Im looking at a 05 standard, the current owners don't know much about the car... I hope I'm not too late to save it.
First off, I will have the compression tested. That is make or break.
Im unsure of the prior maintenance of the vehicle. Is carfax the way to go? Should i buy the unlimited report or just the one time deal?
I will call the Mazda line to see how old the engine is. The car has 101k miles so I'm unsure if it had a motor replacement or not.
And of course if it all checks out, I will more than likely end up spending a bit replacing parts to ensure this beauty doesn't blow within the next few weeks.
Is there anything else I should look for specifically like coolant in certain places?
I did read the entire Noob manual that was well made.
Hoping to see what this grin is really about.

 

Since you've read (and survived reading) the new member, new owner thread you should have a good idea of what to look for. When you take it in for a compression test, also have the dealer look over its condition in general. The kind of look-see you'd want for any used car. Any leaks, especially coolant, are not a good sign. The dealer can also look up warranty/recall work that was done at any dealer. You want to make sure that 4206f and MSP16 (two important reflashes) were done.

One-time or unlimited carfax depends on how much shopping you're going to do.

Good luck - hope it checks out OK.

Ken

 

Was told they barely drove it... Could be a good sign as they don't seem to know what it is they are driving.
Was told it is a rebuilt title...
Waiting on a VIN might buy the unlimited car fax so i can smart shop and or offer reports to others.
Crossing my fingers. Either way I don't mind trying to lower the price down to like 3500ish. They are asking 5200. Over priced in my opinion.