I think a major theme of this is that Carfax is not 100% accurate and is only one tool in deciding to purchase a particular used car. Carfax even says so on their web page.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
BTW, just how long will you be "visiting"?lol for about an hour and a half.
Usually, I would agree with people who say, get what you can from the report, but don't trust it completely - buyer beware type of thing. But, Carfax sets themselves up as the authority on the history of every car. By the way, they didn't add those extra clauses about not being responsible until they were made to do it.
If you have a home inspection, would you trust a home inspector that gives you a report with fine print.....not responsible if I didn't find problems that I couldn't detect?
Their report has some value, but it is so limited as to be almost useless. It is only good for eliminating the cars that do show up with a problem...if the car you are buying looks good you have to put that car through a battery of tests.
Regardless of the usefullness/unusefullness of Carfax, or any of the others, it does give information that only a few years ago was unattainable.
If nothing else, it's a good sales tool. I know the guy who bought the Gr Marquis from me went over each and every line like it was scripture. He probably spent at least 15 minutes looking at nothing but the Carfax. Don't know what he gleaned from it by doing that. There's basic information, but not much more.
But, you plaster a clean Carfax on the windshield of a car for sale, and the conversation about it's mechanics or accident history is brief.
repairs i had done at an independent didn't show up. everything i had done at the dealer was detailed, but some of it was couched in language that didn't exactly represent i thought was actually done as a repair.
I have worked at a dealership now for close to 2 years. I have seen many cars from both carfax and autocheck that have unreported damage. Where I work, we guarantee no frame damage, flood damage, or shady history. The reports are one piece of that puzzle. The buyers and techs see the car as well. If at any time during appraisal or after we buy the car we find signs of flood, odometer, orframe damage, we auction the car.
I have seen all sorts of things come through. I have seen cars people bought NEW that had frame repairs (transport can damage the frame), I have seen totally rebuilt used cars with undisclosed damage.
I would stress asking the dealer for a written guarantee that there is no flood, frame, odometer damage. Also, this needs to be not just what is on a carfax report but from their inspection. If at all possible, have the car checked out by someone who knows body repairs as well as a mechanic before the sale is finalized. If the company has a return policy this is a lot easier!
This really makes a lot of sense. Too bad we can't find this guy to join us. His dealership sounds like it is a good place to buy a used car....and I am sure all our salespeople here work for equally honest dealerships. One important point though from all of this; If you are buying a used car you really have to be extra careful - check body damage, get a mechanic to inspect, flood damage, odometer rollbacks, and maybe a Carfax report
(About your last post, no problem, I have had those kind of days myself)
For $30 a pop, I could run you a report based on my "sources",
$30 for one report or $39.99 for unlimited reports, usually for a month. Carfax is a very useful tool when looking for a used car. I used it to rule out a car rather than confirm a car is clean. That's very easy to do in just a minute or two with the VIN.
It's interesting how the perspective of time lets you see the good he did for this country.
Spent my morning getting my Eclipse inspected ( wow, 1 year old already.). I then spent some time washing the salt off it when I got home. Am I crazy to be out washing a car in the snow? Seems like every time we have 1 inch of snow they put down 2 inches of salt. I think I would rather slide around a little and have a lot less rust on my vehicles.
The slow sales continue I guess. I was the only person at the dealer this morning. You could have thrown a cat from one end to the other and not hit anyone. I asked the service tech if they were selling many cars and he almost sobbed a "No" before catching himself and stating that they had sold "a couple" last weekend.
Mitsu sales have held up pretty good percentage wise but when you only sell 100K cars a year every lost sale must hurt. I wish I had some money to replace one of my old clunkers, now would be a good time to buy. (Maybe jmonroe or Jipster have some bags of unused cash collecting dust under the couch that they would let me have).
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Some dealers show a link to CarFax like in the middle of this used car page as a flash item so I can't make a link to it. Click on the 1 Owner Car Fax button... CarFax
Are these equal services? I notice the CarFax flash asks "Tell us what you know about this car" at the bottom... Aren't they supposed to be selling all the knowledge?
You could have thrown a cat from one end to the other and not hit anyone.
I don’t believe that would be politically correct today. Now, if it were a salesman, I don’t think anyone would have a problem with that.
(Maybe jmonroe or Jipster have some bags of unused cash collecting dust under the couch that they would let me have).
Nope, they’re staying where they are. If you knew who learned I knew how to move couches, I’d be on sweeper duty. Your best shot would be to try ‘jip’.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Here's a match made in heaven: Fiat, Chrysler in partnership talks: report Reuters Monday, January 19, 2009
MILAN — Fiat SpA is talking with Chrysler LLC to form a strategic partnership that could lead to the Italian car maker taking a stake in its U.S. peer, an industry publication said, citing people familiar with the matter.
Fiat could give Chrysler access to platforms, engines and transmissions to help the U.S. car maker overcome its problems, Automotive News Europe said on Monday.
Fiat was not immediately available for comment.
Fiat chief executive officer Sergio Marchionne told an industry publication in December that Fiat needed a partner to survive the crisis.
Apart from Ferrari and Maserati, Fiat does not sell cars in the United States.
Before the crisis hit the car industry, Fiat had been looking for ways to enter the United States and had talked to U.S. auto makers about the possibility of using some of their production lines.
Owned by private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management LP, Chrysler saw its sales fall 30 per cent in 2008.
The best bet is to inspect the vehicle yourself or a hire a 3rd party mechanic to do it. You don't need a forensic cop to figure out that parts have been replaced. It's easy to spot by missing VIN stickers on the body panels (on certain brands), or mismatched paint.
That being said the dealer probably knows that these vehicles were after accidents, but they hid behind their CarFax reports. Notice on how it wasn't an odd one car with a faulty report, but a ton of cars? Nice of them to pay for the repairs however.
The problerm with these reports like Carfax, Carproof, and ICBC (provincial insurance co.) checks, is that if the accident was never reported to anyone, they have no way of knowing about it, and it won't show on any reports.
For example, if a person is involved in a single vehicle accident with no inuries, and no witnesses (hits a tree on a country road), and gets their vehicle towed to a repair shop, and pays for the repairs themselves, then no insurance or police agency would know about the incident, and therefore it wouldn't show on any records like Carproof or Carfax. Auto repair shops are not obligated to report what they fix to any agency such as a police dept or insurance co.
This should be a lesson to people who will go to a no name used car lot because they have a "better price" than a brand name dealer. You get what you pay for. There's a reason that these cars are not sitting on an Acura lot, and why they're much cheaper.
This should be a lesson to people who will go to a no name used car lot because they have a "better price" than a brand name dealer.
I have bought a number of used cars in my time and the ones from private dealers were never very good. I have a belief, and maybe you can answer this boomer, the best trade-ins are going to stay with the dealer, the poorer ones will get sold to independents and the really bad ones will go to auctions, and still end up at indy lots. Would that be correct? If it is true you are really taking your chances with an indy lot it would seem.
Do you use Carfax or other service for your customers?
In my younger, less knowledgeable days, I bought 2 cars from indy lots and the cars were not even on the lot, the salesman was selling his own car on the side. They were real lemons...not even good enough to be on the indy lot...but what did I know at 18?
>Where I’m working now, I take the PA Turnpike for about 20 miles. I only have about 2 miles before I get on it after work. With the temperature below 15 F the last few days when I left work, by the time I got to the pike the engine had just gotten to its normal operating temperature and that was after I allowed the car to warm up for those precious 2 minutes. If I had started out immediately, the car would not have been completely warmed up and when you have to accelerate to get into traffic and then maintain turnpike speed, that is too much to ask of an engine that isn’t up to its normal temperature.
Reminds me of the time when I got a check engine light for an engine misfire. I take it to the dealer and he pulls out the stats from the car computer. It read something like this:
Ambient temp: 30F Engine run time: 60 Secs. (so so) RPM when CEL came on: 6K
This is because my workplace was less than a 1/4 of a mile from I-95 in Philadelphia. So Right after I started the car, I was gunning it to merge with the traffic going at 70mph.
We don't use Carfax, we use local ICBC checks because that's what required by law.
You are correct with trade ins.
The good ones stay, the so-so ones go to wholesalers (too high mileage for our lot, not financeable, too many accidents), and the really lousy ones that even wholesalers don't want get sent to scrap yards, or auctions.
However we have wholesalers that will buy the real crap as part of a package of 4-5 cars together, and in turn they will sell the junk to their friends' $1000 or less lot.
The good ones stay, the so-so ones go to wholesalers (too high mileage for our lot, not financeable, too many accidents), and the really lousy ones that even wholesalers don't want get sent to scrap yards, or auctions
That's interesting. Along time ago I went for an interview at Goodyear. They told us their best tires coming off the assembly line were used on new cars so the buyer of the new car would want the same tire for replacements, the second best went to independent dealers so they would stick with the brand, the third best go to their own stores because people are coming in to buy their brand of tires anyway, and their dealers can't refuse them or change brands.
I always instictively trusted a new car dealer for used cars in the past now I see it was correct to do so. They do have a reputation to uphold, they want you to come back and buy a new car someday, and they do have certain standards. Appreciate the insight.
When my wife and I bought new cars in September 2007 we had to sign documents saying whether our trade-in cars had been in an accident. We had to explain the circumstances of the accident and we had to show on a drawing where any damage occured. That's the first time I have heard of that.
We do that, it is a trade in disclosure. It is amazing how a customer has total recall when you ask them to sign this. Up until this point they have verbaly been asked two times if the car has ever been wrecked, then all of the sudden when you throw this form in front of them they remember the $4800 in damage it had two years ago.
We ask the following questions:
1. Ever sustained body or frame damage from a result of collision or any other cause
2. The odometer reflects actual mileage
3. The factory installed emmsions system works and has not been tampered with
4. The airbags have not been deployed, inflated, removed, or tampered with
5. The title is clean and does not read, reconditioned, reconstructed, rebuilt, salvaged, or flood damaged.
6. Sales and any other usage taxes have been paid.
7. Never been stolen
8. No liens or loans other then shown in payoff amount
9. Never been modified for racing or competition
10. You have fully disclosed all facts about the trade in that may effect its value.
This is also a great tool for when you sell the trade. When the customer ask if it has ever been wrecked we show them this and tell them according to the previous owner no.
Along time ago I went for an interview at Goodyear. They told us their best tires coming off the assembly line were used on new cars so the buyer of the new car would want the same tire for replacements, the second best went to independent dealers
I’m not going to argue about what you were told but I heard a completely different story when I bought new tires at the beginning of December of 07’.
There were Michelins on the car when I bought it new in 05’ and as usual the OEM tires didn’t last as long as replacements I have bought over the years. I walk into NTB and said to the guy, “I need 4 tires and I don’t want Michelins”. Of course, he asks why. And I told him the ones on my car were almost gone (only had about 21K on them) and since we were at the start of the winter season I wanted to replace them. He said, “that’s about what you’ll get from OEM’s, the Michelins we carry will give you much better mileage”. That is the same story I’ve heard from almost everyone over the years. The only exception to this is when Son #1 had Goodyear Eagle OEM’s on one of the cars he had and they lasted about 50K miles. So of course when the time came to replace them he wanted the exact same tire.
Now don’t get all excited because these were Goodyear’s because I’ve had Goodyear’s over the years and that is one brand I will stay away from. They have not worked well for me at all, whether new or replacements.
FWIW, the best set of tires I’ve ever had were Bridgestone; 80K mile rating that lasted about 45K and I was doing flip-flops over that. The replacements I’ve bought (never “performance tires”) only seen to last around 35K and I’ve never bought the low end grade, always top of the line.
My neck is worth something, you know. :surprise:
Has anyone sold a car LATELY.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
...and tell them according to the previous owner no.
I don't blame you for asking and that's all you can do but we all know people when it comes to things like this (because it can cost them money to admit the truth), will take the chance, and "lie through their teeth".
How many times do know or at least have a good reason to suspect that a person is not being truthful and what do you do about this?
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Don't know what it's worth, but I have had great service out of my Michelin tires. My '03 Explorer came with them. They lasted 45K. I replaced them with the current set of Michelins. They now have 43K on them. Next month I plan to order my third set. I do agree with you about Goodyear tires. My experience has been poor tread life and a bumpy ride.
BTW, we have 4 inches of snow here in Eastern North Carolina this morning! It is like a winter wonderland---soft and pretty. It's still snowing, so we may get 6-7 inches. We're using our fireplace for the first time in this house. It's nice and cozy. I have a pot of stew on, and will make corn bread later. Also, I have some nice wine set aside for this evening. Life is good.
BTW, we have 4 inches of snow here in Eastern North Carolina this morning! It is like a winter wonderland---soft and pretty. It's still snowing, so we may get 6-7 inches
LOL. Richard that reminds of the lady tv news anchor who was scolding the weatherman. She said, on air, "You promised me 12 inches last night and we only got 4 inches". There was a deathly quiet and then everyone cracked up. When she realized what she had said she nearly died on the spot !!
I agree that the OEM tires on a new car are barely good. Again, cost cutting measure. The tire companies build tires specifically to be shipped out to the car mfg. plant, and they are cheaper. This is true especially for large volume cars.
That's excellent information. Makes me really aware how important it is to get a used car from a reliable source.....there's so much to look out for that the no-name corner lot guy won't care about. And, a lot of things on the list I wouldn't have thought of.
I believe there was a Cincinnati author who wrote a book called 100 Uses for a Dead Cat
I got up in the middle of the night because I remembered this...since I am in the book business, I thought I could clarify this. I'll get into less trouble with my book knowledge compared to car knowledge.
The book was called 101 Uses for a Dead Cat and was written by Simon Bond in 1988. It ranks at about 78,000 in sales on Amazon so is a pretty good seller since there are probably about 10 million books listed.
One reviewer wrote:
One of those premises, by the way, is that in these 101 absurd cartoons, cats appear to be of more usefulness dead than alive. I know a lot of cat owners who think this book is hilarious precisely because they love their cats despite the fact that, in many ways, their cats are frequently annoying, destructive, selfish, demanding and high maintenance.
If I had started out immediately, the car would not have been completely warmed up and when you have to accelerate to get into traffic and then maintain turnpike speed, that is too much to ask of an engine that isn’t up to its normal temperature
Temperature here today was zero (0) and I drove about half a block and I would have gone on the highway without hesitation. Accelerating to get into traffic would not have been a problem...accept for my shaking legs.
I’m not going to argue about what you were told but I heard a completely different story when I bought new tires at the beginning of December of 07’
I was told it by the interviewer at Goodyear so I am just passing it along. This was a long time ago, in about 1975 so things could change. I don't know what tires cost then, but the D3 manufacturers paid about $4 a tire because the tire companies just wanted their tires to be on the car, so they could make money on the replacement tires. That's why they wanted the best tires to go to the manufacturer.
richard, you are just the person i was looking for to pass on this little nugget. for the explorer, michelin makes 2 versions of the cross terrain. 1 is the oem, which lasts about 40k+(treadwear rating 420). the other version has a treadwear rating of 700. the difference was less than $5 per tire when i bought mine 43k ago and yes there is still plenty of tread left on them. i did have to educate the tire guy on the difference. my explorer came with goodyears. the were noisy and vibrated a lot, but they were an unbeatable bad weather tire. i had to dial my poor weather driving back after putting on the michelins. btw, i still have the original goodyears on my 18 year old mustang. my youngest is trying to help my wife pick out her new car, but they don't seem to mention tires. :surprise:
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
btw, i still have the original goodyears on my 18 year old mustang.
That has to be a record for tire life but I ‘m sure you don’t have 18 years of real driving mileage on those tires. However, everything I’ve read from tire companies and other articles on tires say tires should be replaced after 5/6 years, regardless of miles, because they just break down with age (ozone is the culprit most responsible for this) and after that time period they aren’t considered safe.
I’ve even heard that states with safety inspections (like here in PA) can fail a car because of tires being too old, although I‘ve never personally heard of anyone that’s had that happen to them.
You might want to look into this.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
yes, i know they are way beyond service years. i sort of feel like the rubber is so hard now it doesn't wear anymore. here in ct we only have bi annual smog tests, unless you buy a car, and then only if over 10 years old, if i recall. i don't drive it in the rain, the tires being one consideration and the leaky top, another. goodyear has finally come out with what i consider to be an appropriate replacement, so that is what i will put on. the only items not original are the gas, oil, oil filter, and air filter. every year i am going to put some of our federal refund into the car, but it keeps getting smaller and other things seem to be more important. anyways it keeps on keeping on, so i just keep driving it on occasion when the weather is good. a new california special would be nice, though.
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
everything I’ve read from tire companies and other articles on tires say tires should be replaced after 5/6 years, regardless of miles, because they just break down with age
I read that too. Also, when storing tires lay them flat, not standing up. Room temperature is best too, not too cold.
i will have to post some picture of my vintage tires. they will surprise you. i do have a specific tire dressing i like to put on them, although only on the visible side.
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
There's someone who posted a recent buying story on the Honda Civic Si Sedan board here on edmunds. He emailed 47 (forty-seven) different dealers and ended up buying at his local dealership...why didn't he just go there and make a reasonable offer on the car he wanted?... Read the story, it will probably make YOU want to rip your eyebrows out...lol
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
jmonroe : "It ain't limited to cats, I can assure you. " Odd you should mention that.Through an odd circumstance I am currently in possesion of a Russian Blue who excels at post modern Chinese history.I was contemplating entering him on Jeopardy. When queried as to who led the cultural revolution he invariably answers Mao. When queried as to who had the little red book he invariably answers Mao. Alas, he really sucks on English literature. No comment on famous phrases for forty.
Clickety Clack ? No takes back !
Post on explorer4 your posts are gold or should be.
You have a smart cat, but I have a smart dog. He answers current issues questions: How were the Bush years? Answer: "Ruff" What is the state of the economy? Answer: "Ruff. Ruff." How would you deal with crooked used car salesmen? Answer: "Ruff. Ruff. Ruff."
Toyota passes GM in global sales The Associated Press
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
NEW YORK — General Motors sold fewer cars globally than Toyota last year, as the Japanese auto maker passed the Detroit company for the first time.
GM says it sold 8.356 million cars and trucks in 2008, falling about 616,000 vehicles short of Toyota's total of 8.972 million.
General Motors Corp. posted an 11 per cent drop for the year, while Toyota's sales fell four per cent.
Question for your dog: How will Obama do at saving us from the current economic situation in which we find ourselves? Will he save the US auto industry? (Obama, not your dog)
Geez, he said the dog was smart, even the multi-million dollar a year economists and mutual fund managers can't answer those questions. Though the dog could probably do better than my fund managers.
> he said the dog was smart, even the multi-million dollar a year economists and mutual fund managers can't answer those questions.
I suspect the dog will do better than the incoming warmed over Clinton era politicians we're getting. Example:
Richard, what does your dog see for investments to put cash back to work for the next year? I learned long ago fund managers and stock brokers really have little idea. Learned that when my broker asked me how I chose the stock I was buying through his company. :sick: Later he said he'd recommended it to several of his other clients. BTW I never bought anything he recommended.
My Lab is smart, but he is not psychic. I will tell you that he took one look at the picture that you posted and lost his breakfast. :P Can you believe such a pose when you know that you are more than likely to be on worldwide tv? This is a person that I would trust with the economy? Not!
Comments
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Usually, I would agree with people who say, get what you can from the report, but don't trust it completely - buyer beware type of thing. But, Carfax sets themselves up as the authority on the history of every car. By the way, they didn't add those extra clauses about not being responsible until they were made to do it.
If you have a home inspection, would you trust a home inspector that gives you a report with fine print.....not responsible if I didn't find problems that I couldn't detect?
Their report has some value, but it is so limited as to be almost useless. It is only good for eliminating the cars that do show up with a problem...if the car you are buying looks good you have to put that car through a battery of tests.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
If nothing else, it's a good sales tool. I know the guy who bought the Gr Marquis from me went over each and every line like it was scripture. He probably spent at least 15 minutes looking at nothing but the Carfax. Don't know what he gleaned from it by doing that. There's basic information, but not much more.
But, you plaster a clean Carfax on the windshield of a car for sale, and the conversation about it's mechanics or accident history is brief.
I think this guy says it best;
cleverdude.com
I have worked at a dealership now for close to 2 years. I have seen many cars from both carfax and autocheck that have unreported damage. Where I work, we guarantee no frame damage, flood damage, or shady history. The reports are one piece of that puzzle. The buyers and techs see the car as well. If at any time during appraisal or after we buy the car we find signs of flood, odometer, orframe damage, we auction the car.
I have seen all sorts of things come through. I have seen cars people bought NEW that had frame repairs (transport can damage the frame), I have seen totally rebuilt used cars with undisclosed damage.
I would stress asking the dealer for a written guarantee that there is no flood, frame, odometer damage. Also, this needs to be not just what is on a carfax report but from their inspection. If at all possible, have the car checked out by someone who knows body repairs as well as a mechanic before the sale is finalized. If the company has a return policy this is a lot easier!
This really makes a lot of sense. Too bad we can't find this guy to join us. His dealership sounds like it is a good place to buy a used car....and I am sure all our salespeople here work for equally honest dealerships. One important point though from all of this; If you are buying a used car you really have to be extra careful - check body damage, get a mechanic to inspect, flood damage, odometer rollbacks, and maybe a Carfax report
(About your last post, no problem, I have had those kind of days myself)
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
$30 for one report or $39.99 for unlimited reports, usually for a month. Carfax is a very useful tool when looking for a used car. I used it to rule out a car rather than confirm a car is clean. That's very easy to do in just a minute or two with the VIN.
Spent my morning getting my Eclipse inspected ( wow, 1 year old already.). I then spent some time washing the salt off it when I got home. Am I crazy to be out washing a car in the snow? Seems like every time we have 1 inch of snow they put down 2 inches of salt. I think I would rather slide around a little and have a lot less rust on my vehicles.
The slow sales continue I guess. I was the only person at the dealer this morning. You could have thrown a cat from one end to the other and not hit anyone. I asked the service tech if they were selling many cars and he almost sobbed a "No" before catching himself and stating that they had sold "a couple" last weekend.
Mitsu sales have held up pretty good percentage wise but when you only sell 100K cars a year every lost sale must hurt. I wish I had some money to replace one of my old clunkers, now would be a good time to buy. (Maybe jmonroe or Jipster have some bags of unused cash collecting dust under the couch that they would let me have).
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
CarFax
How does AutoCheck compare to CarFax?
Some dealers show a link to CarFax like in the middle of this used car page as a flash item so I can't make a link to it. Click on the 1 Owner Car Fax button...
CarFax
Are these equal services? I notice the CarFax flash asks "Tell us what you know about this car" at the bottom...
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I don’t believe that would be politically correct today. Now, if it were a salesman, I don’t think anyone would have a problem with that.
(Maybe jmonroe or Jipster have some bags of unused cash collecting dust under the couch that they would let me have).
Nope, they’re staying where they are. If you knew who learned I knew how to move couches, I’d be on sweeper duty.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Fiat, Chrysler in partnership talks: report
Reuters
Monday, January 19, 2009
MILAN — Fiat SpA is talking with Chrysler LLC to form a strategic partnership that could lead to the Italian car maker taking a stake in its U.S. peer, an industry publication said, citing people familiar with the matter.
Fiat could give Chrysler access to platforms, engines and transmissions to help the U.S. car maker overcome its problems, Automotive News Europe said on Monday.
Fiat was not immediately available for comment.
Fiat chief executive officer Sergio Marchionne told an industry publication in December that Fiat needed a partner to survive the crisis.
Apart from Ferrari and Maserati, Fiat does not sell cars in the United States.
Before the crisis hit the car industry, Fiat had been looking for ways to enter the United States and had talked to U.S. auto makers about the possibility of using some of their production lines.
Owned by private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management LP, Chrysler saw its sales fall 30 per cent in 2008.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I posted this on the comments page of that show:
The best bet is to inspect the vehicle yourself or a hire a 3rd party mechanic to do it. You don't need a forensic cop to figure out that parts have been replaced. It's easy to spot by missing VIN stickers on the body panels (on certain brands), or mismatched paint.
That being said the dealer probably knows that these vehicles were after accidents, but they hid behind their CarFax reports. Notice on how it wasn't an odd one car with a faulty report, but a ton of cars? Nice of them to pay for the repairs however.
The problerm with these reports like Carfax, Carproof, and ICBC (provincial insurance co.) checks, is that if the accident was never reported to anyone, they have no way of knowing about it, and it won't show on any reports.
For example, if a person is involved in a single vehicle accident with no inuries, and no witnesses (hits a tree on a country road), and gets their vehicle towed to a repair shop, and pays for the repairs themselves, then no insurance or police agency would know about the incident, and therefore it wouldn't show on any records like Carproof or Carfax. Auto repair shops are not obligated to report what they fix to any agency such as a police dept or insurance co.
This should be a lesson to people who will go to a no name used car lot because they have a "better price" than a brand name dealer. You get what you pay for. There's a reason that these cars are not sitting on an Acura lot, and why they're much cheaper.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Didn't Isell once state that all cars on dealer lots have some sort of accident history?
I think he also said that if a car comes in undamaged they hit it a few times with a hammer so it will fit in with the rest. :P
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
>I don’t believe that would be politically correct today
I believe there was a Cincinnati author who wrote a book called 100 Uses for a Dead Cat.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
I have bought a number of used cars in my time and the ones from private dealers were never very good. I have a belief, and maybe you can answer this boomer, the best trade-ins are going to stay with the dealer, the poorer ones will get sold to independents and the really bad ones will go to auctions, and still end up at indy lots. Would that be correct? If it is true you are really taking your chances with an indy lot it would seem.
Do you use Carfax or other service for your customers?
In my younger, less knowledgeable days, I bought 2 cars from indy lots and the cars were not even on the lot, the salesman was selling his own car on the side. They were real lemons...not even good enough to be on the indy lot...but what did I know at 18?
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
But could that author write a book called "100 Uses for a ...nah, I better not say it.. :shades:
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
>I don’t believe that would be politically correct today
I believe there was a Cincinnati author who wrote a book called 100 Uses for a Dead Cat.
That is the PC form. The non-PC form is You could have swung a dead cat and not hit any one.
Reminds me of the time when I got a check engine light for an engine misfire.
I take it to the dealer and he pulls out the stats from the car computer. It read something like this:
Ambient temp: 30F
Engine run time: 60 Secs. (so so)
RPM when CEL came on: 6K
This is because my workplace was less than a 1/4 of a mile from I-95 in Philadelphia. So Right after I started the car, I was gunning it to merge with the traffic going at 70mph.
You are correct with trade ins.
The good ones stay, the so-so ones go to wholesalers (too high mileage for our lot, not financeable, too many accidents), and the really lousy ones that even wholesalers don't want get sent to scrap yards, or auctions.
However we have wholesalers that will buy the real crap as part of a package of 4-5 cars together, and in turn they will sell the junk to their friends' $1000 or less lot.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
That's interesting. Along time ago I went for an interview at Goodyear. They told us their best tires coming off the assembly line were used on new cars so the buyer of the new car would want the same tire for replacements, the second best went to independent dealers so they would stick with the brand, the third best go to their own stores because people are coming in to buy their brand of tires anyway, and their dealers can't refuse them or change brands.
I always instictively trusted a new car dealer for used cars in the past now I see it was correct to do so. They do have a reputation to uphold, they want you to come back and buy a new car someday, and they do have certain standards.
Appreciate the insight.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
We ask the following questions:
1. Ever sustained body or frame damage from a result of collision or any other cause
2. The odometer reflects actual mileage
3. The factory installed emmsions system works and has not been tampered with
4. The airbags have not been deployed, inflated, removed, or tampered with
5. The title is clean and does not read, reconditioned, reconstructed, rebuilt, salvaged, or flood damaged.
6. Sales and any other usage taxes have been paid.
7. Never been stolen
8. No liens or loans other then shown in payoff amount
9. Never been modified for racing or competition
10. You have fully disclosed all facts about the trade in that may effect its value.
This is also a great tool for when you sell the trade. When the customer ask if it has ever been wrecked we show them this and tell them according to the previous owner no.
I’m not going to argue about what you were told but I heard a completely different story when I bought new tires at the beginning of December of 07’.
There were Michelins on the car when I bought it new in 05’ and as usual the OEM tires didn’t last as long as replacements I have bought over the years. I walk into NTB and said to the guy, “I need 4 tires and I don’t want Michelins”. Of course, he asks why. And I told him the ones on my car were almost gone (only had about 21K on them) and since we were at the start of the winter season I wanted to replace them. He said, “that’s about what you’ll get from OEM’s, the Michelins we carry will give you much better mileage”. That is the same story I’ve heard from almost everyone over the years. The only exception to this is when Son #1 had Goodyear Eagle OEM’s on one of the cars he had and they lasted about 50K miles. So of course when the time came to replace them he wanted the exact same tire.
Now don’t get all excited because these were Goodyear’s because I’ve had Goodyear’s over the years and that is one brand I will stay away from. They have not worked well for me at all, whether new or replacements.
FWIW, the best set of tires I’ve ever had were Bridgestone; 80K mile rating that lasted about 45K and I was doing flip-flops over that. The replacements I’ve bought (never “performance tires”) only seen to last around 35K and I’ve never bought the low end grade, always top of the line.
My neck is worth something, you know. :surprise:
Has anyone sold a car LATELY.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
I don't blame you for asking and that's all you can do but we all know people when it comes to things like this (because it can cost them money to admit the truth), will take the chance, and "lie through their teeth".
How many times do know or at least have a good reason to suspect that a person is not being truthful and what do you do about this?
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
BTW, we have 4 inches of snow here in Eastern North Carolina this morning! It is like a winter wonderland---soft and pretty. It's still snowing, so we may get 6-7 inches. We're using our fireplace for the first time in this house. It's nice and cozy. I have a pot of stew on, and will make corn bread later. Also, I have some nice wine set aside for this evening. Life is good.
Richard
LOL. Richard that reminds of the lady tv news anchor who was scolding the weatherman. She said, on air, "You promised me 12 inches last night and we only got 4 inches". There was a deathly quiet and then everyone cracked up. When she realized what she had said she nearly died on the spot !!
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
Richard
You're welcome.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Again, cost cutting measure. The tire companies build tires specifically to be shipped out to the car mfg. plant, and they are cheaper. This is true especially for large volume cars.
That's excellent information. Makes me really aware how important it is to get a used car from a reliable source.....there's so much to look out for that the no-name corner lot guy won't care about. And, a lot of things on the list I wouldn't have thought of.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I got up in the middle of the night because I remembered this...since I am in the book business, I thought I could clarify this. I'll get into less trouble with my book knowledge compared to car knowledge.
The book was called 101 Uses for a Dead Cat and was written by Simon Bond in 1988. It ranks at about 78,000 in sales on Amazon so is a pretty good seller since there are probably about 10 million books listed.
One reviewer wrote:
One of those premises, by the way, is that in these 101 absurd cartoons, cats appear to be of more usefulness dead than alive.
I know a lot of cat owners who think this book is hilarious precisely because they love their cats despite the fact that, in many ways, their cats are frequently annoying, destructive, selfish, demanding and high maintenance.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Temperature here today was zero (0) and I drove about half a block and I would have gone on the highway without hesitation. Accelerating to get into traffic would not have been a problem...accept for my shaking legs.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
It ain't limited to cats, I can assure you.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
I was told it by the interviewer at Goodyear so I am just passing it along. This was a long time ago, in about 1975 so things could change. I don't know what tires cost then, but the D3 manufacturers paid about $4 a tire because the tire companies just wanted their tires to be on the car, so they could make money on the replacement tires. That's why they wanted the best tires to go to the manufacturer.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
lol, I won't ask who it is not limited to.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
for the explorer, michelin makes 2 versions of the cross terrain.
1 is the oem, which lasts about 40k+(treadwear rating 420).
the other version has a treadwear rating of 700.
the difference was less than $5 per tire when i bought mine 43k ago and yes there is still plenty of tread left on them.
i did have to educate the tire guy on the difference.
my explorer came with goodyears. the were noisy and vibrated a lot, but they were an unbeatable bad weather tire. i had to dial my poor weather driving back after putting on the michelins.
btw, i still have the original goodyears on my 18 year old mustang.
my youngest is trying to help my wife pick out her new car, but they don't seem to mention tires. :surprise:
That has to be a record for tire life but I ‘m sure you don’t have 18 years of real driving mileage on those tires. However, everything I’ve read from tire companies and other articles on tires say tires should be replaced after 5/6 years, regardless of miles, because they just break down with age (ozone is the culprit most responsible for this) and after that time period they aren’t considered safe.
I’ve even heard that states with safety inspections (like here in PA) can fail a car because of tires being too old, although I‘ve never personally heard of anyone that’s had that happen to them.
You might want to look into this.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
here in ct we only have bi annual smog tests, unless you buy a car, and then only if over 10 years old, if i recall.
i don't drive it in the rain, the tires being one consideration and the leaky top, another.
goodyear has finally come out with what i consider to be an appropriate replacement, so that is what i will put on.
the only items not original are the gas, oil, oil filter, and air filter.
every year i am going to put some of our federal refund into the car, but it keeps getting smaller and other things seem to be more important.
anyways it keeps on keeping on, so i just keep driving it on occasion when the weather is good.
a new california special would be nice, though.
I read that too. Also, when storing tires lay them flat, not standing up. Room temperature is best too, not too cold.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
they will surprise you.
i do have a specific tire dressing i like to put on them, although only on the visible side.
If that means you still have the original belts, hoses and vacuum lines, CT must be the most rubber friendly state in the US. :confuse:
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
"It ain't limited to cats, I can assure you. "
Odd you should mention that.Through an odd circumstance I am currently in possesion of a Russian Blue who excels at post modern Chinese history.I was contemplating entering him on Jeopardy. When queried as to who led the cultural revolution he invariably answers Mao. When queried as to who had the little red book he invariably answers Mao. Alas, he really sucks on English literature. No comment on famous phrases for forty.
Clickety Clack ? No takes back !
Post on explorer4 your posts are gold or should be.
Richard
Richard
Question for your dog:
How will Obama do at saving us from the current economic situation in which we find ourselves?
Will he save the US auto industry? (Obama, not your dog)
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
The Associated Press
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
NEW YORK — General Motors sold fewer cars globally than Toyota last year, as the Japanese auto maker passed the Detroit company for the first time.
GM says it sold 8.356 million cars and trucks in 2008, falling about 616,000 vehicles short of Toyota's total of 8.972 million.
General Motors Corp. posted an 11 per cent drop for the year, while Toyota's sales fell four per cent.
More to come
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
How will Obama do at saving us from the current economic situation in which we find ourselves?
Will he save the US auto industry? (Obama, not your dog)
Geez, he said the dog was smart, even the multi-million dollar a year economists and mutual fund managers can't answer those questions. Though the dog could probably do better than my fund managers.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I suspect the dog will do better than the incoming warmed over Clinton era politicians we're getting. Example:
Richard, what does your dog see for investments to put cash back to work for the next year? I learned long ago fund managers and stock brokers really have little idea. Learned that when my broker asked me how I chose the stock I was buying through his company. :sick: Later he said he'd recommended it to several of his other clients. BTW I never bought anything he recommended.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Richard