The Art of Buying and Maintaining a Used Car: Expert Advice from Scotty Corolla

When it comes to buying and maintaining a used car, there are many factors to consider. According to Michael Lankford, his father owned a 2004 Yamaha that went over 100,000 miles without a single oil change and ran like clockwork. Assuming the father drove on highways, where mileage is equivalent to about 10% of city mileage, it's clear that high-quality maintenance can make all the difference in extending the life of a vehicle.

However, Lankford also warns that driving a car in heavy stop-and-go traffic for an extended period can lead to premature engine wear. He shares a story about a customer who drove his car for 80,000 miles without changing the oil and eventually discovered worn-out piston rings. This highlights the importance of regular maintenance and responsible driving habits.

When it comes to purchasing used cars, Scotty Corolla advises against buying cars sight unseen, citing the risk of encountering scams or hidden problems. He suggests exercising caution when dealing with online sellers and verifying information before making a purchase. Braxton Graham agrees, recommending that buyers look for decent Nissan models from the late 1990s, such as the Sentra or Altima, which have proven to be reliable.

In contrast, Alex Roscoe recommends exploring older Volvo models like the 240, which he claims were exceptional vehicles with solid engines that could last a long time. However, he notes that newer models, particularly those made by Chinese manufacturers, often suffer from quality issues due to cost-cutting measures.

Regarding specific maintenance issues, beat shares his experience with a leaking head gasket problem in one of his cars. He suggests using sealer to fix the issue temporarily, but warns against ignoring the problem altogether. Scotty Corolla also advises replacing worn-out water pumps with high-quality ones made from reputable manufacturers. In some cases, aftermarket radiators can be used as a temporary solution.

Interestingly, Javier Cruz shares a personal anecdote about not being from this world and having ultraviolet eyes, which he claims has allowed him to see through scams and dishonest people in the automotive industry. He emphasizes that finding honest individuals in today's world is becoming increasingly difficult due to the prevalence of fast money-making schemes.

In conclusion, buying and maintaining a used car requires careful consideration and attention to detail. While some models may be reliable, others may have hidden problems or require costly repairs. By exercising caution, doing research, and seeking expert advice, potential buyers can make informed decisions and enjoy a smooth driving experience.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enrev up your enginesMichael Lankford says my dad had a 2004 yaristhat went 100,000 miles without a single oilchange and it ran like clockwork okay I'massuming your father drove on highwayline because highway mileage isequivalent to about 10% a city mileageso if you go up a hundred thousand mileson a highwaythat's equivalent to ten thousand milesin the city so it could still runperfectly fine but there's no way hedrove that thing and stop and go trafficfor a hundred thousand miles cuz I had acustomer who did just that and when hegot about eighty thousand miles on itthe engine started to go out and Ichecked and said your piston rings are allworn out how're you change the oil theguy said I've never changed i said wellyou learned yourself a lesson at leastyou did it with a cheap car car soScotty Corolla 2000 what do you think forfive hundred and eighty bucks if it runsand shifts and goes down the road buy itthat's a deal cuz that cheap odds aremaybe there's something wrongI mean if it's got dings and bashes andlet's say it went through a hailstormwhere they got big dances it sure thenit's gonna be worth anything but youdon't want a mechanic to look at atleast cuz that is so cheap I'd wonder ifthere's something serious wrong but ifit runs and shifts what the heck drivingaround for that small amount of moneyand Colt 54 so Scotty would you buy aused car off eBay well I wouldn'tbecause I want to get my hands on andcheck it out before I buy it no I havehad customers do it some got looking gotgood cars some guy absolute piles of junkand somekind of got ripped off because the carwas claimed to be more than it actuallywas I had a customer buy a classic carand a bank and they claimed it wasoriginal equipment they got it and theysaw a bunch of parts on it there weren'toriginal equipment eBay it's pretty goodthough about standing behind what thepeople say what the seller said and theguy went to ebay and he said hey thisguy said this was an original equipmentcar had no problems yada yada and he gothis money back from him he said no itisn't he showed the proof and a guy hadto take the car back and give him hismoney back so as long as you got somekind of a guarantee going with eBay forthat kind of stuff you might try it butpersonally I don't buy cars and I can'tget my hands on first and check them outbecause I don't trust anybody inpeople's give all kinds of BS whenthey're selling cars,braxton Graham says Scotty I'm looking tobuy a Nissan any suggestions yeah look elsewherethe last decent Nissan that I've everseen my customers have was like a 99Nissan and the Sentra's Altimas even thestanzas back then were reasonablysolid built cars I see customers get200,000 miles more on them with originalengines and transmissions not any of thenew stuff the new stuffs garbageI mean it's absolute garbage you know ifyou really got to get one get a new onethat you like it just leaves it for afew years and get it out of your systemdon't buy it,Alex Roscoe says Scotty what's youropinion on old Volvo's like the 240Volvo's were killer vehicles Ihad constant with them four or five sixhundred thousand miles on it they werekillers but they were the last killervehicles that they made now the plasticwrap inside would be breaking out thedoor handle in the day I said everythingthe plastic was made cheapest could bebut they had solid engines they couldlast a long time they're nothing likethe later model wasn't of course now theChinese make models the only thing theysay they're gonna make in the future iselectric cars and hybrid electric carsbe 34 says Scotty showed awater pump fail after 23,000 miles afterbeing replacedwater pump of my 96 Corolla seized up noit shouldn't and if it were 23,000 mileslater one of two things want that if youdidn't flush the system out thecorrosion is gonna corrode it and it'llbreak again but generally what I see onthat is people buy cheap water pumpsthey buy ones made in Taiwan or by poorChinese manufacturers and they justdon't last as long or an idiot put it onand made the belt so tight that it burntthe bearing out you got to make surethat the belts are the right tightnessof the too tight yes they will burn themout after a period of time but theyshould last a lot longer I mean Ichanged the water pump in my Celicawhich has got a Camry engine and itlasted 200 sometimes miles for it wentout so, beat says my car hasa leaking head gasket but the sealer seemsto be working but it still runs hot incity driving only when you're in citydriving you don't have as much windyou're on highway you got 60 mile anhour wind so as long as it doesn'toverheat the ceilings working drive itthat way you might try this though a lotof times I see that fixes the problemyou can get aftermarket radiators cheapenough a lot of times I can get them for$89 replace the radiator and putcoolant with a little sealer and seewhat happens cuz an old radiator can'tdissipate heat that well when it's goingslow so you might just get out of theradio and throw it in if you got a carit's easy like in my Toyota I can changethe radiator in like 15 minutes it's anothing job, Javier Cruz says Scotty areyou even from this world honest mendon't live here oh yeah I was that Greekphilosopher said he spent his lifelooking for an honest man he never foundone but people tell me I was born here Idon't remember any of that stuff youknow and hey I never take my sunglassesoff you never know I might haveultraviolet eyes under here who knowsbut yes it is hard to find honest peoplethese days that's the world sad truthseverybody have to make a buck as fast asthey can or sell you something that theybuy for 50 cents and then sold it for$25 I mean sad but true that's the worldthese days, so if you never want to missanother one of my new car repair videos,remember to ring that Bell\n"