Warning to online car shoppers: One used car for sale on a Facebook profile may be an ordinary case of someone moving on from their longtime daily vehicle. Five or six, on the other hand, could be a bright red flag to be extremely cautious.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s some of the advice from a self-proclaimed expert on TikTok, who said that aspiring car sales dealmakers online are motivated to pull a fast one on buyers and likely to hide any issues that could slow down a sale. That guidance from Texas-based Jaclyn (@learnwithjaclyn) is part of a viral clip in which she advises prospective buyers<\/a> on how to make a smart vehicle purchase on Facebook Marketplace<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIf their whole job is selling cars, you don’t want to buy from them because they’re obviously just trying to sell a car. They don’t really care. Like, if there’s an issue, of course they’re not going to tell you,\u201d she said in the clip<\/a> that\u2019s been viewed more than 117,000 times.<\/p>\n How To Buy A Car On Facebook Marketplace: Hunt For Honest Owners<\/p>\n Jaclyn said buyers should dig through a seller\u2019s account for signs that the person has an established presence online and an actual connection to the vehicle. A recently created page with a thin posting history, or a feed packed with car listings, can all raise questions about whether the seller is presenting the deal honestly.<\/p>\n She also recommends looking for evidence that the owner has lived with the car long enough to know its condition. Things to look for include a detailed description that mentions cosmetic flaws or other shortcomings because they provide more credibility than a bare-bones listing with the year, price, mileage, and little else.<\/p>\n \u201cTry to find a one[-time] owner,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd if you find a grandma or a grandpa, even better, because the old people take care of their cars.\u201d<\/p>\n That advice may seem sound, but a seller\u2019s age says little on its own about maintenance habits and how honest someone is. A younger owner may have kept careful service records and addressed every repair promptly. Still, the larger idea behind Jaclyn\u2019s advice checks out: Buyers should look for an ownership history that feels consistent, then confirm it with documentation.<\/p>\n Her suggestion that shoppers focus on cars with fewer than 100,000 miles drew some resistance in the comments section.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t be scared of 100,000+ miles depending on the car and only if they have records of their service,\u201d one viewer wrote.<\/p>\n Another noted that finding affordable vehicles with less than six-figure mileage can be difficult.<\/p>\n Those opposing viewpoints illustrate one of the limits of using mileage<\/a> as the sole pass\/fail test in car shopping. A car with 80,000 neglected miles may be a riskier purchase than one with 120,000 miles and a documented maintenance trail.<\/p>\n Using The VIN Data<\/p>\n Other important considerations<\/a> include model reliability, prior use, repair history, and overall condition, which can matter as much as what\u2019s showing on the odometer. Once a listing survives that initial screening, Jaclyn tells shoppers to ask for the vehicle identification number before arranging a meeting to allow time for maintenance and incident report<\/a> research on Kelley Blue Book or Carfax<\/a>.<\/p>\n A vehicle-history report can help uncover<\/a> reported crashes, title brands, ownership changes, and other potential problems. It is not a substitute for a hands-on inspection, but it gives buyers a way to compare the seller\u2019s story with records tied to the car itself.<\/p>\n Federal consumer officials offer similar advice but point out that no online search can reveal every potential problem hiding inside a used vehicle.<\/p>\n The Federal Trade Commission points shoppers toward the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System<\/a>, which can show title information, the latest reported odometer reading, and certain damage records. More detailed commercial reports, like the ones Jaclyn suggested, may contain additional accident or repair history.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to note that mechanical problems may never appear<\/a> in those databases, which is why Jaclyn urges inexperienced shoppers to bring someone who understands cars. An even better move is to pay to have a trusted mechanic examine the vehicle.<\/p>\n \u201cMake sure you pop the hood. Check all inside the hood, and not only under the hood, under the whole car itself,\u201d she said. \u201cCheck the undercarriage; make sure there\u2019s no rust; make sure there\u2019s no water damage.\u201d<\/p>\n Some final smart moves: Take the car for a test drive at real road speeds since a sub-30 mph spin around the seller\u2019s neighborhood won\u2019t reveal much in terms of performance. On that drive, Jaclyn recommends testing the brakes, accelerating firmly and taking the car onto a faster road<\/a>, where problems that remain hidden during a gentle drive around the block may become easier to detect.<\/p>\n Motor1 reached out to Jaclyn via direct message and comment on the clip. We\u2019ll update this if they respond.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \n \t\tWe want your opinion!\n\t<\/p>\n What would you like to see on Motor1.com?<\/p>\n \t\t – The Motor1.com Team<\/p>\n
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