Purchasing Used Vehicles

geffen

What was the purchase price that they were asking? Also I wouldn't have ever given them cash, at least with the check you can make a stop payment on it, what were the details when you got to the DMV?

guss

If you paid for a Carfax report they have a $5k guarantee. I don't know how it would work since you did not actually buy the car, but you gave a deposit based on their information.

khong74

Yes, I contacted them and this is what I've got.

CARFAX currently receives information about stolen vehicles from a few states. In these cases, CARFAX Reports only indicate if the vehicle was once reported stolen to a state DMV. CARFAX does not have the vehicle's current status and therefore does not know if it has been recovered.

CARFAX does not have, nor claim to have, 100% coverage for stolen information.

helpmefindacar

Ok! I am looking at a 2005 Lancer but it says this on autotrader.com:
"all vehicles are sold "AS-IS" with no warranty."

Can anyone tell me if this is normal for a used car dealership?

The car has been sitting there for a couple of months. It is $6995 for a 2005 Lancer with almost 48,000 miles....Do you think the deal is to good to be true?
Thanks!

khong74

Actually I didn't go to the DMV. I had many reasons to be suspicious. I called the DMV and inquired about the vin number. And they told me to call the police. I did so and they let me know that it was stolen. Yes, it was a good lesson. The asking price was 12,000. And the check was stopped. As an international student who just got into the States, yeah, this is quite a lesson. I'm now purchasing a new car. Thanks for your consideration guys. I should have checked here before I paid that stupid cash deposit. Thanks again.

dtownfb

It's a lot of miles for a 2005 Lancer. Check out the Used Car button on the main Edmunds page. Do a search for 2005 Lancers in your area and see what the prices are. That should give you an idea if this car is a former rental or possibly has a salvage title.

If that checks out, definitely have a mechanic go over the car before you finalize the deal.

lakerman3

Ive had my audi a4 for about a week and a half and i want to trade in for a cpod 06 325i. the only problem is that i dont want to lose to much on it where my money is so much of a loss that i end up paying way over. help me out and give me your advice

Kirstie_H

Not to be mean, but that is probably a decision that should have been made prior to the brand new A4 purchase. You will likely lose several thousand dollars on your A4. The only way you may minimize the financial damage is to sell it privately.

Look at it this way - for dealerships, you are now offering a used '07 vehicle. They have to purchase it from you at a price point on which they can make a profit at resale. If they give you, say $2K less than you paid for it and put it on the lot for $1K less than a never-owned A4, they may have trouble moving it. Who wants a used 2007 A4 when they can get a new one for $1K more?

lakerman3

thanks kirstie, i went in and they offered me the bmw where i end up losing about 10,000 dollars do u think i can find a better deal?

tidester

As Kirstie said, you may want to consider selling your A4 privately. I'm wondering what happened in one week to sour you on the Audi?

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

pissedoff1

I've recently been working with a dealer to obtain financing on a used car. I initially left a $100 deposit to hold the car, last week I thought the deal was ready to go but I was told I needed an extra $400 for the down payment, so I said I would be back this week with the money. When I called up today, they told me one of the employees had the car for the weekend and I would have to wait until Monday! What do you guys think?

stickguy

I can't believe they would hold the car that long on a $100 deposit!

But still, if they knew you were getting the money together, they shouldn't have let a salesperson take it home. But in the big scheme of things, it shouldn't matter, assuming it is only a few miles. Used cars get driven all the time.

kuchan

hi folks,

I am looking for a user car and came across a 2002 Mitsubishi gallant at 70K miles for around 5700$.. The downsides with the car are the interiors have lot of cigarette butt holes (on the cloth surface.. cant see the foam though), and its first owner was a rental company. Its already had 3 owners. Not sure if i should go with this deal. In general, whats the take with smokers cars(for non smokers) and rental company ones.

zodiac2004

Stay away.
While 3 owners is OK for a 6 year old car, the condition seems to tell a lot.
If there are a lot of cigarette burns, that means the owner didn't care about the car and you can be sure the maintenance wouldn't have been done right - on what is not a very good car to begin with.

schwantizzmo

I can't seem to figure out what 'route' to take with my current vehicle hunt... Here's the details...

I have 21K saved for a new vehicle purchase... I can't afford a new "desired vehicle" (CR-V or Pilot), and finding a 'slightly used' one (Pilot only, don't like the old CR-Vs) in my area is difficult...

I have a 'driveable junker' (worth about $400-700) that no 'normal' dealer will take for a trade... and I'd really hate to have a car payment...

I'm wondering if i should broaden my search (Pacifica, Escape, Grand Cherokee), and look for dealers that are having a 'minimum trade allowance' special and bite the bullet and get something from 'this' dealer..

any thoughts...? I love my Hondas (have had 2 Preludes, and an Accord) and I'd like to get something that isn't going to give me too much trouble...

Am i asking too much??

cccompson

That "minimum trade" stuff is just a gimmick and only indicates how much they would otherwise discount the price of any of the their new iron.

If you "love" Hondas, it's unlikely that you'll be happy with any of the those other models you've named. Used Hondas tend to be pricey and, hence, not such great buys.

How about an Element? If you don't like those or CR-Vs, then you're back to a new Pilot. If you've saved 21 grand it's hard to see how you "can't" afford one, especially with current incentives.

Kirstie_H

A reporter would like to speak to owners who purchased a used vehicle recently and if gas prices and fuel economy played an important factor in their buying decision. Please respond to ctalati@edmunds.com no later than July 23, 2007 with your daytime contact information and the year and model of your used car.

user777

2007? what trim CRV? LX 4dr non-AWD in my area shown on CarsDirect as 21.3K, and you should be able to do better.

same vehicle, Edmunds indicates 21.2MSRP, 19.8Inv, TMV 20.9. So, it would seem, they could be had for the money you have in hand.

why not put like 80% down, finance the rest, and pay it off really quickly? :shades:

or wait for the last weekend of the last month of the QTR before the 2008s...

joel0622

Ok! I am looking at a 2005 Lancer but it says this on autotrader.com:
"all vehicles are sold "AS-IS" with no warranty."


That is the law. All used cars are required to have a Federal Buyers Guide (as is sticker)in the window.

Technically we (the dealer) don't warrant crap. The manufacture does. Kind of like when you buy something and there is a note in it that says if this product is defective in any way do not return it to the retailer, call us at 1-800-123-4567.

jayd123

I am graduating and buying my first car would appreciate some advice:

I am considering purchasing an '03 or '04 models (max. purchase price is 20K) of the Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, Pathfinder, or 4Runner (also thinking Volvo XC90). If my primary concerns are reliability in regards to repairs (since the models are 3-4 years old) and mileage because I am moving to Los Angeles, what do you advise me on?

Also, how important would it be to buy from a dealer versus private party and should I spend the extra money to get a lower mileage vehicle still under manufacture warranty?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

cccompson

Steer clear of the Jeeps and the Volvo. You get what you pay for relative to miles. You'll likely put a ton of them on it in LA.

Given the current market for SUVs and the fact that it is difficult to privately sell one for 20K, you can come out well ahead on a private party transaction.

metro123

Since your primary concern is reliability, I would steer clear of the Jeeps, they don't have the best record of reliability. The 4Runner would be my choice and the Pathy is a close second. I would try to find a car that is still under factory warranty and I would purchase the extended warranty. Buying used cars is a risk and I would feel better knowing I have some warranty coverage for the next several years. The cars you mentioned have a 3 year/36K factory warranty so I wouldn't be looking at anything older than a 2004. Usually you can purchase a factory backed extended warranty as long as the original warranty has not run out yet.

I personally like buying cars from dealers because if there is a problem, I have some recourse. Imagine trying to chase down the previous owner if the private party sale goes bad. That could be a nightmare.

Since you seem to be looking for SUV's and will be navigating the Los Angeles traffic, might I suggest a one or two year old Honda CR-V. Very reliable, should be well within your price range and will get better gas mileage than the 4Runner or the Pathy.

Good Luck and keep us posted.

british_rover

The jeep doesn't scare me as long as it has the 4.0 inline 6. You can't kill that engine if you tried. I have 120,000 miles on my 1998 Grand Cherokee and have replaced only wear items.

I had a 145,000 miles on my 1990 Jeep Cherokee when I totaled it and only had to wear items, valve cover gasket, rear main seal and the AC compressor.

I didn't really need to do the two seals as they were barely leaking but the oil tended to drip on the exhaust pipe.

Also 2004 Jeeps, well all Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep products, have 7 year 70,000 mile powertrain warranty.

My concern with the Jeep is that it has dual solid beam axles. A car with solid axles handles much differently then one with independent suspensions and there is a good chance he/she has never driven a car with solid axles. Take a Jeep out on a fairly long test drive at high speed on the highway and see if you are ok with how it handles.

user777

A non-SUV would be my suggestion.

erics6

I'd 2nd that. Have you seen CA gas prices! I really like the 01-04 Pathfinders, although they do like premium.

Do you really need 4wd, or are you planning to use it in the mountains? A Subaru or Honda offer AWD and better mileage. If I were in LA I'd go with a high mileage car.

menacejean

Hello,

I'm thinking of purchasing car. I got the carfax report and on June 29, 2007 the car is recorded as having 5724 miles on it. A month later they are selling it listed with 16000 miles. Just wondering if anyone has any opinions on whether or not I should be worried about something like this?

To view the free car fax report I got from the dealer...go
HERE

kyfdx

Typo in the sale listing?

I'd be more worried about why a 2005 Altima didn't sell until February of 2006..

Then, why only 3200 miles one year later?

Since then, it's been changing hands, while probably serving as a demo.. another 2500 miles?

Manufacturer buyback? Major collision damage?

Better have this one checked out real close..

menacejean

I called the dealership and they said indeed the car does have 16,000 miles on it. I'm not extremely mechanical ( I can tell if something doesn't sound right ) so going to look at a car I'm not sure what I would be looking for to have it checked out.

Do you recommend taking it to a mechanic or simply passing on it altogether?

dtownfb

I wouldn't necessarily pass on it but definitely get it checked out by a mechanic. Unfortunately the report uses very generic terms in describing who the car is titled to. Most of the answers to your question could be resolved by having a look at the title so you can see who the owners are. 10k miles in one months screams rental car or loaner car. Not sure an individual would buy a car and drive it for one month and put that many miles on it. Stranger thing have happened.

Kirstie_H

I think the more likely scenario is that there's been a typo on the carfax report all along, leaving out a leading "1". The car was owned for a year and only had 3,000 miles on it? Doubtful. More likely 13,000+, then the dealership got it with 15,000+. I can't really see how someone COULD put 10K miles on a vehicle in one month - that's cross country and back, and then some.

kyfdx

I agree... that seems more likely...from a real-world car driving/owning standpoint...

But, how do three different auctions make the same mistake in reporting the odometer reading?

I just don't like this car... Sat on the lot for over a year before it was sold to the first owner. First owner only keeps it a year.. And, now it's getting passed around from wholesaler to wholesaler... while being driven for 3K more miles by who knows who..

Not what I look for in a nice used car. Lots of fish in the sea..

regards,
kyfdx
visiting host

dtownfb

I agree with kyfdx. The same error would have been made 3 times which is why I ruled it out. It could have happened. There is no way of verifying it unless you see the title and who were the previous owners. Then you can contact them and maybe verify that initial odometer reading. They may not remember the exact mileage but will definitely know if it is 3k or 13k.

The more I think about it, the more I agree that this car should probably be passed over.

tbaxxon

Many great late model cars still in warranty can be found at independent used car lots for less then at a dealer. They don't have the overhead and corporate juggernaught to pay for.
they will be closer to KBB on the trade in.

All dealers get their cars from auctions and trades. Dealers will lead naive people to believe auction cars are cars dealers don't want..and they are right!!! But they do bid on those they do....at the same auction. Go figure.

menacejean

Thanks so much for all the replies...It's really hard to pass this car up as I really want one...but I wonder if I should feel better about buying a car with more miles on it that isn't so "mysterious"

menacejean

"Dealers will lead naive people to believe auction cars are cars dealers don't want..and they are right!!! But they do bid on those they do....at the same auction"

That part is a little confusing....what are you exactly saying right here?

geffen

This may be a bit late on replying but by the looks of the car fax it could've been a repo at the beginning and just bounced from auction to auction, you'd think at least one dealer would purchase it instead of it going through 3 different auctions, i'd definately have it checked out by a mechanic.

yajiv01

I am looking for a used mid size car under 10K. Plan to keep it for another 3-4yrs averaing 12K miles a yr.

I found this 04 Taurus SE with 17K miles in good condition and clear title from a private party.

The price of 8800 is lower than what is quoted on all 3 sites - kbb, edmunds and nadaguide.

Is this a good buy and is it a good car for another 3-4yrs?

Tx

dtownfb

If the car checks out OK by a good mechanic, I would go for it. The price seems good. You should be able to get 4 years out of this car without too many problems. The key is get it looked over by a mechanic.

im_brentwood

Yajiv,

That's a VERY good price if the car checks out. 17k miles? $8800? As long as this car hasn't been smacked or salvaged... pull the trigger, it's barely above what a dealer would pay for it assuming it's a nice car.

oldfarmer50

I was recently looking at a local dealer's web site and found a 2004 Crossfire for about 20K. It was listed as having only 387 miles.

Assuming that this is correct, what situation could possibly lead to a car having only 387 miles after 4 years?

rroyce10

Get the vin#, pull a Carsmack and find out ...

Maybe it's Canadian, perhaps a salvage, maybe a misprint with 38,700 miles or it could have been tied up in divorce court for the last 3 years -- or just maybe a nice car that never got transferred properly into inventory, who knows .. there's a potpourri of reasons.



Terry.

qbrozen

I think one big reason is that they haven't been able to give these things away. I've also noticed quite a few lately with ultra-low miles for cheap cheap cheap. Granted, 387 is the lowest I've heard of, but there is one in my local shopper with around 1900.

rroyce10

Actually that's not quite the story ...

Like the Infiniti I35's and some others, there's been a resurgence on the Crossfires - and these things have been doing some pretty strong numbers ..

.... even the base 2004's are ringing the bell at the auctions for the strong $13/$14 range, and that's with 35/40k .... that means somebody is buying "and" paying the $16/$17 range on the retail side, these are nice little rides for the money...



Terry. :shades:

qbrozen

well, sure.

What I meant was "when they were new" they couldn't give them away. There is no doubt they are a great buy now on the slightly used side. I'm still seeing dealers advertising "new" '06s for somewhere in the mid-to-high $20s.

beutndrkns

I'm looking at this Toyota Sienna with 101,427 miles. The miles are a little high, but this van has a great track record. The used car dealer has the price listed at $7,495. KBB for Private Party Good is $6,280, Excellent $6,830, Retail $8,465. Edmund's has Private Party at $6,500 and Retail at $7,881. NADA has Low Retail at $6,350, Clean Retail at $7,700 and High Retail at $8,625. Carfax shows it was leased from 1999 to 12/05, then only had one other owner until 8/07. My question is should I be worried about the mileage even though the Toyota has the best ratings? And where should I start my offer so that I get the best possible deal? I don't know where to start with values that fluctuate between $6,280 and $8,625. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

qbrozen

When you are dealing with a vehicle with this many miles, alot of it is touchy feely kinda stuff. How does it feel, how does it look, is all the service up to date, is it knee deep in tires, brakes, etc. All of this stuff adds up and counts for a lot. If everything is just so-so on it, then $6k might even be stretching it. If everything is perfect, $7500 might not be so bad. So this is why the prices can range so drastically. Off the top of my head ... it might only be a $4500-$5k wholesale vehicle.

im_brentwood

What trim level Sienna? And have you had it inspected by a mechanic?

$7,495 isn't a bad price.. it's probably worth around $68-7200 retail.

jipster

I'd start at $6,000... wouldn't pay more than $6,500.

beutndrkns

The trim is LE.

beutndrkns

Thanks for the advice!