I am thinking abut buying my neighbor's 1999 Buick with 40K miles. However, it has been sitting in the driveway for a year or two. I know it hasn't been driven, and I have never seen them start it. They took good care of it before her mother became unable to drive, but it has just been sitting ever since. I have always heard that is bad for a car, but don't know why it's bad, or if I should even consider this car.
Answers from the Automotive Experts
It sounds like the car was not properly cared for during the two years. Depending on weather conditions in your area of the country, letting a car sit without running the engine or doing scheduled maintenance can cause several problems. The tires also need to be checked for wear and tear as sitting for a long period with driving on them can cause safety problems as well.
Before you buy ask the owners or have it towed to an ASE certified technician to do a complete inspection and have all the required maintenance done or get an estimate of repairs needed to make the vehicle safe. You can also run a CARFAX.com report to find out the entire history of the vehicle.
You can locate an ASE Certified Blue Seal Repair Center here:
http://www.ase.com/bluesealsearch/locator.php
Go here for more good information on what to do before buying a used car:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/autos/usedcar.htm