Hi all,

I'm planning to buy a used car so i went to look for this car, a 1996 Mazda Lantis 1.6M. After half an hour inspecting the car, i found few issues that I am not sure whether it is a bad problem, or reaally bad problem.

- The car produces white smoke whenever I push the throttle. Might indicate leaking in the engine.
- Power window got stuck on the passenger side, but can work if using the passenger side's button. (common Lantis problem)
- Mileage meter says 150K, but there is service check sticker that says 'Last service : 300XXX'.
- Tyre rim got scratches all over the side of it, on both right side tyres.
- Road tax will expire in a month. Might indicate the dealer is trying to push the sale, despite the car condition.

1)Is this a big problem? Is it cost a lot to fix all of this? And most important, should i even think to buy this car?

2)And how can i do VIN check on this car? I dont have Credit Card so I wont be able to check online on Redbook or whatever.

3)Is there a service where I can ask a mechanic to check the car, give valuation on the car condition and also give valuation on the price based on the car condition?