Should I buy a car that hasn't been driven for 3 years?
September 29, 2024 3:43 PM Subscribe
I've got a friend who has a 2017 honda that hasn't been driven in 3 years. I have thought about getting a car (I have been car-free for 10 years) and I have a feeling my friend might give me a good deal on this car (potentially very good). Should I buy this car?
I am a bit concerned about what to expect for a car that really hasn't been driven for a long time. Here are some considerations:
- car hasn't been registered for ~4 years
- if I got a good deal on it I wouldn't expect my friend to be responsible at all for restoring the car, or problems that arise. I'm not worried about the impact on my friendship.
- the cost of restoring the car would be up to me, and deducted from whatever I would pay my friend.
- it is a compact-sized gas car, not electric or hybrid.
- insurance / taxes are a concern, as I don't need this car to live but think of it mainly as a lifestyle boost. I live in an area where most people own a car.
Is buying a car that hasn't been driven/maintained like this just a terrible idea? What steps should I go through to get it up to speed? Is this just a bad idea?
I am a bit concerned about what to expect for a car that really hasn't been driven for a long time. Here are some considerations:
- car hasn't been registered for ~4 years
- if I got a good deal on it I wouldn't expect my friend to be responsible at all for restoring the car, or problems that arise. I'm not worried about the impact on my friendship.
- the cost of restoring the car would be up to me, and deducted from whatever I would pay my friend.
- it is a compact-sized gas car, not electric or hybrid.
- insurance / taxes are a concern, as I don't need this car to live but think of it mainly as a lifestyle boost. I live in an area where most people own a car.
Is buying a car that hasn't been driven/maintained like this just a terrible idea? What steps should I go through to get it up to speed? Is this just a bad idea?
If you have to ask if it's a bad idea, you probably aren't in a position to take on this project. It is doable with time, patience, and money, and experience will help a lot in determining whether it's worth while before you start.
You will at a minimum need to replace the oil and filter, ideally before you start the car. You will need jumper cables to start it, because the battery will very likely be dead.
Once you get it to turn over you'll want a code reader when the check engine light comes on. The reader will tell you what specific errors are causing the fault, and this info will give you an idea of whether the car will pass smog without expensive emissions systems repairs.
If the codes say expensive things are broken, stop here. Expensive things include the catalytic converter.
If all is good so far, and the tires hold air,
put in a new battery, charged, add fresh gas to the tank. Then drive slowly and cautiously
on surface roads to a mechanic or your own driveway for additional work.
If that sounds like fun, and you do not need a car immediately, then go for it. I did it and learned a lot.
But if it does not sound like a project you want to take on, that's OK. because it can be a time and money sink.
posted by zippy at 5:23 PM on September 29 [5 favorites]
You will at a minimum need to replace the oil and filter, ideally before you start the car. You will need jumper cables to start it, because the battery will very likely be dead.
Once you get it to turn over you'll want a code reader when the check engine light comes on. The reader will tell you what specific errors are causing the fault, and this info will give you an idea of whether the car will pass smog without expensive emissions systems repairs.
If the codes say expensive things are broken, stop here. Expensive things include the catalytic converter.
If all is good so far, and the tires hold air,
put in a new battery, charged, add fresh gas to the tank. Then drive slowly and cautiously
on surface roads to a mechanic or your own driveway for additional work.
If that sounds like fun, and you do not need a car immediately, then go for it. I did it and learned a lot.
But if it does not sound like a project you want to take on, that's OK. because it can be a time and money sink.
posted by zippy at 5:23 PM on September 29 [5 favorites]
Note, additional work here is:
- new tires
- new brake fluid plus bleed
- radiator flush
- new air filter
- possibly a new fuel filter too.
If it was stored outside expect to find a rat nest in the engine bay and chewed wires.
And that's for a car that was running and in good repair before storage. If it has issues prior, eg it failed smog, which is the normal reason for a car to sit unregistered in my state, you'll have to resolve those too.
posted by zippy at 5:29 PM on September 29 [2 favorites]
- new tires
- new brake fluid plus bleed
- radiator flush
- new air filter
- possibly a new fuel filter too.
If it was stored outside expect to find a rat nest in the engine bay and chewed wires.
And that's for a car that was running and in good repair before storage. If it has issues prior, eg it failed smog, which is the normal reason for a car to sit unregistered in my state, you'll have to resolve those too.
posted by zippy at 5:29 PM on September 29 [2 favorites]
The deal from your friend should be in the order of 'a case of beer', which you sit and drink together and commiserate, over the weeks it'll take you to get this car running. Unfortunately cars like these come with debts, of all of the maintenance that hasn't been done over the last ~3-4 years, which will all fall immediately due. As others have said, everything fluid will need to be changed, as will the tyres.
I did this to my own unregistered/under a tarp motorbike, myself, as a lockdown project in 2020--2021. It was hugely rewarding, and I've gained a lot of new skills. But it was not a good financial option.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 5:33 PM on September 29 [3 favorites]
I did this to my own unregistered/under a tarp motorbike, myself, as a lockdown project in 2020--2021. It was hugely rewarding, and I've gained a lot of new skills. But it was not a good financial option.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 5:33 PM on September 29 [3 favorites]
I think if you are potentially in the market for a car, this is likely to be the best possible option that will fall in your lap. Yes, money upfront but imo this opportunity is a blessing and I would take it. Hondas are great cars, 2017 is a recent year, etc (says a public defender still driving a 2007, after recently upgrading from a 1998). You decide to buy a used cer later, you'll likely pay 2x the price (conservatively).
posted by likeatoaster at 6:11 PM on September 29 [2 favorites]
posted by likeatoaster at 6:11 PM on September 29 [2 favorites]
Also Kelly Blue Book has the cheapest at 12,000 (range up to 18k depending on features) so a case of beer, as suggested above, is so offensively low as to potentially insult your friend? Like cmon. If you don't want a car, let him get 8-10k elsewhere.
posted by likeatoaster at 6:16 PM on September 29 [1 favorite]
posted by likeatoaster at 6:16 PM on September 29 [1 favorite]
To me a 2017 car is almost new. It definitely needs fluids changed, and probably tires if they are still original. You should have it fully checked out though, of course.
My deciding factor would be: when I get in it, do I smell mouse piss? That's the only thing that's hard to fix. If it's been parked outside undisturbed all this time, it really might smell like mouse piss. If it smells like mouse piss, it will always smell like mouse piss and I don't recommend getting a car that smells like mouse piss.
posted by fritley at 6:23 PM on September 29 [8 favorites]
My deciding factor would be: when I get in it, do I smell mouse piss? That's the only thing that's hard to fix. If it's been parked outside undisturbed all this time, it really might smell like mouse piss. If it smells like mouse piss, it will always smell like mouse piss and I don't recommend getting a car that smells like mouse piss.
posted by fritley at 6:23 PM on September 29 [8 favorites]
After you've changed the oil and perhaps the coolant (or at least checked that the oil and coolant are full, but you *really* want to change the oil) before you try to start the engine, disconnect its spark plugs (so it cannot start) and turn it over a few times to distribute lubrication. Don't ask me how I know to do that .. or do ask, but you can probably guess.
posted by anadem at 6:36 PM on September 29 [1 favorite]
posted by anadem at 6:36 PM on September 29 [1 favorite]
Rubber parts would include the cam belt! From personal experience (fortunately vehicle was on warranty) I would tend to do that before starting up, but I am not a mechanic.
posted by unearthed at 6:37 PM on September 29 [2 favorites]
posted by unearthed at 6:37 PM on September 29 [2 favorites]
Major factor affecting my answer: What part of the country does it live in and has it been garaged all or much of this time? Because I'm another Honda owner who would basically consider this a new car.
The best thing to do -- which a lot of people do when buying a used car even from a stranger -- is hire a mechanic for a couple of hours to take a look and give you a rough estimate on how much it would cost to bring it to daily-driver reliability. Since the car belongs to a friend, this seems like it would be even easier to do. And if you don't live near the friend, ask if they can recommend a trustworthy mechanic nearby.
I say at least explore the idea until you have a reason not to!
posted by cocoagirl at 6:38 PM on September 29 [3 favorites]
The best thing to do -- which a lot of people do when buying a used car even from a stranger -- is hire a mechanic for a couple of hours to take a look and give you a rough estimate on how much it would cost to bring it to daily-driver reliability. Since the car belongs to a friend, this seems like it would be even easier to do. And if you don't live near the friend, ask if they can recommend a trustworthy mechanic nearby.
I say at least explore the idea until you have a reason not to!
posted by cocoagirl at 6:38 PM on September 29 [3 favorites]
I have a shorter take: “no.” This is the equivalent of buying my neighbors’ house, which has sat empty for five years, except for the three Harleys in the living room). If you understand the entire dealio, sure. If not (e.g., if you’re asking on the internet) you will be in for a world of disappointment.
In any event, good luck.
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 7:16 PM on September 29
In any event, good luck.
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 7:16 PM on September 29
Generally, bad idea. You'll end up replacing a lot of hoses and pumps and whatnot. A modern car is designed to be run at least once every week. A vehicle that sat there for 3 years needs to be checked from top to bottom, and you will probably be surprised by the amount of things a mechanic recommend you to replace to keep the car running properly. This is far from a "turnkey" car. The cost of refurbishing it to a daily driver needed to be factored in, and it is probably way higher than you think.
posted by kschang at 11:42 PM on September 29
posted by kschang at 11:42 PM on September 29
Do you have a place you can dedicate to working on this car for the weeks or months it will take to get it running and road-worthy? If not, don't.
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 4:51 AM on September 30 [2 favorites]
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 4:51 AM on September 30 [2 favorites]
Good for a tinkerer who has the time and space for a project like this.
Not so great if you want something reliable with minimal hassles.
posted by ovvl at 5:55 AM on September 30 [1 favorite]
Not so great if you want something reliable with minimal hassles.
posted by ovvl at 5:55 AM on September 30 [1 favorite]
Get it running well enough for a quick drive to the mechanic, ask them what they think and what they’d charge, and THEN make your decision. Unless your friend has a take-it-or-leave-it mentality about this deal, it’s beneficial for both of you to go into this with information on the car’s condition, regardless of whether you buy the car or not.
posted by Secretariat at 7:33 AM on September 30 [1 favorite]
posted by Secretariat at 7:33 AM on September 30 [1 favorite]
At a minimum it would need in order of timeliness:
The best approach is to get a professional to check on it, because on the maximum end of things it can be expensive. Split the cost of getting it towed (~100$) and having a mechanic check it out (~150$). The mechanic might push to preemptively replace parts of the fuel system, but given you are not desperate I would suggest testing/waiting for these to actually fail. So even though Honda sticks the fuel filter inside the gas tank on some of its cars (dumb, expensive) I would just make certain I have emergency services covered.
A higher risk approach is to just buy chemical treatments for the fuel and oil, find a jumper, and just go for it yourselves. Understand that there is a real risk, that crud could break the fuel injectors. But in that case those were going to break anyway- it still needs a tow. In my experience you turn the key to first position, wait a ten count, then to on, wait a count, then ignition. It can take 4 or 5 attempts- and it’s essential to give the starter a break between attempts. Once started let the vehicle run for ten minutes before putting it into gear. The question is why this hasn’t been attempted yet.
Money: Around here a non running high demand vehicle doesn’t fetch half of its value. Even it’s a quick fix to restart a long sit has shortened the lifespan of many of its components. The purchase taxes vary widely- your jurisdiction/ state should have a calculator. I carry liability insurance from a big company, bundled with my other insurance ands it’s like 55$ a month. But that’s because I am willing to just walk away from it if there’s a situation and I don’t owe the bank anything for it. Note: a bank will not finance your situation with an auto loan.
posted by zenon at 8:28 AM on September 30
- fuel- old untreated gas is the worst & requires immediate remedy.
- oil- even if the vehicle isn’t used the oil needs to be regularly replaced. Think very very soon
- tires: the weight of the vehicle can’t sit on one spot for years so even if these may look ok and even ‘work’ they need to be replaced. Mine where 400 at Costco. Safety.
- battery- sitting uncharged will make this critical item very unreliable. My Honda is very very fussy about its battery, a new one at Costco is 100 ish
The best approach is to get a professional to check on it, because on the maximum end of things it can be expensive. Split the cost of getting it towed (~100$) and having a mechanic check it out (~150$). The mechanic might push to preemptively replace parts of the fuel system, but given you are not desperate I would suggest testing/waiting for these to actually fail. So even though Honda sticks the fuel filter inside the gas tank on some of its cars (dumb, expensive) I would just make certain I have emergency services covered.
A higher risk approach is to just buy chemical treatments for the fuel and oil, find a jumper, and just go for it yourselves. Understand that there is a real risk, that crud could break the fuel injectors. But in that case those were going to break anyway- it still needs a tow. In my experience you turn the key to first position, wait a ten count, then to on, wait a count, then ignition. It can take 4 or 5 attempts- and it’s essential to give the starter a break between attempts. Once started let the vehicle run for ten minutes before putting it into gear. The question is why this hasn’t been attempted yet.
Money: Around here a non running high demand vehicle doesn’t fetch half of its value. Even it’s a quick fix to restart a long sit has shortened the lifespan of many of its components. The purchase taxes vary widely- your jurisdiction/ state should have a calculator. I carry liability insurance from a big company, bundled with my other insurance ands it’s like 55$ a month. But that’s because I am willing to just walk away from it if there’s a situation and I don’t owe the bank anything for it. Note: a bank will not finance your situation with an auto loan.
posted by zenon at 8:28 AM on September 30
Oh, some of these chemical treatments produce copious amounts of exhaust smoke, so expect that. In terms of figuring out if everything is running ok- it’s generally very obvious. Engine shakes, surging, stalls and loud knocking (Hondas can tick) are bad. As others noted- choose a quiet side road for the drive.
posted by zenon at 8:34 AM on September 30
posted by zenon at 8:34 AM on September 30
Whether or not this is a bad idea depends on the purchase price. It could well be the bargain of the century, but you're starting off behind the game and need to factor in the following just to get it on the road:
Before even considering a purchase:
- clean the car inside and out
- check particularly underneath but also everywhere else for rust, which can be a massive problem on the underbody of cars sitting on grass for a long time
Before attempting to start the car:
- new battery (or jump pack if you already have one, but don't waste time trying to charge the existing one)
- oil/filter replacement
- fuel replacement (this can be harder than you may think)
- before starting the car, try and crank it over with ignition disconnected to circulate oil if you can (this may not be possible on a modern car, but on an older one you can just disconnect the coil)
- have some starting fluid/brake cleaner to hand to help the engine get that first fire
Once you have the car running and at least moving a few inches or around the backyard (check it works in forward and reverse:
- new tyres
- coolant replacement.
From there, if everything seems to be working OK, a trusted mechanic can give you an assessment of what must be replaced now and what can be delayed a bit.
I don't have the doom and gloom approach of some people. If the car has been left with oil in the engine and full of coolant, it's likely to be mostly fine after not having been driven for only three years. There will be a raft of things you should do shortly after getting it running and mobile, but that doesn't mean it's not a good deal. At any stage, if you decide it's just not going to be worth, it, you'll likely be able to sell it for more than you paid.
I bought a car a few years ago that had been sitting for almost three years and it fired up with little effort and, apart from a couple of brake hoses, new drive belts and fluids etc it was none the worse for the experience. That was a much older car, though, with less complicated systems and no rubber cam belts or similar.
posted by dg at 7:17 PM on September 30
Before even considering a purchase:
- clean the car inside and out
- check particularly underneath but also everywhere else for rust, which can be a massive problem on the underbody of cars sitting on grass for a long time
Before attempting to start the car:
- new battery (or jump pack if you already have one, but don't waste time trying to charge the existing one)
- oil/filter replacement
- fuel replacement (this can be harder than you may think)
- before starting the car, try and crank it over with ignition disconnected to circulate oil if you can (this may not be possible on a modern car, but on an older one you can just disconnect the coil)
- have some starting fluid/brake cleaner to hand to help the engine get that first fire
Once you have the car running and at least moving a few inches or around the backyard (check it works in forward and reverse:
- new tyres
- coolant replacement.
From there, if everything seems to be working OK, a trusted mechanic can give you an assessment of what must be replaced now and what can be delayed a bit.
I don't have the doom and gloom approach of some people. If the car has been left with oil in the engine and full of coolant, it's likely to be mostly fine after not having been driven for only three years. There will be a raft of things you should do shortly after getting it running and mobile, but that doesn't mean it's not a good deal. At any stage, if you decide it's just not going to be worth, it, you'll likely be able to sell it for more than you paid.
I bought a car a few years ago that had been sitting for almost three years and it fired up with little effort and, apart from a couple of brake hoses, new drive belts and fluids etc it was none the worse for the experience. That was a much older car, though, with less complicated systems and no rubber cam belts or similar.
posted by dg at 7:17 PM on September 30
Auto insurance. If you haven't had any in a while, it is going to be more expensive than other people's policies. Get an online quote or two using the car's info, like cat model, miles, etc., and see how you feel about that.
posted by dabadoo at 7:34 PM on October 1
posted by dabadoo at 7:34 PM on October 1
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Personally I would check with your DMV on the process of registering a car that hasn't been registered in a few years, just to make sure there aren't any extra fees. But if not I'd consider doing it, especially since the cost of restoration would be reimbursed.
posted by true at 4:08 PM on September 29 [2 favorites]