I'd make an offer for "as is" taking into account the money you'll have to spend for the repairs. Your life is more valuable than their son making the repairs. I would be prepared to show them why you're making the offer. ie 4455 - repairs = offer

Yikes, that car has too many things wrong with it for me to want to pay that much $$ for it.

Ditto what dees said. They don't get to double dip

but I'm having a heck of time finding a decent used car.

It may be overpriced. But negotiating means give and take from both buyer and seller. Definitely get them to come down in price but if their final price is a smidgen above what you were going to pay, think about it. If you and your mechanic think it is decent, remember the old saying that a car in the hand is worth two in the bush.

"The seller said his son who is a mechanic has been doing the oil changes. When I showed the list of things that the car needed, he said that his son could do the brakes."

Is the seller's son employed as a mechanic? If so, where? Is the place reputable? Does the son do actual repairs at this place, or just oil changes? Just because someone says "my son is a mechanic" doesn't mean the son is really properly trained as a mechanic. All other issues (price, etc.) aside, I would NOT want someone working on the brakes of a car which I would be driving (or in which I would be riding), unless I knew they were qualified to do so.

>> " remember the old saying that a car in the hand is worth two in the bush."

Haha. Of course I realize that you, Lucille, have taken editorial liberties with this old adage.

However, in this case, I do think that this car, and its current owners might be more of a problem than you, OP, want to deal with. Why are you having trouble finding a good used car? Have you been to dealerships who typically offer some warranty?

Nothing is 'worth' more than a buyer will pay. What do you want to pay? You'll get it, or you'll keep looking.

I'd keep in mind that your car mechanic will be happy to keep patching up an old car... Just sayin'.

Dealerships don't typically have cars under $5000. much less at $4000. where I was trying to be. That was the first thing I thought when they said their son is a mechanic...A.Why didn't he fix the brakes even before listing the car for sale and B. Exactly what Lindsey said...just because he works at a dealership doesn't mean he's a certified mechanic and/or qualified to do the brakes. I didn't want to offend them by saying "I don't want your son doing it"...but I don't want their son to do them LOL

This is a business transaction so don't worry about offending anyone. The person you buy a car from is not someone you're going to have any future relationship with (AFAIK). They have a car to sell, you want to buy a car; there's your relationship. You buy the car for what you're willing to pay for it or you don't. Using my example above, if they say they'll take $4,500 and do the brakes, you say no $4,000 as it sits or no sale....and walk away. No explanation needed. Even IF he was a certified mechanic, the point you need to make is you're willing to buy the car for X dollars the way it sits today. Period. Then you have your trusted mechanic do repairs.

Yeah, this may seem cold hearted and brutal but it is a business transaction. Keep thinking of it that way and you'll be fine.

My brother has been working on cars since he was 6 years old. He's not a certified mechanic but I'd trust his work over anyone else. But since you don't know my brother, you shouldn't trust his work.....similar situation here. The person who works on your car is someone you know and trust.

You should have your pick of good choices and not have to settle for something with so many warning flags. Do you live in a large enough area to offer a large enough market?

Wobble in the steering wheel at low speed can also be wheel alignment or wheel balance.

For a brake job, I think you want a guaranty the work was done right (maybe 90 days), not a warrranty for how long it will be until needed again (some multiple number of tens of thousands of miles). If the brake job is done competently, they'll last however long they last.

The kind of car and the price range you're describing, especially Japanese makes, seem to be very popular for working class Hispanic immigrant families in my area. I'd keep looking and include other nearby areas, if possible, until you find better choices.

I'd "steer clear" of this one. (Sorry.) Too many issues.

You've been given some great bartering advice....but I'd pass on this one. Too many issues for a car that's been "kept up".....really...? Someone kept it up and it needs all this?

What make/model is this car? How many miles are on it?

If your own mechanic says it is in good condition other than the brakes, I would go with that. I would be blunt that I want my own mechanic to work on it. I would offer $4000 firm. That is fair. If they refuse ...walk away from it. Plenty more cars out there.

I bet this is a Jeep.

Yes, I'd steer clear too, lest you be bullied. Don't cow-er, or hesitate, stampede as fast as you can in another direction (intentional puns).

Elizabeth: my daughter would LOVE it to be a Jeep. It a Toyota Camry. 2007 with 162K miles. I know its not a fun cool teen car, but Toyotas are good cars.

You have no idea how hard it is to find cars for sale by owner...craigslist, autotrader, cargurus, Carfax...even when you select private seller, most are people who are buy and sell cars, not the actually the previous owner...it's been very very frustrating.

Do you worry about offending Walmart, Amazon or Macy's for choosing to not pay their price on an item? Or any other seller? It's simple, make an offer that makes you comfortable, decide the absolute maximum you'll pay and that's your negotiation range. Have your own mechanic do the work. I don't see that many red flags. It's a used car and most all used cars have things wrong with them. Your mechanic said it was in good shape other than a few things. Fluid changes depend on condition of the fluid. What color is the transmission fluid and coolant? Some mechanics like to change things regularly. My own mechanics told me don't go by the mileage, go by the condition. And I agree with them. Doing oil changes yourself is fine. I enjoyed changing my own oil. I gave the undercarriage a good going-over while I was changing it so I'd put it up against any mechanic. Not everyone is as thorough as I was though, including "professional" mechanics.

What's the condition of the car? Do you LIKE the car? Book values are iffy at best. They're an estimate and will vary from area to area. The value of something is what someone will PAY for it. Back when gas was super high for so long the value of a Suburban dropped like a rock. People had to nearly give them away. Book value doesn't take this into account. On what condition is that book value based? Excellent? Good? Fair? Poor? If excellent then the minor flaws like the hook shocks should be replaced. Good to fair? Then no, because that could just be normal wear and tear. No idea the age/mileage/condition/brand of the vehicle but considering the price point, my guess it's an older vehicle with some mileage.

How much will the brakes run? You can't realistically expect them to come down the full price of a full repair job on a used car. The brakes should be serviceable for the age/condition of the vehicle. So they could have been within 200 miles of needing replacement. The hood shocks may be considered normal wear and tear. They don't last forever. Is it a big deal to you? It wouldn't be to me. A trip to the junkyard and a few bucks can take care of that.

I think it'd be fair to factor in about 50% of the brake costs on a price you're comfortable with. "Book value" is around $4500. Assuming you're looking at the correct pricing, what's a brake job cost? $600? Then take $300 off, have them pay transfer fees, you will have sales tax most likely and then get on with it and get on with your life. Looking for a car is a big PITA. Sounds like car hunting is stressful for you. Maybe you should have someone with you to help with negotiations and finding a vehicle.

In your negotiations, it's a good thing to remind them it's cash in hand. Do they want to keep it around, pay insurance on it, risk more problems/repairs to be made and the like? Frankly, $4500 doesn't buy a lot of car these days. Expecting a new car for that price isn't realistic. So be careful about suggestions to expect the sun, moon and stars.

Just some food for thought. Good luck in your search.

I said Jeep because they are famous for the hoods not staying up.

A Camry is a good reliable car. I consider brakes normal wear and tear. My husband probably has to change brake pads on our vehicles every couple of years. Sometimes the rotors need to be turned (polished) but maybe only every 5 years and only when we've neglected to change the pads soon enough. The rotors shouldn't need to be replaced, they are a big piece of steel and I would think they would last the lifetime of the car with only occasional turning or polishing of the surface barring an accident or some damage to them. You might want to question the mechanic on replacement of those. I don't know what the difficulty or cost of changing the hood shock may be. Does it not just have the pop-up hood prop? Whatever that thing is called, the stick that pops out of a channel under the hood and is used to hold the hood open.

Rotors aren't what they used to be! I've replaced rotors on our newer cars with high performance rotors at 30,000 miles.

For a 2007 Camry with that many miles, I'd offer $2,800.00, final offer.

You have gotten excellent advice here. I'm mechanically challenged but I'd stop cold at the Kelly book price and no way I'd let seller fix brakes, something so important s/h been done b4 selling. If something that big wasn't done, how many little things have been overlooked? And "little things" add up. In general, doesn't sound like a deal worth pursuing. I hope you find what you want soon.

I agree with everything that dees advised. Bottom line, $4000 and you fix the brakes. That being said, I'd keep looking, but you're not going to find much in your price range.

"I've replaced rotors on our newer cars with high performance rotors at 30,000 miles."

Sounds like a case of crappy rotors, wrong pads or a crappy design. Depending on the size/weight of the car and the driving area (mountainous, etc), rotors should last much longer than that. More like 80K has been my experience and sometimes more.

A Camry is a basic car that isn't very heavy. At 150K miles, it may have only had the rotors replaced once or, at the outside, twice.

My car, 2012 Camry and I've already had to replace both front and back brakes, front rotors had to be machined or whatever it's called and I have about 65K. I average about 1000 miles a month, around town type of driving. My work commute is literally 4 exits from my house, maybe 10 minutes on the freeway.

In regards to the used car we were looking at, it was sold. NOT to us though. I feel bad because DD kept asking me if I had called but I kept putting it off.

Don't feel bad. It's someone else's problem now.

I always feel this sort of thing is a sign from the universe that it wasn't a good choice for me and there's a better fit coming :-)

Elmer,

OM rotors are usually crappy rotors. I prefer maximum performance, drilled for cooling and balanced for a smooth, enjoyable, confident ride.

Even BMW OM rotors are considered "throw away" items and replaced with high performance rotors when changing pads. New pads on an old rotor equals mediocre performance. For $388 you can replace entire brake rotors and pads on a BMW with a high performance set. Why pinch pennies? Unless of course you're not a do it yourself guy, then you pay the dealer to take advantage of you.

If you're having trouble finding something, consider using an auto finder service. I'll put a link to the folks we used, although I don't know if they're nation wide.

I knew exactly what car I wanted, with the features and options. I filled out their online form, and from that they called me to get further details. They went through their network and found exactly what I was looking for. They tell you the price, and you say yes or no. Mine came from a dealership in a neighboring state, and we drove to get it. No haggling, no shopping, and it came with a warranty of sorts (I don't remember now.)

We were completely satisfied with the process.

Auto finder service

I haven't read all the responses, but typically a seller will want more for a car than what it's actually worth and a buyer will want to find something that is beyond their means.

You say you're having a hard time finding something within the budget you've set which basically reflects that you may need to reassess your expectations.

Take heart, always1stepbehind, there are good deals out there to be found.

I bought my current car when I was in the market for a vehicle that would get good gas mileage for my daily work commute. At the time, I was driving a vehicle that went through a tank of gas a week at $100 every time I filled the gas tank. It was costing me a fortune to go to work!

I expected to end up with a beater, but I didn't care as long as I could get my commute cost down. Imagine my surprise when hubby stumbled across a sweet, low mileage, in perfect condition Jetta that had been warehoused for a couple of years because Grandpa quit driving. We stole it for $5000 which was several thousand below blue book, but the sellers were happy to get rid of it. That little car really helped my budget and I really enjoyed driving it. I only had to fill it every two weeks at a cost of $30 per fill-up.

The car finder service mentioned by aok is also something worth looking into. We bought our last new vehicle that way and it was as painless a transaction as I've ever experienced when it comes to purchasing a vehicle.

Good luck, when you least expect it, you'll find just what you're looking for!

I may have missed this but what year is the car and how many miles is on it? How many owners?

I just looked up the Kelly Blue Book value on my Land Rover Discovery. It's got leather interior, AC, Automatic, and I plan to get another 100K miles out of it. It's VERY dependable.....$1400 is what it's worth if I sell it to a private party....$250 - $450 if I trade it in. :0) Maybe you should look at other car options.

MamaP, it was a 2007 Toyota Camry/167K miles, clean inside and out but needed brakes and rotors...although part of me want to believe there was reason my texts to the ex didn't go through last Thursday to take a look it again before deciding...that maybe it wasn't meant to be...but now not seeing at least 1 good prospect, I'm starting to wonder about that bird in the hand!!! oh well, it's gone and all I can do is keep searching.