I stumbled across an 03 dodge neon sxt for sale on craigslist.

180,000 miles on engine, transmission rebuilt/replaced 3 months ago. Ac works. New tires. Has a little rust under the doors, and there's a small rust spot near the back passenger door quarter panel right near the door. The owner claims they're getting a new car August 29th and want to wait until then to sell it because they're still driving it. The owner also claims they bought it from a neighbor 4 years ago and her college daughter mostly drove it. The owner claims all it needs is exhaust repair which the price reflects that - she's asking $975. I offered $1,000 simply because I want it and don't want anyone else taking it if it turns out to be a decent car. She said she was going to ask $1,200 but it needs exhaust work so she's asking $975.

IMO, I think $975 is a little too low and sounds fishy.

What should I look/check for? I live in Michigan so saltwater can be an issue.

 

Never believe the "claims" about vehicle repair/maintenance. If there is no documentation to back it up, assume it did not happen. You did not state the mileage or engine size, so some common things to look for would be engine oil leaks, timing belt condition, suspension condition, tires, last tune up, etc. Take a code reader and see if it has any stored codes, make sure the check engine light works. Or, take it to a mechanic and have it looked at. I don't know your total budget, but buying a car for $1000, expect some sort of other expenses to be involved.

 

ok so I went and looked it over.

car runs perfect. drives perfect. transmission shifts smoothly. I didn't spot any leaks. struts were good. steering was nice and tight, no wobbling or wandering. I didn't spot any oil leaks. ac blew ice cold. the mileage read 179,XXX. the engine never overheated and I drove it for a good 20 minutes. the needle right before the middle.

she DID have documentation for the tranny. it was rebuilt at a shop for $1,200. she also had misc receipts for new battery, ignition switch, oil changes, tires.

NOW she said the exhaust hangers were broken which I spotted. she initially said the broken hangers were a result of the noise inside the car. but to me I don't think it's that. it's a humming noise almost like a bad wheel bearing. I also noticed slight brake pedal pulsation. when I looked at the front rotors, they were pretty badly warped. the car has slight rust on the rocker panels and a little near the trunk where the paint was scraped. other than than all this is seems like a good running car.

I can probably do brake pads and rotors if the rust isn't too bad. but a wheel bearing I'm not sure.

so does it sound worth it for $1,000?

 

Pictures would help. Is this going to be your daily driver? Second car? Commuter? Timing belt should have been replaced once already. If it hasn't been, expect to sink another thousand or so into it for replacement (unless you do it yourself).