QUESTION ABOUT OIL LEAK

I would ask to take the car to an independent shop to have it inspected. The cost of that inspection could save you a lot of heartache or it could identify a bargain. The brakes, suspension, and steering should also be checked. A thorough inspection will take about an hour. If the owner is not willing to let you do that, let him keep the car and whatever he's hiding.

All engines seep a little oil and there's often some fumes that condense on the engine, then dirt sticks to it. What you don't want to buy is something with a major leak meaning something very time-consuming to take apart to fix. If leaks were easy to fix, the current owner would have done it.

Also look at those oil stains, then look at them again when there's more miles on the car. If you can see a definite difference after just ten miles, you have a significant leak. If you see any spots in the ground, that is also significant.

Those stains can be misleading too. Sometimes the oil will "pool" in one spot on the engine or on the frame cross member. If it collects there it can look worse than it really is, but almost always there will be dripping associated with that.