I'd think just about ANY ebay car would need a personal look-over, through a personal friend or a forum member close by, otherwise the buyer is at risk for hidden problems.

Even a near new car could be a repaired wreck, flood car or a repo. That said there can be nice condition, babied cars, up for sale. It's up to the buyer to parse them out first, and get a clear idea of what he's getting.

I helped a buyer in Chicago on the internet some years ago who was interested in a 1980 300SD near San Francisco. The car was a donation to a charity, so it really did have issues needing to be fixed, but I went and looked at it and drove it, and helped with the paperwork, and a friend helped with a few repairs, and arranged the cheapest shipping, (uncovered, on toof the car carrier, and it was last to be delivered, it went all the way to Maryland, then to Chicago,) it was filthy when it got there, but it was an old rust free Calif. Benz in the desired W116 diesel style which was what she wanted, so, with help, the buyer got the car she wanted, at a good ebay price, even though it wasn't possible with local help, which we were glad to give.

I went over the car as thoroughly as I could, the seller co operated, I reported the plusses and minuses I saw on the car, on that basis the buyer bid on it and won the auction.

I'd never personally have bid on a car donated to charity (the charity was the ebay seller here) but the buyer got herself an inexpensive W116 diesel that looked and ran pretty good. For today, I think about $1500 wasn't actually too bad of a price for a rust free car, with the $800 delivery price added on.

So it can work, but there are horror stories galore out there too.

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)