Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
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Stories from the Sales Frontlines
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2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
That is an interesting statistic. Car dealers should use this as a selling technique, buy your car now and don't pay for 3 years! For those who miss the deadline their $30000 car will cost about $90,000 and will never get paid off. But, it would sell a lot of cars.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Here are some hilights;
* . In fact, almost 70 per cent of vehicles sold in Canada last year were previously owned,
(this was stated once before but this is proof of the number of used vs new cars sold)
* Only six used-car dealers received a passing grade in Vancouver. That's a staggering 67 per cent failure rate. (6 out of 18 dealers passed)
* One car was supposed to have had minor repairs, but this is what they found;
Looking at the vehicle up on the hoist he noted "the whole bottom part is sagged." Then he pointed out a hole in the bottom of the vehicle where a plug was missing.
Other items the inspection revealed were a missing tail light socket, a bent sway bar link, a leaky transmission and a sagging rocker rail. According to Martino, the Matrix never should have passed inspection with such poor repairs.
* In Toronto only one dealer passed, a 94% failure rate;
in Toronto, where only one dealer passed -- an almost 94 per cent failure rate -- the highest failure rate the APA has ever seen in a single city.
* This one is good, you have to read about this car;
According to the APA, the worst example from Toronto this year was S&S Auto Clinic which advertised a 2004 Toyota Corolla at a suspiciously low price of $7,500 -- a red flag for Iny and his team.
The S&S Auto salesman told the mystery shoppers the car had been in an accident, but he didn't disclose how bad the damage was.
"It's not front damage – only quarter panel on the left side," he told the APA shoppers.
Once the APA test drove the Corolla, they got a closer look and Iny spotted big problems with the Corolla right away.
"The car was cut going all the way across and it's not a pretty repair," said Iny. "Actually one half of the car was cut and a new car was welded on in back."
W5 confirmed the APA's findings on the Corolla at S&S Auto – discovering documents that revealed the car's history.
Turns out the Corolla had been in three accidents -- two of them major collisions, totalling more than $26,000 in damage. W5 also uncovered Ministry of Transportation documents that showed the Corolla was built from two separate cars – what the APA calls a "zipper" car.
While a zipper car is not illegal, the salesman didn't tell the shoppers the true condition of the vehicle -- that means a "fail" for S&S Auto.
*Then there is this one:
At AAA Auto Wholesale, in Toronto, salesman Tom McDonald told the APA shoppers a 2005 Toyota Corolla had only been in a minor accident and that the manufacturer repaired it with original parts.
"It was a small accident repair," McDonald told the mystery shoppers, claiming only a rear bumper had been replaced.
That's not what W5 and the APA discovered about the Corolla. The vehicle history report reveals the car had been in two accidents with about $14,000 in damage.
Through three visits by the APA -- and three opportunities for McDonald to disclose the structural damage to the Corolla -- the salesman failed to disclose the full extent of the damage.
Finally, so they could take the Corolla for a test drive, the APA mystery shoppers agreed to leave a $300 deposit and signed a provisional contract. Only after the APA signed the bill of sale did McDonald add the words "structural damage."
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
We were talking about the program at work and most people thought with odds that bad against getting a good used car from a used car dealer, it is much better to get your used car from a new car dealer. Since 70% of the cars sold are "used", it would really be worthwhile for New Car Dealers to stress how their used cars have to be safe and of high quality.........and to be extra safe when buying used cars from a used car dealer. I don't think the average peson would even think about this.
There was one curbsider, selling cars as if he was a private citizen. But he was really selling cars through the dealership. Buying a used car is risky enough without dealing with these guys. I like the way they name names too.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I mean if you go visit a used car dealer that also doubles as a collision repair centre, you ought to know that cars there priced way below market value are not going to be in perfect shape or with "minor" accidents.
Sometimes we try to tell that to our customers but they don't want to hear it. To them those shops have "better deals" and so they end up taking a bath on a car welded from 2 units. :sick: :lemon:
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
I don't go that way to often but I was there a few weeks ago. Walt's is still there, so I don't think people learn. There are just a lot of people who don't realize there are a lot of bottom feeders in the used car business. I think you are too close to the situation to know a lot of people just are not knowledgeable about buying a car. That is why they'll buy a zipper car that comes with 2 serial numbers.....one for each half. :sick:
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
The "GREEN SLIP" belive it or not is not BS. A Dealer might say this, Are you one?This is the Actual Invoice From the Manufactuer to The Dealership. The price they paid for that Vehicle. In fact there are 4. 1. The MSRP Which I
nicknamed (Make Suckers Really Pay) 2. The Factory invoice at the Dealership. 3. The one sent to the bank that lends them the money to buy the vehicles 4. The one kept in the offices of the Corporate Headquarters.
It's filed and or computerized. Anyone working in this well kept area must sign a document saying they are willing to deny it exists or be fired. If you look at the Factory invoice at a dealership divide it in half, then add or subtract $500.00 and that's what they really paid for the vehicle. Oh, by the way when they say $12,000.00 off MSRP. They actually get that 12 grand back from the manufactuer. THINK, how could they take 12 grand off unless it was built into the MSRP to begin with???????????
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
They wanted the princely sum of $400 for the car which was as far from my budget as 4 million is now. Green with a black convertible top. I still have all the notes on that car. VIN, tire size, everything.
I ended up with a 1957 MGA for $200. Should have never sold that one. Now they're worth upwards of 7-9k. Much of the car was aluminum so rust free.
2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali
For the trade in TL, yes, but it is minus reconditioning.
We always give top dollar for trades but we will take into account whatever
needs to be done to return it to tip-top shape for resale value and deduct that amount.
All the same, a good trade value so long as your vehicle is in good shape.
As for the Toyota, technically the Toyota Trade value is included in that Rogue price but I will do an extra $1,000 off all the same.
Fees are the standard fair of tax, tags, freight, p.f., etc.
Your OTD with everything is going to be $18,868.16
So $16,780 is now $18,868.16 OTD in a 3% tax state. Not sure if it includes Toyota discount or not. Assuming that it does, it is only $150 less than Fitzmall. Considering the games that this dealer plays, why bother.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Mine was black, but I like this one......, that should bring back a few memories. No trunk, you just through stuff into the big cave behind the seats....and if it rained you jumped out and manually tried to get the roof up.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Exactly....some people will falll for the come-on and some won't. But, they'll get a few new customers who wouldn't have come in if it wasn't for the ridiculous price. It's like the used cars a few posts ago, if you see a Corolla that's $3500 less than most used Corolla's, it was probably in a bad accident and was made from two cars. However, the price seems pretty good for that car...probably on the low side, so I expect they'll give you the heavy duty extra insurance and mop n glo treatment before you get out of there with your wallet in tact.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
Whatever happened to that saying "When you buy a used car you are buying someone else's problems"?
I know it isn't entirely true, but it had a ring of truth to it for about half of my used car purchases. Most people trade in their car when it starts causing problems.
Newspapers to fill the holes! At least Walt used Bondo!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Funny to watch it fall out when you're following the vehicle. Not so funny if you own that vehicle, I'm sure.
Prius accelerator got stuck. Luckily nobody died.
This is bad news for Toyota for the following reasons:
* Keeps the problem in the news
* Prius was previously not supposed to be affected
* The mats were not at fault (allegedly)
* Owner is quoted saying how he had taken it to the dealership two weeks before and they told him that his car wasn't part of the recall.
:lemon:
link title
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
The reason I ask is that I found a salesman that I bought a car from in 1990 that I really liked. Since he is still selling cars he must still be doing something right. He looks like a slob but is very good at putting deals together. He was the one who familiarized me with the term "they put him in the club" when referring to another dealership that gave someone a really bad deal. They have an internet department staffed by attractive cougars so what do I do. Is it pearls or swine? :confuse:
1. Was the accelerator pedal actually stuck? Or, as the driver tried to get it to move, did it have no effect the actual position of the pedal?
2. Brakes should have slowed the car, but didn't....at all. But, it was only the emergency brake that actually got it to slow to 55MPH (from 94 MPH). The emergency brake is entirely mechanical. The "regular brake" pedal is tied to the computer. Is this an offshoot of the infamous computer issues we've read so much about?
All this still circles back to a Toyota computer malfunction.....apparently, with a wide range of Toyota and Lexus vehicles.
This is something everyone has suspected all along, and Toyota has vehemently denied.
This is something everyone has suspected all along, and Toyota has vehemently denied.
Exactly! There are a lot of questions that haven't been answered conclusively. More importantly, more incidents will plant a seed of doubt in a lot of people's minds.
The media is surely pouncing on this. But Toyota didn't complain when the media was pouncing on the big 3. It just happen to be their turn now.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
How the heck would he come up with $3k in taxes in fees?
That's the etc part..
Base Rogue invoice is $21333 - $500 (rebate) - $1000 (Toyota discount) + 3% (tax) = $20427 OTD. His quote of $18,868.16 OTD is still an excellent price, but it is nowhere near the $16700 he is advertising.
Unfortunately for Toyota, most people are not as level headed as you. If I were in the market for a Toyota, this wouldn't scare me.
But mass hysteria is a scary thing. Look at mako1. I'm sure he was very happy with his Avalon until this happened. Now he can't pay to get rid of it (it'd help if he listened to the advice in this group).
I mean, there are people who don't believe that the Moon Landings took place. You won't be able to convince everybody that there's no problem.
LOL, never heard of that before. Sad but funny!
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Who is to say that some terrible news, real or imangined won't hit the news tomorrow that all Korean cars can suddenly explode without warning?
I mean did they really think that nobody would notice the BRAKE light on as well as the open door light on the tach?
Shame on ABC.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
If you liked your salesperson then go back and deal with him. To be honest sometimes with the internet things take longer over multiple emails.
Sometimes an inquiry that would take less than 5 minutes on the phone or in person, takes 3 days and 10 emails.
Same goes for texting. A 3 minute phone call can replace 20 text messages :confuse:
Maybe I'm getting old but some thing I justy don't get anymore. :confuse:
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
It may have been a malfunction but there are also many stupid people behind the wheel these days that may not know what they're doing. Heck most people on the roads don't know how to operate turn signals, daytime running lights, turn off high beams, or staying in the right lane unless passing.
The media will be quick to jump onto any story involving a Toyota nowadays anyway so I take it all with a grain of salt.
The story with where the Highway Patrol Officer died with his family in the Lexus/Toyota is different because he of all people would know how to control a vehicle in adverse situations.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
The dealership is owned by friends of theirs, so they were able to take the car home for the weekend. Well, my MIL decided she loved it and wanted it. But she didn't want to drive all the way back to Huntsville. So the dealership worked it out with one of their other "family" franchises, a local Nissan dealer, to do all of the paperwork. My MIL went there and finalized the deal.
Apparently no one ever took the chance to do a walk-around of the car with her. When my wife first talked with her, she found out that her mother never got an owner's manual for the car. So he asked for one, and they sent it to her. At that time, my wife told her to go back to the dealership and nicely ask for someone to show all of the features of the car. Well, that was 2 - 3 months ago.
This weekend, the inlaws came to Marietta with the new Prius. MIL still loves it, but she had an appointment to take it in to Toyota for the Prius brake recall issue, and she was going to have them look at the radio because she said she can't get any stations.
My wife suggested that maybe it was missing an antenna. My MIL insisted it wasn't. My wife spends 10 minutes poking around in the hatch back and finds the antenna stuck in there by the spare tire and screws it on. Lo and behold! Reception improves dramatically!
Then I ask my MIL if she has XM/Sirius. My wife has it on her new VW CC and loves it. MIL says, "Now how would I know that?" So I go out to the car. On the dash is a button that says "AM-SAT". I ask my MIL if she knows that that is for. She tells me, "Well, I thought it was for listening to the AM Radio on Saturdays" :P
So I showed her how it was for cycling through AM band - SAT1,2, and 3. I then went and programmed as many left-wing stations as I could for her (NPR, "Progressive" radio, CNN...there aren't that many...and I joked I'd put Rush on there to drive her crazy or for the one time I get to drive it). Anyway, she was SIMPLY amazed she had that. She's had it almost three months and never used the Satellite radio because no one told her she had it, and he never looked that closely at the sticker or the book.
So I sit with her in the car and tell her, "And you know you have a 6-CD changer?" She responds, "I do?" So I showed her how you could load 6 CDs through that one slot. She was simple amazed. When I mentioned the heated seats she said, "You're kidding, right?" She'd never noticed the buttons. And her defense, they are kind of buried in the "lower level console." But again, it was on the sticker.
I then popped the hood, and she said, "You know, I've never even looked under there!" So I pointed out a few key items, but I stressed that she really needs to spend some time with the manual.
I just found it humorous and thought I'd share the story. Too bad the salesperson didn't take a few minutes to do the walk-through. And his defense, he might have offered, and my MIL might have declined.
After going through all of that, my MIL shared a story with me about her mother (who was legendary in her daftness...having once owned a Volvo for four years without realizing it had a sunroof until my wife showed her how to open it). My MIL told me this story. One time, my wife was talking with her grandmother about a friend who was in college, and my wife said, "And while in college, she played LaCrosse." And my MIL's mother replied, "Oh I know where LaCrosse is...that's just south of Pittsburgh, right?" :shades:
That one made me laugh. When my MIL's mother passed away a couple years ago, my FIL did the eulogy, and everyone in the church was laughing. He recalled all of the silly things she'd said over the years. My FIL had folks asking him to do their eulogies after that one. Another zinger...she once asked, "Why is Jesus LARD? There's a sign back there that says "Jesus is LARD! Now why would he be LARD?" She'd misread it, of course.
A similiar thing happened here in BC where an elderly lady bought a new Toyota of some sorts and never received a proper delivery. Apparently all she received was the keys and paperwork and a see-ya-later.
Well she had a long way to drive home and caught herself in the middle of a rainstorm after dark. She didnt' know how to use the wipers or lights or the defogger so she found a roadside gas station and a worker there went over all the features with her so she could get home safely.
Long story short - a letter was sent to Toyota which then went after the dealership and yanked their customer satisfaction bonuses and preferred dealer rank for putting a customer in this situation.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Sorry, but I don't believe that. If they yanked bonuses and preferred dealer rank everytime someone sent a letter there would be no preferred dealers.
I'm not saying it didn't happen, just not over a single letter.
A letter was sent (possibly by the customer's family) maybe they threatened legal action or it ended up in the media, maybe she nearly got into an accident; I don't recall the specifics but nevertheless a proper delivery was not done, the customer was stuck in a storm and didn't know how to operate her vehicle, and as a result the dealership suffered consequences.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Fortunately for me the most value either of my Toyotas could lose would be about $4K because that's all they're worth.