I’ve had no luck with yourmechanic.com as they dont serve my area. Lemon Squad doesn’t sound like a good idea because if someone buys the car before i get their report then im out of $189.
So what should i do now? Should i give lemon squad a shot?
Why not take it to a local mechanic?
That way you can actually build a relationship with them, since you will likely require their services in the future.
Those mobile guys are fly by night and charge an arm and a leg.
i would need to take it to a mechanic in their neighborhood, not mine. And then, am i allowed to drive a car with no plates to the mechanic shop?
This is always the same issue I run into when buying a car. I'm always in an unfamiliar part of town, far from where I live. And even if I knew of a shop to take it to, they're all closed in the evenings, when I'm able to go look at a car.
I see. You didn't mention that you were shopping out of town, or that the vehicle wasn't insured. I guess your only hope is to find somebody mechanically savvy to bring with. Or, if it's a significant purchase (let's say over $20k) then it might be worth it to arrange an escrow deal pending mechanical inspection.
I'm going to say stay away from lemon squad; I saw the report they gave someone on another forum and it was ridiculous as it was either unnecessary stuff about cosmetic stuff or they said there is so and so code but it needs further diagnosis. Like the person wants inspection to know what the issues are; they don't need a list of codes to then go figure out what it is themselves. (I'll try to find that report and post the link here).
I agree with @mmj that your best bet is a good local mechanic. Either take it to them or ask them to come along with you and inspect the car on the spot; I've done this before with my own mechanic for a special car I really wanted. If it's not a very special car don't take the risk of buying without PPI and look for something else.
