Don't Buy A Lemon !

[LNSvince]

"Don't Buy a Lemon " We offer Bumper-to-Bumper Used vehicle inspections. Take the financial worry out of your next vehicle purchase.
I'm bringing this up because , It happened again today !
A new customer that moved into the Area from Texas, Purchased a Used Nissan from a local car lot.
He's had it for 2/or 3 days, then decides to bring it in for inspection.
Partly because he had a grinding noise in the right front wheel. Well this was an easy one to find, the Brake caliper bolts fell out of it.
Only thing holding the caliper on was the rim [ the wheel ] itself !


OMG, I have seen some Junky cars, but this one "takes the cake"
He paid $6k for the car, and I guarantee you it needs $4k worth of work.


We charge $88 for a Complete Bumper to Bumper inspection.
Real testing and inspections are done. Not just a code read and test drive around the block.
Yes, we have had customers bring in 3, 4 even 5 vehicles before finding the right one.
We saved that particular customer from making some serious mistakes.

So PLEASE, ---- PLUH-EASE Do NOT buy a used Vehicle without bringing the car to us.
We can/will have the inspection done the same day you bring it.

 

[rrussotwo]

Will you guys change manual trans fluids and how much for a 2009 Scion xB?

I need a complete inspection done on my wife's car (the Scion) with 90k.

 

[LNSvince]

Ill get you a price on that. I need to look up what fluid goes back into it.

For the Wife's car, If there is no actual problem, Just bring it in and we can go over it and get you on a maintenance / repair program.
A little at a time, all at once, what ever fits your needs.
Remember, all based off of Facts on the condition of your car, NOT off of menu pricing and recommended mileages [ which is a sales gimmic ]


Im tired of seeing People getting screwed into buying **** they DONT need. Or better yet, chain stores only sell the "easy" stuff, because they are too lazy and take the easy road in hopes of more profit.
They make you "Believe" you are taking great care of your car. Problem is, the harder [ or smaller with very little profit ] repairs/maintenance that you "DO" need is getting overlooked.
So when stuff breaks, your saying, I dont understand. I Take care of my car ??????

Yes I get an attitude about it. I cant tell you how many people come in that say they went to XXX-stone for an Oil change Coupon, and XXX-stone said they needed brakes.
When they get to me, the brakes have 50% left..........Go figure.

Or the Gimmic of "Lifetime Brakes" or " Lifetime Alignment" or "Lifetime Anything"....... Hopefully I dont have to explain the trickery behind this one.

[ Stop Rant, Not sure why I went off in that direction. Probably left over from recent events and new customers coming in telling of their experiences]

Vince

 

[rrussotwo]

I'm with you 100%.

The wife's car is the 2009 Scion xB. We commute to work 25 miles each way with that. Hence the 90k.

Brakes are too easy to do yourself. I don't get people who pay chain shops assloads of money to do brakes. I just replaced rotors and pads on the front. Rears were looking good. Fronts weren't even that bad, drivers rotor showed some wear so I replaced them. Cheap and easy.

I've just never done a transmission fluid change before. Otherwise I'd do it myself. I wanted to get it done at 50k, but the dealership told me not to. I dislike dealerships.

I want to keep the car for another 90k and wanted an inspection along with the fluid change to make sure everything is gtg with it.

 

[LNSvince]

Got you covered ! We can look into the computer to see where the Adaptive strategy is taking the ignition and fuel system. Double check climate control and steering.
Since you may be able to do it yourself, you need to flush out your ABS brake system. It is true that its not good to squeeze in the calipers , pushing that fluid back into the reservoir.
Even if its just a low tech gravity bleed of all 4 wheels until the fluid is replaced.

Ill learn ya.............

 

[headspace]

Thanks a bunch for that info on the inspection man. I will surely pass it on to everybody I hear of buying a used car

 

[troy_mclure]

wish you were near houma when i bought my gf her car, there was no major issues, just a bunch of little stuff.

 

[LNSvince]

Houma, thats only a short drive. If it saves you several thousand $$$$................

 

[troy_mclure]

If they would have lit us drive that far. Lol

 

[LNSvince]

I've got Good News on the new customer that purchased the $6k Lemon.

ON her invoice from our first used car inspection, I went into detail on the extensive [ multiple ] Computer repairs necessary to get rid of the check engine light, because the inspection sticker expired 2 months ago.

I instructed her to Focus [ In a VERY calm way ] on the fact that they sold her a car with an expired sticker,
she tried to get a new one but couldn't because of the SES light being on.
I asked her not to confront them about the other repairs necessary, but to stay focused on the 1 thing they would not
be able to debate.
The Inspection sticker, and the fact that she could NOT get one until the light was off.


Guess what !?! She showed up at the shop this evening in a DIFFERENT USED CAR from their inventory! A Mazda 626
She told me [ while holding back tears of joy ] that she did EXACTLY what I told her to do, and without hesitation, the used car lot agreed
to swap out cars with her for something else.
She couldn't get a refund, but she could pick out another vehicle from their lot for us to Inspect.
The reality check here is, she was financing through them, and she still needs a car.
I told her there has to be at least 1 good car on their lot. and I would check every one of them if necessary to help her out.


AT least she is NOT stuck with the First P.O.S.. Now she is getting a better car and a lower car note.
Yes it needs some work. [ 99% of the cars at a private used lot do ], but that the car would be ok after the repairs.
The Car Lot offered for their mechanic to perform the necessary repairs to the Mazda 626, but thankfully she remembered about the brake caliper
bolts falling out the Lemon she just returned to them. Instead she asked for a discount, and told them she would rather pay the difference
and let us fix the car she ended up with.

 

[headspace]

Vince, that is friggin awesome dude. Good on you.