Used Cars Under $15,000 in the Bay Area

What $15,000 buys

Under $15,000, most cars are older, have more miles, or both. That is fine, as long as you shop the car and not the badge: a well-kept car with more miles and a stack of service records is usually a better buy than a lower-mileage one nobody looked after.

Decide first what the car has to do. A commuter for 280 and 101 needs a smooth transmission, working air conditioning and good tires more than it needs a big screen. A first car for a new driver needs good safety ratings for its model year and simple, cheap maintenance.

Read the history before the test drive

Ask for the vehicle history report and read it before you fall for the car. Look for a branded title (salvage, rebuilt or lemon), gaps or jumps in the odometer readings, reported accidents, the number of owners, and where the car has lived.

Then ask for service records. Regular oil changes matter, and so do the big-ticket items an older car may be due for: tires, brakes, a battery, and on some engines a timing belt. Check open recalls by VIN on NHTSA's site; recall repairs are free at a dealer for that brand.

California paperwork

California requires a smog certification when most used gas cars change hands, and a dealer takes care of it before delivery, along with the title transfer and registration. Every used car on a dealer lot also carries a Buyers Guide window sticker that tells you whether it is sold as-is or with dealer coverage. Read it.

Compare totals, not ads

Every price on this page is the total as listed, with the price without the optional add-ons beside it, so you can compare like for like. Ask any other lot for the same number. Then add what the car costs to own: insurance at your Bay Area ZIP code, registration, fuel, and whatever maintenance is coming up soon.

Test drive it like you own it

Start the car cold if you can. Drive it up a real hill (Colma and Daly City have plenty), merge onto the freeway, and brake hard once on a clear road. Listen for clunks over bumps and watch for slipping or late shifts. Run the air conditioning and the heater, check every window, and look at the tire tread and the date code on the sidewall.

On an older car, many buyers get an independent pre-purchase inspection. Ask Silvio how to set one up for the car you like.

Keep some budget for year one

Set aside part of the budget for what an older car is likely to need in its first year with you: tires, brakes, a battery, fluids and wipers. A car that needs nothing right now is worth more than its price suggests; one that needs tires and brakes really costs more than the number on the windshield.

Trading in

If you have a car to trade, have it appraised on the same visit so you can see both numbers side by side. Bring the title or your lender's details, both keys and any service records. In California the sales tax is charged on the full price of the car you buy; a trade-in does not reduce it.