Is this used car a good deal? What to check before you buy

A "good deal" on a used car is two things at once: a fair price, and a car worth owning at that price. Most shoppers spend all their energy on the first part. This checklist covers the second, using free public data you can check in a few minutes, before you spend a Saturday on a test drive.

Price is only half the answer

A car that's $1,500 under similar listings isn't a deal if it has an unrepaired air bag recall, a transmission that owners complain about, or fuel costs that eat the savings within two years. Compare asking prices across a few listings of the same year, trim and mileage, and then run the checks below. If a car passes them, the price conversation gets much easier.

Safety: crash ratings and recalls

• Crash ratings. In the US, NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings cover frontal, side and rollover tests. One star is the lowest and five is the highest. Not every model or year was tested. See our crash test ratings guide for how to read them.
• Recalls. Look up recall campaigns for the model year, then confirm whether any are still open on that exact VIN with the official lookup (US or Canada). Open recalls are usually fixed free by a dealer, so ask the seller to handle them before you buy.

Reliability signals: owner complaints

Owners can file safety complaints with NHTSA, and NHTSA adds them (minus personal details) to a public database. NHTSA uses patterns in those reports to decide whether to open a defect investigation. For a shopper, complaints are a rough early-warning signal: if dozens of owners of the same model year report the same engine, transmission or electrical problem, ask the seller whether it's been addressed. Keep in mind popular models get more complaints simply because more of them are on the road, and complaint counts aren't verified failure rates.

Running costs: fuel or energy use

Fuel is one of the biggest ongoing costs. fueleconomy.gov, run by the US government, lists official fuel economy figures for most models. Turn that into a yearly cost using your own driving distance and local fuel price. Two cars with the same sticker price can differ by hundreds of dollars a year. Your real number will vary with how and where you drive.

Age and mileage

Older cars and high-kilometre cars aren't automatically bad buys, but they need more proof of care. Ask for service records, check that the odometer reading matches the records and the listing, and expect wear items (tires, brakes, battery, suspension parts) to come due sooner. A low-mileage car with no records can be a bigger unknown than a well-documented high-mileage one.

How VinSage's deal score works (and its limits)

VinSage is a free Chrome side panel that runs these checks for the listing you're viewing on AutoTrader.ca, CarGurus or Cars.com. It combines safety ratings, recalls, owner complaints, estimated fuel cost, age and mileage into one 0–100 score and a plain verdict: Strong buy, Decent buy, Proceed with care or Think twice. Every point is explained, so you can see exactly why a car scored the way it did.

Be clear on what the score doesn't do. It doesn't judge the asking price against the market yet. It isn't an inspection or a vehicle history report, so it knows nothing about accidents, liens or how the last owner drove. Treat it as a fast first filter that tells you which cars deserve a closer look and which questions to ask. When you're ready to talk money, use the negotiation checklist.

Get an inspection and a history report

Before you pay, two things should happen no matter what any app says. First, an independent pre-purchase inspection by a mechanic you choose, not one picked by the seller. Second, a vehicle history report from a provider of your choice, to check for accidents, title brands and odometer issues. If a seller refuses an inspection, walk away.

FAQ

More free guides

• VIN recall check (US)
• VIN recall check in Canada
• Crash test ratings lookup
• Used car negotiation checklist

VinSage is independent and is not affiliated with NHTSA, Transport Canada, IIHS, fueleconomy.gov or any listing site. Last reviewed November 1, 2026. Spot something out of date? Email [email protected].