I was investigating a possible car to buy-a 2004 Toyota Camry with 191,000 miles on it from a dealership for $2,995. The car was rear-ended and not fixed, with minimal damage-none to the frame that I could see- but the reason for the low price.
The salesman told me it had a warning light on because it needed maintenance. I saw that the oil warning light was on plus the maintenance light. In my inspection, I was able to wipe off some oil on the dipstick, but when I reinserted it, it showed no oil on the stick's measurement. I asked why they would not put oil in or change the oil when the car was indicating it was a problem. They didn't have a good reason and got defensive when I explained the damage that they may have done. They did immediately do an oil change as I refused to test drive it without oil.
It seemed to test drive ok-maybe some brake issues and a louder than normal muffler. The next step is a mechanic check. Are there any tests that I can request the mechanic to do to see if this lack of oil caused damage to anything...or should I just walk away now.
It checked a lot of my boxes for an acceptable car. My last 2 cars did not pass the mechanic's check after I thought the car was acceptable.
Thank you for your help,
Candace
run away
This is an indication of a dealer (never go to a dealer) who is trying to sell damaged goods. Sprint away from this deal.
I know that is what car people say, but I have found that individuals lie (re. odometer readings that aren't consistent with the car's CARFAX report; most refuse to give a VIN # so I can get a CARFAX history which implies that they are hiding something; have scams that involve them getting the car shipped to the purchaser via eBay coupons and I don't know the rest of the scam except you are to buy a car you haven't seen or test drove; many dealers list their car like it is an individual selling it; list a car then go out of town and not return; try to sell the same car in 26 different states/cities and when I ask about it they say their site was hacked (of course is a lie); don't answer my questions regarding their car for sale; I have not been able to see any cars from a legitament individual seller within 75 miles of Toledo...so I have had to look at dealers. I have looked at all the car sites plus joined several groups who list cars for sale; used Craigslist and several sites that are supposed to individuals selling their car. I have never looked for a used car before and find the current market frustrating with all of the above. Any suggestions on how to find an honest individual selling their Camry-I welcome them.
Thanks, Candace
I have found that individuals lie
yes everybody lies, but car salesmen do it for a living. They're professionals!
We used to have a saying in the computer business:
Q. What is the difference between a computer salesman and a car salesman?
A. The car salesman KNOWS when he's lying to you.
You can bet your sweet bippy that if the salesman's lips are moving he is lying to you. As @mmj says, they are pros at it. You have a much better shot when dealing with amateur liars.
Any suggestions on how to find an honest individual
stop looking for one. Take everything with a grain of salt, check for yourself, and do everything you can to cover your butt, and remove the seller's claims from the equation.
And of course ...
Thank you- the 2 pre-purchase reviews I did was what I based my decision on-to walk away. Great advice.
Keep up the search and don't settle, as frustrating as it can be! Check on Facebook Marketplace, at least down in Dayton, Ohio, there's a fair number of private sellers on there. Also join local buy/sell/trade groups on there. They tend to not allow dealers to post vehicles. I bought my 1999 Ranger from a couple across the river in Burlington, Kentucky on Facebook Marketplace. Practically every privately owned truck in Dayton was either torn to shreds, had a filthy interior, or was rotted out. My price range was $4,000 in 2019. The sellers replaced the radiator before selling it to me, and they took $500 off their asking price on top of it. I didn't have it checked out by a mechanic, it drove well enough and there was no CEL, the interior and exterior were in great shape so I bought it.
I got sold a rebuilt tranny job shortly after and should have just bought a remanned unit for the price I paid; the job was done poorly. It's been reliable transportation. Look really hard, then have a mechanic check it out, or bring a good scan tool along and watch Scotty's videos to learn how to use it when checking a used vehicle for purchase. The Innova 5160RS is what Scotty uses. That's a $350 scan tool, but $350 vs chancing $3000+ on a new engine if you don't have a mechanic check the car is well worth the investment.
