A man inspecting a used car sticks his fingers into its exhaust pipe, checks seat belt labels, examines dashboard screws, and repeatedly delivers the same warning: “Never buy it!”
His 73-second inspection video has collected roughly 35,000 upvotes on Reddit, where viewers are having almost as much fun with his warnings as they are debating his advice. The phrase “Never buy it!” has become a running joke, with commenters inventing increasingly ridiculous reasons to reject used cars.
Behind the humor is a genuine disagreement. Mechanics and experienced owners have pointed out that several supposedly damning discoveries can have perfectly ordinary explanations.
Some of the presenter’s inspection techniques are useful, but his certainty has prompted a closer examination of what those warning signs actually reveal.
Every Clue Has a Story
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What to look for before buying a car.
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The presenter suggests that scratched dashboard fasteners indicate the interior was disassembled following a collision. That can happen, but dashboards are also removed to repair heater cores, air-conditioning equipment, and electrical components.
One mechanic in the comments described removing entire dashboards to replace small climate-control motors. Other owners recalled similar repairs on cars that had never been wrecked.
Disturbed hardware may reveal that work was performed, but it offers little explanation of why.
A Date Worth Checking
The seat belt inspection is more interesting. The presenter compares manufacturing dates on the belts with the vehicle’s age, suggesting that replacements could mean the airbags deployed in a previous crash.
Collisions can activate seat belt pretensioners, requiring components of the restraint system to be replaced. However, belts are also replaced for recalls, damaged webbing, and faulty retractors.
A Honda recall involving certain Accord seat belts, for example, required replacement because of a locking-retractor defect unrelated to a crash. One Reddit commenter even explained that a dog had chewed through a seat belt, requiring a replacement.
Manufacturing dates also naturally precede vehicle assembly. A belt dated shortly before the car was built is normal, while one manufactured years afterward gives a buyer a reasonable question to ask. Neither establishes whether the airbags deployed.
Rust in an Unusual Place
Another demonstration involves looking for rust beneath the dashboard, particularly around the steering column. The presenter suggests that corrosion may indicate a flooded vehicle, and this warning has some substance.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends checking for unusual corrosion, hidden waterlines, and mud when investigating possible flood damage. Water can affect wiring and electrical components long after a vehicle has been cleaned.
However, people who drive through snowy winters know that wet shoes and road salt introduce moisture into the driver’s footwell. Light surface rust on exposed metal is not necessarily evidence of a flood.
Corrosion inside protected electrical connections, especially alongside water stains or sediment beneath carpeting, would be far more concerning.
What’s Under the Cap?
The presenter treats dark residue beneath the oil filler cap and soot inside the exhaust pipe as reasons to avoid a vehicle.
Oil staining beneath a filler cap is common, particularly on older engines. Heavy sludge or milky contamination deserves investigation, although milky residue can sometimes result from condensation during repeated short trips.
Soot in an exhaust pipe is similarly difficult to interpret without context. Combustion produces carbon deposits, and some engines accumulate more visible soot than others. Excessive deposits accompanied by smoke, oil consumption or drivability problems may indicate something more serious.
The video’s inspection of front-end supports is potentially more revealing. Bent metal, questionable welds, or poorly aligned replacement parts can point toward previous collision repairs. The extent of the damage and the quality of those repairs determine how concerning the discovery should be.
Another Set of Eyes
The Federal Trade Commission recommends obtaining a vehicle history report and arranging an independent mechanical inspection before buying a used car.
History reports can reveal reported accidents and title problems, but they cannot document every repair or identify every mechanical issue. The FTC specifically cautions that a history report is no substitute for an independent inspection.
A mechanic can investigate suspicious findings, examine repairs that are difficult to assess during a casual inspection, and help determine whether a vehicle’s condition justifies its asking price.