Looking through dealers just isn't working out. Has anyone got any tips or advice for buying used cars off craigslist(or similar)?

I've never used craigslist, but autotrader and ebay (locally). As far as tips, same as anything, know what you want, what its worth, have cash if possible. Many times, cash on hand will get you a much better deal if buying from an individual.

A lot of the cars on there that are advertised as for sale by owner are actually for sale by part time dealers.

This ^^^^^^^^, infact they will take a car home and park it on their lawn with for sale sign,,its still gonna be an auction car. Very common around here.

If you find one you're serious about getting you're best off having a mechanic give it a once over unless you know what you're looking for.

And take a buddy with you, someone to give you an extra set of eyes when looking car over.

Honestly I've had really good luck buying cars and motorcycles off of CL.  

Couple of things that I do to avoid scams are...

1. Too good to be true price
2. Asking price is an odd amount.  Most people will ask in increments of $100.  If someone is asking $5682 it's a scam.  Why they do this I have no idea, but they do tip their hat this way.
3. Pay attention to the surroundings in the pics.  The trees, or housing type will not be something from your area and the license plate will be blurred out.  These people just pulled a pic off the internet and are trying to scam you.

Once you find a real ad for a car you're interested in, pay attention to what is said, and not said as well.  The following are examples of BAD ads.

97 toyoda carolla runs good needz a oil change   **No punctuation or care to even spell the make and model correctly means this was probably owned by a teenager who didn't care for the car (or anything else for that matter.)   Stay away, it's probably on its last legs.

2004 Jeep Compass.  Looks great!  Flawless interior and pretty blue paint.  Still smells new!   **This is a bad ad because it tells you essentially nothing.  How many miles are on it?  What engine and transmission does it have?  Has the maintenance been done etc etc.  They were only concerned with how the car looks and nothing else.

Look for these type of ads.

97 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4   5.2 V8, Auto, PS, PB, PW, AC, Cruise   156k miles.  New transmission at 125k.  Oil changed every 5k.  Few parking lot dings and drivers seat is worn.  Asking $5000  **This is a good ad.  It shows maintenance has been done, money has been spent on the vehicle to keep it in good condition.  It points out flaws in it so you know it's not all sunshine and roses.  

Also when you go to meet the person, do not do it at their house.  Meet at a well used parking lot somewhere.  You will have a large amount of cash on you and you want to be in a public place.

THIS. I've bought 3 cars and sold 2 on craigslist. Selling can be a pain but buying isn't bad, assuming you can actually get in touch with the person who placed the ad. I've had good luck and all the cars I've bought have been from normal people. I try to have fairly in depth communications about the vehicle before actually meeting. This can give you a feel for who you are dealing with. I haven't looked in the ghetto price range though. Definitely meet somewhere public because criminals do look for targets on craigslist.

Look it over like you would any other vehicle you are going to purchase. Test drive, if you can.   I have bought three of them off of craigslist.

Iv'e bought and sold a few vehicles on craigslist. I research the hell out of whatever I'm after including lurking in the correct forums and finding spec's. The idea is to know more about the vehicle than the seller does. If I go look at something I look at the vehicles known weak points and maybe ask questions about this or that. This has been the best way to find if a seller is full of crap. I've bought and sold sight unseen on a couple occasions and everything went well. I've had the best luck buying  from enthusiasts and retired folks.

I bought a pickup from an older gentleman who showed me how to do all the basic maint. on the vehicle and what to watch for when looking for problems, without me asking. There were piles of receipts in the glove box to go with the story.

Not often possible, but try to buy from an older individual and one owner......

I've dealt with a few weirdos and seen some bait and switches.

Looked perfect on cl, priced right , go and look at it, abs light was on, spedometer pegged at 120 sitting still, driveline clunk which could of been simple ujoint or could of been rear part of trans problem, clear coat peeling on roof. Was a 04 silverado xcab asking 7900 with leer snug fit topper, told me 7k with topper or 6k without topper

02 f250 extended cab 7.3 auto 2wd ( I rarely use 4x4) , clean outside,had installed king ranch wheels ) said it needed new glovebox door due to hinge, asking 7500. Got there rear doors wouldn't open, told me the cables inside needed to be replaced, told me he had ran the motor without an air filter for at least 6 months for performance ( I've been running turbos since I was 15 blah blah blah ) , couldn't really tell me the maintenance history on it. Had punched out the cat , needs shocks. I didn't even drive the thing.

I've only come across a handful of cars that had receipts for work and I would trust to buy. Me personally I've got a folder of receipts and work orders. On cl you get either I don't keep records, my uncles cousins baby daddy is a professional mechanic, or you can tell they're pulling a fast one. Lucas in the ATF, sawdust in the oil, RTT silicon in the coolant lines, fine metallic liquid in the radiator.

that what i did on a escalade. Didnt find any major issues but a couple small things i got him to take some $ off it cost $70 at the dealership. He was a small dealer which usally i avoid but he was pretty strait forward no b.s easy transaction.

I always buy private party. It's exactly the same as a dealership, and most people aren't professional liars or negotiators, therefore are generally easier to read and deal with.

Many of craigslist ads are from small lot dealers. Dealers are cleaver to where they go take photos in a neighborhood to try and convince you it is a private seller. I like private sale but they will be a bit more rare in this market.

ha exactly, would rather deal with clueless seller vs. professional liar.

I never carry cash on the first meet as I would likely take it to a mechanic first to at least get it up in the air.   However, don't expect the mechanic to magically assess every component with a flashlight in 10 minutes.  However, its a great way to check for leaks and such.   I think the best thing would be to take it in for an alignment and ensure it can still line up to factory specs.  Also lets you look for crash damage.

I also like carfax or autocheck, with a Vin number it can help quickly eliminate stinkers so you don't waste your time driving across town to see a pile of junk.  And not to stereotype, but if you have some parts of towns where the poors and undesirables mostly live, probably no point going to check out that 14 year old Camaro, its not going to be in mint condition as stated by seller.   And depending on your timetable and size of the metro area you live in, you may find it easier to just be patient and only look at cars that are within a 15-20 driving radius vs. that car that seems like a great deal 60 minutes away but its got issues or the seller is a pain.

As for carfax and autocheck, they are not 100% reliable and don't treat it as gospel.  I also like to look for cars with fewer owners.  If you see a 6 year old Camry with 4 owners, I wouldn't even bother.   Now if its a GT500 that possibly scares every owner who is about to lose their license due to speeding tickets, then multiple owners may not be that unusual.

I've sold my truck and bought my motorcycle on CL.  I love it!  But you do need to know what you're looking at and how to handle/respond to people.  But good deals can definitely be had!!

-Emt1581

Good advice on reading ppl above. I 2nd getting a pre-purchase inspection done by a mechanic. Worth $100 easy, also I would
tell the seller in advance that I'm not bringing cash on my person. If the car checks out ok, we will both goto my bank
with the car and title. They have a notary and the bank will cut them a cashier's check on the spot. Or transfer the $
bank to bank directly. I think they can do the latter, certainly on the former.  

At least thats my plan, I haven't bought a car in over a decade but getting ready to

I notice lots of the cars in our local Craigslist say no title, which would make them illegal to sell in this state anyway.

My personal $.02 is do your research or bring someone with you that has at least a basic knowledge of the inner workings of cars. Ask lots of questions like; do you have any service history,when was the oil changed,any accidents,did you do the work or take it to a shop/dealer,are there any issues with it right now,etc?

And negotitate hard !