has anything and everything waiting for me at the parts store or dealership....

[steve2470]

5. My car presently is a 2000 model, another 2000 model would be nice

If I can get spare parts for another 2000 for many years, I'd be happy.

I'm giving the current car to my son.

[Motown_Johnny]

4. It depends on the particular vehicle

I own an old Ford Ranger and have no problem with parts. They made the same vehicle, with only minor changes, for decades. With so many of these still on the road it makes sense for manufacturers to still produce spare parts for them.


There are auto part websites. When you get serious about a specific vehicle you might want to just go browse some sites and see if they stock parts for it.

Asking a professional mechanic is always a good idea if that is an option.

[ejpoeta]

6. my husband buys fords and he has been able to get parts for almost anything.

Most cars are very similar. They haven't changed much over the years if you look at a particular model. Our first new car was 4 years ago so we have always had used cars before then, and I am going to be 40 this year. If you are not familiar with this, I would agree with another poster on asking your mechanic. I guess I am lucky I don't have to think about this. My husband knows all that kind of stuff. He has always fixed our vehicles himself.

[steve2470]

7. The advice about asking my mechanic is excellent

Unfortunately, I don't have a mechanic right now but I'll put that on my to-do list

[ejpoeta]

10. maybe I can get my husband to answer you. He's sleeping right now as he

got home after 10 last night, but when he gets up I will see if he can give you some info.

[steve2470]

11. thanks, very kind of you ! nt

[madokie]

8. Buy a ford and don't worry with buying parts for a long time

If you buy a late model used with less than 50,000 miles on it you should get many more years out of it before you start needing to replace parts. Both our vehicles are fords with 140,000 miles on them that we bought in 98, one new and the other slightly used and I will guarantee that I can go today and buy anything I want for either of them. The thing with a ford if you don't buy one thats been in a wreck before or has been rode way hard and hung up wet and you do PM on it you won't be buying parts for a long time. They're built that way. Take note of the numbers of older than 20 year vehicles on the roads and you'll see they're almost always a ford product. They are built ford tough. I wouldn't consider anything else personally.
I've owned many different kinds of vehicles in my younger years and from them I learned how to work on cars and that a ford is the best of the bunch. If I'd been driving fords the whole time I still wouldn't know shit about a car/truck.
As you can see I'm a ford man

[steve2470]

9. I can see that :)

I am seriously considering a 2000 Ford sedan, one of the cheapest ones.

[ejpoeta]

14. I agree about the fords. We had an explorer that we bought for $600.

I drove that thing for a couple years at least. And when I couldn't drive that anymore, my husband took the motor out and put it in his ranger and it still purred. IT was like a 93 or 94. The last 3 or 4 cars before we bought the town and country in 2008 were explorers. I would buy one of those again. the best thing about them was a lot of the parts over different years were interchangeable. we have our 2008 chrysler town and country that we bought because bob didn't want to have to fix a lot of stuff. turns out the brakes are screwy and he has to fix them every six months. our other vehicle is a ford f150 king ranch we bought to tow our camper. that was not new. not sure what year it is. works great though! but bob knows fords. he bought the town and country because i wanted the stow and go.

[snooper2]

27. ROFL

[rucky]

12. There's a lot of companies that sell "look alike" parts for legacy models.

But sometimes it's better to get an OEM part from a scrapyard than gamble with a knock-off.

[LuvNewcastle]

13. I never pay very much for cars, so they're very used

by the time I get hold of them. The availability of parts depends upon the age of the car and how many were made. Right now I'm driving a 1996 Nissan Altima. They sold a lot of those, so I've never had any trouble finding parts for it. Parts for American cars are usually a good bit cheaper, though. If you buy a Ford Taurus or a Mercury Grand Marquis, for example, you shouldn't have any trouble finding parts that are reasonably priced. I recommend that you look for old issues of Consumer Report. Some issues rate the dependability of different used cars and might help you make a more informed decision.

[meaculpa2011]

15. I have a 1995 BMW 525...

and have had no trouble getting aftermarket parts. Switched out the front swaybar links last year. Parts from BMW were $195 per side. Parts from Advance (TRW) were $14.95 per side. Easy decision. Same with valve cover gaskets. Ordered from Advance on Monday afternoon and picked them up on Tuesday morning. Had to replace fuel tank straps last month, but they weren't available from an aftermarket supplier. BMW had them for $20 each. Not bad.

I bought the car new and have 160,000 miles. Still going strong. It may seem like I spend a lot of time replacing parts that periodically fall off the car, but I haven't made a car payment in 14 years.

Also cracked up my bike a few years ago. It's a 1984 Honda V30 Magna. Did a quick internet search and had everything I needed from a salvage supplier in Milwaukee. Three days and less than $200 later I was back on the road.

However, I've owned lesser cars and haven't had one last more than eight years before becoming unrepairable or unsafe. Maybe it's because I commute over NYC's pristine roadways.

[quaker bill]

16. I have never had a problem with any major brand

It has been a rare pleasure for me to own a car that is less than 10 years old. I have done it twice.

Picking a decent used vehicle is a skill that I was taught by my grandfather (a mechanic) a very long time ago. Any make or model can be good or alternately a barely rolling piece of scrap metal, you need to be very fussy about the details.

A good used car will start right up like a new one. It will blow no smoke, make no funny noises, respond instantly to a light tap on the accelerator, have no puddles underneath it.

A skilled used car salesman will roll up the windows and turn on the AC and the stereo. They will show you how cold the AC is and good the stereo sounds. Enjoy that for a moment, then turn the AC and stereo off and roll down the windows. Hit the accelerator fairly hard from a stop and listen for clunks, taps, pings and rattles. If no racket, does the vehicle accelerate smoothly? Keep the window rolled down, if front wheel drive, at a good place turn the wheels hard right and accelerate, listen for clicks, do the same turning hard left. If you hear clicking, count on replacing the CV axles.

When you get back, pop the hood, listen for gurgling / bubbling noises, check the rubber parts for cracking.

If everything looks / sounds good, make an offer. I usually have cash (a checkbook with sufficient balance) to purchase the vehicle right then and there, so I make and offer at least 10% lower than the listed price, (sometimes 20% depending). They will ask how you are paying (always cash) (my CU does not offer loans on cars more than 10 years old anyway). If they don't bite, say you are just beginning to shop and will be heading down the road to another dealer. If they still don't bite, take their business card and leave.

If you don't find something better, contact them and tell them that you are down to making a decision and really like the car, if they could only do something on the price. Usually you will get the price you need. Markups on used vehicles are huge. They can easily come 10 to 20 percent off the price and still make plenty of money. If they can't they are in the wrong business.

[steve2470]

17. thanks, a lot of great advice ! nt

[quaker bill]

58. another thing

not essential but well advised, stop hard at least one time. The vehicle should maintain a straight line. If it pulls right or left, count on a brake job, if you get vibrations in the steering wheel you have warped drums or rotors up front, vibrations from the back end, same thing, but in the rear wheels. In any case, if the stop is less than smooth and straight, count on brake work, (deduct $500 minimum from your offer to pay for it, high grade foriegn cars $1000)

If the front end shudders when you work the brakes hard, go to the next vehicle (major suspension work as well as brakes)

Another suspension trick, push down on the hood/fender (don't dent the car but push hard) then release. It should bounce back with at most a little wiggle at the top, if it rocks for a bit, the shocks or struts are fried. Shocks are pretty cheap, but struts are pricey.

[steve2470]

18. A guess here: If I buy a "good condition" 2000 Ford 4 door sedan......

maybe I can make it last at least another ten years ? Sound reasonable ?

[Fumesucker]

21. We bought a 96 Nissan Quest for a family member in need a few months back..

It and a Mercury Villager are nearly identical..

We replaced several normal maintenance parts, sensors, belts, motor mounts that sort of thing and they were all in stock at the local parts store.

The van had 96k miles and after some PM and TLC it looks and drives very much like a new one, it's smooth and powerful and the paint is shinl and the interior is nearly pristine since it was garaged for 90% of its life.

Cars are staying on the road a lot longer than they used to, the better brands are really remarkably reliable a lot of the time and even the average ones are quite good.

Pick a popular vehicle and parts for a 2000 model should be around for at least ten more years. I have a 1980 Honda motorcycle and the only parts that are difficult are for the electronic ignition..

If you happen to pick a vehicle enthusiasts like then parts will be around probably as long as there is gasoline to run cars.

[Ednahilda]

19. We always keep our old cars running

way beyond the point that other people scrap them. Our 1993 Ford Aerostar had 266,000 miles on it earlier this year (original engine, original transmission) when we sold it for $700 dollars to a neighbor who just needed something to get around town. Hubby's GMC truck passed the 300,000 mile mark earlier this spring, also original engine and transmission. We never had trouble getting parts.

The advice from others about finding a dependable, reputable mechanic is key. Hubby does a lot of the work himself, but when something comes up that he hasn't the time or inclination to do, we've got a great mechanic nearby. If you ever listen to Car Talk on NPR, you know that their website has a Mechanics Files list of good mechanics recommended and reviewed by ordinary Car Talk listeners. It's a place to start: http://www.cartalk.com/content/mechanics-files

[link:http://www.cartalk.com/content/mechanics-files|

Good luck to you!

[steve2470]

20. that link you gave me was very helpful, tyvm ! nt

[Ednahilda]

60. Glad to help!

It's always hard to find really good, dependable service people. Cars and car repairs are much too expensive to take a chance with somebody who doesn't know what they're doing.

[Cestode]

22. You should be able to find parts for a long time.

In 2000 I bought a 1992 VW Golf, I kept it for another 8 years.
In the 8 years I owned I never had a problem finding parts. I usually bought from the dealer whom stocked pretty much anything i needed. If the dealer part was too expensive or not available I would always find it 'aftermarket' from other auto part stores, all local.

Ford and Honda are pretty common brands, unless the car is really old 10yrs+, I wouldn't worry.
You should have no problems finding parts.

Personally, if affordable, I would buy new!


Cheers,

[permatex]

23. I have a 1968 Ford Fairlane Cobra

that I completely restored. Original 428 SCJ engine, original 4 speed trans. Didn't have to much problems getting either NOS parts or reproduction parts for it. With the Internet, you can find just about anything these days for used cars.
Also have a 1999 Ford Explorer with 250.000 miles, original engine/trans. Never had any problems getting parts for it.

I'm kind of biased, but I would go with the Ford.

[MineralMan]

24. It depends on the make and model of the car.

It it's a popular vehicle, parts will continue to be available for a good long time. If it's not, they won't. For example, I just bought exhaust system parts for my 1991 Volvo 740 wagon, including a header pipe and catalytic converter. Several sources stocked them, and at good prices. An entire range of parts, from OEM to aftermarket was available, and in more than three quality and price levels.

However, if you're trying to find parts for some car maker's cars, some parts for a 10-year-old model won't be available.

Tell us what car you're thinking about, and we'll be better able to advise you.

[steve2470]

25. 2000 Ford Focus 4 door sedan nt

[MineralMan]

26. No worries. Parts will be available for

a long time for that vehicle. Whether it's worth fixing will depend on the cost of repairs compared to the value of the car at the time repairs are needed.

There's not much point in putting $1500 worth of repairs into a car that's only worth that much, and that Focus will be in that category before long.

My strategy has always been to buy 10-15 year old cars that are in very good condition when I buy them, and then keep them until an expensive repair is needed. At that point, I sell the car for whatever it will bring and buy another. I don't throw much money at old cars. They either go or they don't go. These days, it doesn't take much to cost $1000 to repair a lot of things on any car.

Cars are disposable commodities to me.

[steve2470]

28. thanks for the help ! nt

[MineralMan]

29. I hope you find an excellent car that

gives you good service for several years. I've had my 1991 Volvo for six years, and the only repairs I've made were new brake pads and some exhaust system parts. I make the actual repair myself. I've put maybe $400 into repairs in that six years.

One other suggestion: Do not buy any used car with a turbocharger. After ten years, it's almost a certainty that expensive repairs on that system will be needed, and the cost of such repairs is almost always more than the car is worth. Just say no to turbochargers.

[steve2470]

32. Thanks for kind wishes

Turbocharger, no way lol.... that's an invitation to speeding tickets for me ! lol

Just a nice boring 4 door sedan that is reliable... works for me !

[snooper2]

30. don't get it if it's an automatic, only get a manual in that car

The automatics are absolute pieces of shit..

Do a google search on it if you don't believe me LOL

[steve2470]

31. ok I'll do the research, thank you nt

[Gold Metal Flake]

41. That is bullshit.

See my post below.

[permatex]

37. There's a thriving industry out there

for NOS or repro. parts for the classic muscle cars. I've started my next project, a 1966 Ford Fairlane GT convertible, 390/4 speed, and so far, I've had no problems finding parts for it via the Internet.

[MineralMan]

46. Yup. It's easy to find parts for Fords, Chevies, and Mopar stuff.

Almost impossible for the other US brands. That's why you see mostly the Big three at nostalgia auto gatherings. Very popular among the boomer crowd here in MN. We have great street car shows here every week in the summer.

[DCKit]

33. My impression has been that new parts for domestic cars vs. imports are less expensive.

That said, if I could, I would get my parts from the junkyard. Problem is, my 1994 vehicle was not only low-volume, but they tend to stay on the road forever. I'm well over 250K miles and the biggest junkyard in the DC area doesn't have a single donor vehicle in the yard.

For the above reasons, I'm tending toward Ford, but the mpgs of Honda and Toyota models make it a tough choice.

[steve2470]

34. This thread is exactly why I love DU

I asked for help. No one had to help me. Within a few hours, I received a great deal
of information and help, and possibly more to come.

Granted, this thread was very personal and trivial, but many threads here have the
same or much more information density and willingness to help.

I am educated every day here and I'm grateful. You all rock.

[permatex]

38. Your very welcome

There are a lot of car enthusiasts here who are more than willing to help.
I joined a car club called the Fairlane Club of America, it's for the owners of 1962-1976 Ford Fairlane and Torinos.
It's really helped me locate parts that I needed and also helped on the technical aspects of restoring classic muscle cars.

[slackmaster]

35. Dealers can get parts for vehicles well over 10 years old, by special order if parts aren't in stock

Ford and Honda are the two brands I have in mind.

Those are both very good choices IMO. Any of the major manufacturers will be able to get parts for their products for a long time.

Just as a benchmark, I drive a 1998 Nissan. Sometimes parts have to be ordered, and it may take up to a week to get them, but I've never had a problem getting any part including body parts.

My previous vehicle was a 1985 Nissan pickup. I sold that in 2002, and was still able to get parts easily at the time.

[permatex]

40. Thats very true

Ford still stocks parts for my 66 and 68, albeit, just the common parts, but, just the same, parts.

[slackmaster]

54. With classic vehicles like those, you also have a plethora of after-market parts to choose from

e.g. the J.C. Whitney catalog.

[permatex]

55. True

there's also AutoKrafters, Dearborn Classics, Mac's Auto which all specialize in the older Ford muscle cars.

[FarCenter]

36. Average age of cars on U.S. roads rises to record 10.8 years

The average age of autos on the road has reached a record high.

The average age of the 240.5 million cars and light trucks being driven in the U.S. rose to 10.8 years last year from 10.4 in the year before, according to R.L. Polk & Co., an automotive market research firm.

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jan/17/business/la-fi-mo-aging-autos-20120117

There are a lot of 20-year old cars on the road, even though they may be second cars not driven a lot.

You should be able to get parts readily for cars up to 20 years old, if you stick to popular models sold in high volumes. Once the manufacturer runs out, the other parts makers continue to supply replacements for those parts that commonly need to be replaced.

Bear in mind that an automaker does not actually make a lot of the parts and buys them from parts suppliers.

[Gold Metal Flake]

39. So, you are looking at a 2000 Ford Focus?

Are you talking about one specific car near you?

Tell me a little about it.

I have two Ford Focuses. Foci? Whatever the plural is, I have a 2007 bought new and a 2001 bought used at 88K miles.

Engine is important. In 2000, the first year the Focus was sold in the US, the third year of global production, the Focus had an single overhead cam engine and the dual cam Zetec. The Zetec is superior in power and economy. The Zetec thermostat housing will fail. I searched around and ended up getting a new part from an Ebay dealer for about 80 bux. One of the sensors for the EGR pollution control circuit failed, and those are available at most auto part stores. I replaced the headlights with new units from an Ebay dealer.

I do my own service. I have been working on cars since age 11. There is no system on a car that I have not serviced or rebuilt or modified. The Focus is generally a damn good car.

All of the usual parts, tune up parts, hoses, sensors, exhaust, hard engine parts are common and ubiquitous.

Go to the online vendors and look up parts for your prospect.

http://www.rockauto.com
http://www.autozone.com
http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/home.oap
http://www.pepboys.com

Since the car has been sold in this country for a decade there are lots of worn out or wrecked examples in the local wrecking yards from which good used parts can be salvaged.

They key is getting a good used one, not one that has been abused or wrecked and then prettied up. Be careful. I looked for a couple of months before I bought the 2001. I used Auto Check to search for records of damage or inconsistent history when compared to the sellers bullshit. The car I bought was a one-owner car from a young family. If you get a good one you will be satisfied.

PS: Both of mine have the auto even though I would have preferred the manual trans. I drive my 07 hard in the mountains and canyons of California. It has the Duratec 2.0 engine. The auto trans in that one is the same model as in my 01 with the Zetec engine. Neither one has exibited any sort of transmission issue at all. Having changed trans fluid I have seen no indication of problems there. Having built auto transmissions I know a little about them. One day I will probably have a trans failure, but there is absolutely no indication that that day will be soon.

I don't drive hard these days as I just had to replace my 90,000 mile Michelins at 36,000 miles. I can't afford that! So I drive slower and enjoy the scenery more. But I still drive the canyons, I even commute through one. The Focus is a great handling car for a stock sedan. I also get 30MPG on my commutes in the 07. The 01 gets about 28 with the same driving route and style.

Be careful of the "this or that SUCKS!!!" sort of "advice" you may get. These sorts of extreme positions are worth about as much as political opioons expressed in the same manner. If you want to see what users say, visit the Focus forums. Here are two:

http://www.focusfanatics.com/
http://forums.focaljet.com/

That is where I go to start a search about technical issues.

[steve2470]

42. I'm considering the 2000 Ford Focus 4 door sedan

I'm really at the front end of my quest. I really appreciate all the information and
helpfulness. I will definitely be careful. I really want an auto transmission unless
I become convinced it's not reliable.

Thank you again !!

eta: I don't have a specific car to link to. I'm in central Florida, so a dealer
or private individual near me.

[Gold Metal Flake]

45. See my updates to my previous post.

The Auto Check service worked out really well for me in my search. It was cheaper and the access period longer than Car Fax. Most dealers publish the VINs so I checked out every car I saw on Craigslist and in the car trader papers that had VINs just for practice at first. You wanna note any inconsistencies and odd reports. Ebay classified ads are also useful and have the VINs. Then, for private party ads, I asked the owners for the VINs.

There was one car I likes. An 05 four door with a 5 speed. Owner stated it had not been wrecked and had a warranty. Well, there was body damage repaired by an amateur (and thus not reported to insurance and thus not on the Auto Check report) and I checked with the local Ford dealer who searched the VIN for the warranty and said it expired within 30 days! That is a perfect example of a car NOT to buy.

Good luck!

[steve2470]

48. Thank you very much for your time, much appreciated ! nt

[HooptieWagon]

43. I have a 96 Toyota pu, parts are no problem.

But then, I havent had to replace many. I shopped around and gotten them much cheaper than the dealer. 276,000 miles.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

44. I have four very old foreign cars

a 1961 Renault 4CV, a 1957 DKW F93, a 1969 Citroen DS 21, and a 1973 Saab 96. I've owned them many years and have never had a parts issue although in the case of the DKW I've had to consult sources in Germany, South Africa, and Brazil where the cars were made, as very few of them were ever imported. In the case of the DKW, it can use quite a few Mercedes and VW parts of the same vintage. Unless you are a collector and want to keep the car original, there are also guys who keep lists of adaptable parts for various cars from one model or make to another, uses that the guys at the auto parts store have probably never heard of. I'm not sure about the Ford and Honda but I would imagine parts won't be an issue. If I can find every part for a 1961 Renault right here in the U.S., many of them remanufactured new, I wouldn't anticipate a problem. If there is a club for your particular car (there seem to be on-line clubs for just about every car) they probably know tons of sources for parts. Once you decide on the make and model, you might try contacting them with this question just to be sure.

[Gold Metal Flake]

47. Duuuude! Post pix in the Automobile Enthusiast group, please.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1205

I have a Midget and an old Ford. Parts are common like rocks compared to your cars.

[steve2470]

50. thank you for your time ! nt

[bluedigger]

49. It really depends on the vehicle.

I would look at the production run for the specific model I was interested in. A lot of vehicles may carry the same nameplate, i.e. Toyota Camry/Ford Taurus, for decades, but they are completely reengineered every three years or so, with little parts interchangeability. Of course, they made a lot of each of those particular models, too, so there is a big market for parts. So, look for a model with a big production run. Parts that routinely wear out (drivetrain, suspension, steering) should be in decent supply for a long time for such a vehicle. Other parts, like body/interior trim, will be harder to locate over time, as they will be limited in numbers by color and trim levels, for example.

[Go Vols]

51. I have a 1949 Ford truck

I can walk into any parts store and get anything I need for it.Sometimes I have to wait a couple of days as they have to get it sent from a central warehouse..

[steve2470]

52. wow that is incredible

A truck older than me and you can STILL get parts for it easily ? Color me impressed.

[Go Vols]

56. Its usually easier if I look it up on the parts store website

and go in with the part number.But they do have huge books at the store with pretty much every car part made back to early '40's.

I redid the entire braking system a few months ago,Got everything from O'Reilleys within 2 days

[coalition_unwilling]

53. I drive a 1993 Nissan Sentra. Had to put in a new clutch last year and it

was no problem for my mechanic to get one, from all I can tell.

[backscatter712]

57. For very popular used cars, there are aftermarket parts.

Depends on the car of course, but a popular make and model, say a vintage VW bug, or popular years of Camaros, Mustangs and the like, or Jeeps, have enough of a following that there are aftermarket parts manufacturers that will ensure you can keep your car in repair forever.

[Egalitarian Thug]

59. I'd avoid Chrysler, since Fiat's track record is terrible and Chrysler has already gone through

several owners. But other than that, go used. One of the benefits of cars today is that they are much better, one of the downsides is that when they do beak, it's very expensive to fix them and there is little you can do yourself.

[sarcasmo]

61. Go Honda, they cost more up front but will save you more in the long run.

[PabloAragon]

62. used cars

i definitely vote for buying a used one.
what about the parts, naturally it depends on the model you choose.
in that sense it's better to have a wide range to choose from.
for example, i bought my ford here http://www.carfrom.us/car/search/action/search/?carmake=FORD a couple of years ago. and i didn't have any problems with the parts in fact. they are quite available all around.
good luck