Is it possible to get a decent used car for $1000?

Q: have you ever heard anyone or know anyone who bought a car for $1000 and it lasted them for while without breaking down?I know i can get used car for that price but the question is,will there be something seriously wrong with that car to be that price?
(2012-01-31 06:46:27)

A: My sister bought a 97 Jeep Cherokee off Craigslist for $800 a few years ago that she had until she traded up for a newer model. It never gave her any problems but that may have been because the previous owner took very good care of it and so did she. I've known plenty of people who've gotten cars for between $1,000 and $1,200 so it's not impossible.

They're are a lot of people out there with ancient Honda's and little driven Towncars belonging to dead relatives and such who'd be willing to sell for a decent price, you just have to know where to look and it never hurts to have a mechanic friend or family member go with you to a sale.

Try to stay away from police auctions and impound/tow-yard auctions and the like because rare is the day that a good car goes for anything less than $2000 and they often come with a lot of problems.

Try to find "salvage title" cars. Those cars are difficult to insure and most times they've changed hands several times because of this sometimes with little driving in between because of this. A salvage title car is one that has been severely damaged or otherwise deemed totaled or no longer uninsurable by an insurance company. This can be tricky because generally means the vehicle was in an accident bad enough to get the car 'totaled out' however that doesn't necessarily mean it's undrivable or even in that bad of a condition.

My own car is a salvage title that I got insured through AIS quite cheaply. Most people sell salvage title cars because it's very difficult to get insured but that usually only applies to full coverage. Most people aren't comfortable having anything less than full coverage and therefore end up cutting their losses and selling altogether. Personally I was eligible for full coverage however I have limited liability which is fine because I'm a student on a major budget.