Hello guys! This is really my first time buying a car myself/haggling as well. The car I was trying to go for was a Hyundai Ioniq 6 Limited RWD with around 25k miles that is currently going for about 29,600. I was able to haggle it a bit (I’m not the greatest to be honest) and he was hard-stuck on it being $28,220 out the door as is. I told him I can only do $27.5k final price out the door since that is really all I can afford, and he said “we can sell it at auction for this price, no reason to sell it for any less.”

Is that true? I don’t really know much about cars but this car drives perfectly, has no damage that I could see and the inside looks perfect. It’s been on the lot for around 20 days so far, and I am worried if this is a good deal or not.

Me and my wife bought a used Kia carnival at a kia dealership in MA, signed and paid full. The sales person said they will hold the car for us. Took 2 weeks for the drivers license to come. Called the dealership to schedule for pick up. Our sales person said he’ll be away but come in today. We went to the dealership to pick up the car, to find out it’s not ready.

We didn’t understand because the person who took us in said it hasn’t been cleaned. We said it’s okay, since it was already clean when we test drove it and bought it. (Also we didn’t want to wait for 4 hrs) Then we found out someone has been using the car. The interior was extremely filthy. There were kids toys, wrappers, food crumbs, stains etc. On top of that, we found out extra 600miles on the meter since we purchased it. The manager didn’t do shit, ‘sorry I am not sure how that happened.’ offered us $200, then $500, which I think it’s ridiculous. We told them we want to talk to our sales person and put a pause till we hear the explanation.

I want to file police report for unauthorized vehicle use, not sure what we should do. Take the higher compensation? Or get a full refund? we lost all the trust in this dealership. What can we do? We are based in MA.

Serious question. I just joined so apologies if this has been asked/answered.
Does this community think pricing for used cars is a “bubble” currently? Like housing & tech, those eventually burst. Or are these mostly insane prices here for good?
May be like housing where people can’t move (cheaper to stay in my current situation) & supply continues to deteriorate. Or is this just a bad used car blip in time? ✌🏽

Hey everyone,

I’m currently shopping for a used car in Ontario with a strict total budget of around $7,500 – $8,000 CAD (which needs to cover taxes, registration, safety inspection, and potential immediate repairs). I have a G2 license, so keeping initial and long-term costs predictable is my top priority.

To avoid making emotional decisions or falling for flashy listing descriptions, I’ve been using a structured framework to evaluate every listing I find before even reaching out to a seller.

What I do is

1. Pull up the listing on facebook marketplace
2. I click on Ask Gemini in Google Chrome
3. I run a skill/prompt asking it to evaluate the car, factor in the year, mileage, description, every single thing.

Do you think using a rigid framework like this is a solid way to filter out money pits before wasting time on test drives?

Basically I find that it cancels out me even wanting to buy like 90% of cars, and it's made me think that I need to find a Honda or Toyota for now. Sometimes I wonder, "yeah but how likely is it that these negative things will come true?" But then I think about the mileage and the lifecycle, just like it often brings up and just conclude that I am in fact going about this the right way.

Here is an example output from running the prompt.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/902300635759850/?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post

Risk Assessment & Seller-Stated Conditions

• Safety Inspection Status: The listing does not state that the car is safetied. In Ontario private sales, unless a listing explicitly specifies "comes safetied" or "sold with Safety Standards Certificate (SSC)", you must assume it is sold AS IS.
• Seller-Stated Positives: The seller highlights recent replacements (4 all-season tires, brakes), key features (AWD, keyless entry, remote start, A/C working, 2 sets of keys), and claims it is "woman driven."
• Seller Red Flags:
  1. Listed 11 Weeks Ago: A subcompact AWD SUV priced at CA$7,000 in Ontario remaining unsold for almost 3 months is a major warning sign. Good private-sale cars under $8,000 typically sell within days or 1–2 weeks.
  2. 171,600 km Mileage: At this mileage, original components on a subcompact crossover are approaching end-of-life.
  3. Vague Description / No Safety Mention: Omitting the Safety Certificate status usually implies the seller knows it requires repairs to pass inspection and is shifting that financial burden onto the buyer.

2016 Chevrolet Trax Reliability & Repair Expectations

The 2016 Chevrolet Trax is powered by GM’s 1.4L Ecotec Turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. While compact and fuel-efficient, this powertrain and vehicle platform are well-documented by mechanics for several recurring mechanical vulnerabilities.

Known Mechanical Vulnerabilities, Estimated Costs & Failure Likelihood

1. Plastic Water Outlet / Coolant Leaks & Thermostat Housing
   • Issue: The plastic coolant water outlet housing and thermostat housings degrade over heat cycles, crack, and leak coolant, causing severe engine overheating.
   • Estimated Repair Cost: $250 – $550
   • Likelihood of Failure: High (Extremely common on 1.4L Ecotec engines around 120,000–180,000 km).
2. Turbocharger & Wastegate Failure (Code P0299)
   • Issue: The built-in turbocharger wastegate wears out or cracks internally, leading to boost loss, loss of power on highways, and check engine lights.
   • Estimated Repair Cost: $1,400 – $2,200
   • Likelihood of Failure: Medium to High at 171,600 km.
3. PCV Valve / Valve Cover & Intake Manifold Failure
   • Issue: The PCV pressure valve integrated into the intake manifold fails, sucking engine oil into the intake, blowing out the valve cover gasket, and causing excessive oil consumption.
   • Estimated Repair Cost: $500 – $1,100 (Requires valve cover and/or intake manifold replacement).
4. Water Pump Failure
   • Issue: Internal coolant leakage or bearing failure in the water pump, leading to rapid coolant loss.
   • Estimated Repair Cost: $750 – $1,100
   • Likelihood of Failure: Medium.
5. Front Suspension & Lower Control Arms
   • Issue: Worn bushings, ball joints, and control arm wear (subject to recall history in earlier models).
   • Estimated Repair Cost: $400 – $800
   • Likelihood of Failure: Medium to High given Ontario road conditions and vehicle age.

Long-Term Vehicle Outlook

If you buy this car and spend $2,000–$3,500 resolving these issues (e.g., replacing the turbo, water housing, and suspension parts), the car will run reliably in the short term. However, the Ecotec 1.4L engine platform is prone to repeated thermal cycling issues. Plastic coolant components and seals deteriorate again over time, and oil consumption tends to increase as mileage exceeds 200,000 km. It is not a vehicle platform known to reach 300,000 km gracefully like a Toyota or Honda.

Kilometers & Lifespan Assessment

At 171,600 km, this Trax is in the upper quartile of its design life. Most subcompact crossover SUVs in this category reach major mechanical wear points between 200,000 km and 230,000 km. You can realistically expect another 30,000 km to 50,000 km of service from this car before major engine or drivetrain overhauls outweigh the vehicle's total market value.

Costs

• Listing Price: $7,000.00 CAD
• Harmonized Sales Tax (HST - 13% Ontario): $910.00 CAD (Paid at ServiceOntario based on purchase price or Wholesale Redbook value, whichever is higher)
• Used Vehicle Information Package (UVIP): $20.00 CAD (Legally required from seller or bought at ServiceOntario)
• Safety Standards Certificate (SSC) Inspection: $150.00 – $250.00 CAD (Plus cost of any necessary repairs to pass)
• Licensing & Plate Registration Fee: $59.00 CAD
• Estimated Insurance Cost:
  • As a returning G2 driver with a gap in driving history from 2005 to 2026, insurance companies treat you similarly to a new driver.
  • In Windsor, Ontario, comprehensive/liability insurance for a G2 holder on a 2016 AWD crossover typically ranges between $320.00 – $450.00 CAD per month ($3,800 – $5,400 annually), depending on the insurer and coverage limits.

Total Upfront Out-of-Pocket (Excluding Repairs): ~$8,140.00 CAD

Note: This exceeds your $7,500 total budget before factoring in potential Safety Certificate repair costs.

Final Judgment

Verdict: Not Recommended.

While the 2016 Chevrolet Trax offers appealing features like AWD and remote start, the total purchase price ($7,000) plus Ontario HST ($910) and registration fees already consumes your $8,000 budget before paying for a Safety Certificate, inspection, or repairs.

Furthermore, the 1.4L Turbo Ecotec platform at 171,600 km carries high risks of turbo, coolant, and oil system failures. The 11-week listing time strongly suggests other buyers or inspectors found costly safety repair requirements. You risk spending $8,000 upfront and immediately facing $1,500+ in mechanical repairs. Look toward a well-maintained FWD Toyota, Honda, or Mazda within the $5,000–$6,000 range to allow a sufficient buffer for taxes, safety, winter tires, and insurance.

Hello! I am purchasing a car from Texas and driving it to okc without a linces plate. I don’t have a notary available. Am I okay to drive back with just a bill of sale and title in hand? I will also add it to my insurance.

I broke the mirror on my wife’s car. The Volkswagen dealership quoted 1000+ labor. The local repair shop said $500. Clearly there’s a problem here.

The real conversation behind this is the dealerships are not making money selling vehicles. They’re probably under pressure with the F and I portion of their business and they keep pressing the metal on service fees and parts that eventually consumers are going to push back hard and not go to the dealerships unless they absolutely have to. The local shop should be able to undercut them on price all day long take away market share from the greedy dealerships I won’t cry.

I know people say Toyotas are meant to last, but it’s about to be 2027

I put my car for sale across websites and I got a call from this dealer with a good offer. We decided to go ahead and i called them back to send them the photos of my title, registration license and bill of sale

My car is financed but they already knew my payoff amount. How is that possible? I called the bank they confirmed they didn't receive any call and they would need my ssn to access the account details

How did they know the payoff before hand?

I had given them my VIN on the first call so they knew the title was clean

The driver is gonna come tmrw with a residual check and documents for me to sign but Im skeptical now bcz the check could be a fraudulent check or could bounce after I give away the car

Is it safe to do a sale like this? Im only selling

I could name the dealership

Hi guys!

I’m considering buying a 2015 Mazda3 i Touring with 116,400 miles from a private seller for $8,000.

I had a pre-purchase inspection done at an independent mechanic, and these are the main issues they found:

Shocks/struts: Leaking, quoted around $650 to replace both. The mechanic said it’s mostly a comfort issue and not an immediate safety concern.

Control arms/bushings: Cracked/torn bushings on both front and rear control arms. Quoted around $1,500, but the mechanic said they don’t need to be replaced right now.

Brake fluid: Low and very dirty/contaminated. Needs to be flushed.

Minor engine oil leak: Coming from the valve cover gasket. No oil in the spark plug wells.

Spark plugs: Recommended replacement due to age/mileage.

Air filters: Both need replacing.

Brake pads are still at 8 mm front and 6 mm rear.
Other than that, the inspection didn’t reveal any major issues with the engine or transmission.

The seller originally wanted $8,300 but agreed to $8,000, which is their final price. They seem trustworthy, and the car looks pretty good overall.
I really like the Mazda3, and I’m planning to keep it for at least 3–5 years. I won’t be driving a ton, probably mostly on weekends.

My main concern is whether I’m buying a car that’s going to need a lot of expensive repairs over the next few years.

What do you guys think? Is $8,000 a fair price given these issues? Would you buy it?

Thanks a lot in advance!!

Is a used 2016 Prius with new battery and clean title but 164,000 miles worth buying for 9,000$?

If not, I’m looking to buy a used Toyota but I’m new to cars in general. Do you have any advice? Any year or model I should avoid, or things to look out for knowing that I can’t spend more than 9000$?
Thank you so much