I am thinking about buying a 2000 S2000 with 21000 miles on the clock. I have to buy from a dealer because of the tax credits and my trade in.....I want your opinion on what to look for and what I should do to make sure Im not getting myself into something I dont want to. For all of you who bought used please help thanks..............

 

cbb,

I just bought a 2000 with 21k on it, in CA. Here are some thoughts:

1. You still have some miles and time left on the warranty. Since you're buying from a dealer, you might think about extending the warranty. Either that, or pay close attention to anything that goes wrong during the warranty period.

2. The y2ks often have the buzzing sound from the tranny, between 3500 to 4000 RPM, when decelerating. See if yours does or whether the service in Service Bulletin 00-054 has been performed already (clutch disc replacement). Check this forum for tons of thoughts on that one, and description of the sound.

3. See if the back window is scratched, clouded etc. and whether the dealer will take care of that before you buy it. Also a service bulletin on this one (replacement, care).

4. If the front license plate is still on, and you plan to drive without it, have them take it off to make sure there are no scratches or bolt marks underneath.

5. MAKE SURE YOU GET A VEHICLE HISTORY REPORT, AND ASK THE DEALER WHY THE PREVIOUS OWNER(S) SOLD.

6. Drive the crap out of it in the test drive, to see how the engine performs etc.

Good luck!

 

Thanks for the suggestions.....I did notice the "whine" noise coming from the tranny when I let off the gas. I have noticed this in both the 2000 and 2001 that I have driven. The rear window is in great condition and there is no front plate. Does the warranty follow the car is does it follow the owner? Is there anything I have to do to transfer the warranty????

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by cbb
[B]Does the warranty follow the car is does it follow the owner?

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by s-cbr
[B]5.

 

One thing I like to do before I buy a used car is ask if I can wash/detail it. Seriously you can learn a lot about the car (any dents, scratches, any thing loose on the car, was it repainted, etc) and how it was taken care of by the previous owner. I did this when I bought my used 2000 S with 27 k on it and I'm very happy I did take it home and wash it. I found a few things about the car that were not perfect and in the end was able to get a fantastic deal on my S

 

I guess to find out if these TSB's need to be done I just need to get the VIN and call the dealer or do I need to call someone else? I did a search on TSB and I seem to read quite a bit about dealers not doing them, it this the case? Being a second owner of the car will get quite a bit of grief from the dealer about fixing these problems??? Is there a Honda or other website that talks about the TSB and how to go about finding out what needs to be done???? Thanks for everyones help.....OH ya and BDMonk I might be interested in the Alamo, please let me know what kind of financing is avaliable

 

Ask them for a Kelly Blue Book Wholesale sheet and offer them something close to that. Dealers typically use this tool to figure out what they will offer someone for their trade-in.

Also, let them know that you are interested in another car (even if you have to make it up). Tell them the other car has approx. the same miles and every option. Then tell them you can buy the other car for $?. Sit back and watch them get their figure down to $?.

 

cbb I looked at a used s2k at an independant dealer and I asked him if he had paperwork on the tsb's on the car and he just called up the honda dealer and they faxed him a report of what was done. Anything that was done at the dealer should be in their files and they should give the info to you.

 

If I were you, save up your money and buy new. Getting a car of this caliper used is a waste of time and it could cost you more in the long run.

CarFax isn't 100%. And certainly the dealers will not always disclose the car's previous history. It's always wither owned by some old lady or a doctor. Case in point, my old 01 Spa Yellow. Rear ended NASTY, well over $14K in repairs. At one point, the entire rear panel was literally cropped off and a new one re-welded back on. I did take it to a top of the line body shop in my area and they matched the paint perfectly and did a great job.

Pull a CarFax on it, nothing shows up. Go to the dealer, and ask has it ever been crashed? "No, this is in perfect condition, never crashed."

If you can't afford the extra $5K to buy new, save up then. You may be getting a great used car or you may be getting something like my old 01 Spa Yellow. You taking a huge gamble.