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.

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

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!!

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 need a car for my daily commute in NJ, about 80 miles round trip, mostly highway. Budget is around $5k. I’m down to two Subarus at the same used lot and would like a sanity check.

2013 Impreza 2.0i Limited, 167k miles, $3,995

One owner, South Carolina its whole life (no salt), no accidents
39 service records, almost all at one dealer
CVT valve body replaced at 123k in 2023
Alternator, brakes, rear struts, rear wheel bearing and four new tires all done in the last 18 months, plugs in July
On 9/28 this year at 166,966 miles, Carfax says “cylinder head serviced/repaired” and thermostat replaced. Two days later it was sold at auction.

2013 Outback 2.5i Limited, 130k miles, $4,995

Two owners (PA, then NY), no accidents
Oil changed roughly every 5k, mostly at Valvoline. 60k service at a Subaru dealer, coolant flushed in 2022 and 2025
No CVT fluid service on record
Sold at auction twice in three weeks before this lot got it

Both have a $699 doc fee on top.

My questions:

What does “cylinder head serviced/repaired” plus a new thermostat usually mean on an FB20? Head gasket, valve cover gasket, something else? Should I walk away?
Is the valve body replacement a good sign (already fixed) or a warning about that CVT?
The Outback’s CVT fluid has never been changed at 130k. Change it now or leave it alone?
How worried should I be about oil consumption on 2013 FB engines, and how do I check for it?
Which one would you buy, and what should I ask the shop to check in a pre-purchase inspection?

Thanks!

Please help! Going to dealer tomorrow

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

Looking for Grand vitara or victoris or toyota hyryder Strong hybrid in Bangalore. Anyone selling, pl DM me. Will give good price and close the deal soon. Thanks.

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

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 looking at a 1999 Subaru Outback with less than 53kmiles. I am pretty interested in this car. It did unfortunately sit for 20 years without much use, the interior is fabulous and drives nicely.

Asking price is 8,900 and needs all fluid changed in the vehicle Adding a quote of the biggest issue and i am wondering what the costs might be to fix them and if I should get this car. This would be a daily driver for the winter time and for mountain use.

" possible front crank seal leaking. Passenger side axle seal in transmission leaking. Recommend thorough cleaning of underside of transmission and engine and dye injection to determine leak sources.

Would this be a vehicle you purchase or will this turn into a money pit? I dont know too much about cars let alone subarus.

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.

https://www.carfax.com/vehiclehistory/ar20/Hsl14hd8Mg50QszmXCsVrJvUIY1KDGmkbUmlXGCH_X_rdren6eeo75hEqzf3Em5RSuQWKdRFHoafKnktZ-Xs1StAYKbZEIR3wv4

My biggest concern are the several damages reported in the CarFax. A couple seem like minor cosmetic damage but the sideswipe in 2023 is concerning. There are no reports of bodywork being done as the images show an exterior that seems fine.

What say you?

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.

Hey guys! If not allowed please remove.

I live in Plano Texas.

I bought 3 of these little cars recently and have decided to sell this one. I am not a dealer just an enthusiast who couldn't make up his mind, LOL. This one is a manual and my wife WILL NOT drive it and sometimes that is inconvenient so we're putting this one up for sale.

Specs

• 2001 Suzuki Jimny JB23W 660cc 4x4 Manual 5 Speed Transmission
• A/C Blows ICE Cold!!
• 76k Miles On It
• Clutch feels fantastic
• Land Venture Version. - Basically it has cool green interior and the gold trim on the outside.
• No Rust to speak of. There is some on the exhaust like any car has and little specs being a 25 year old car like on the oil pan but nothing concerning whatsoever. I don't buy rusty cars. :)

To this group, I'd take $7k cash for it. I am currently doing the paperwork to get a title for it so it will be ready to go. If you take it with all it's import paperwork and do that part yourself, I would do $6300.

Here's what I know about it.
- I have been driving it for two weeks daily. All over DFW. It does 65mph pretty well as a crusing speed. The air conditioning works super well which is a must for me. When I first got this one, I was worried it may not be capable of keeping up with traffic but the turbo and manual transmission make a huge difference in the performance. Still a small car but a fun daily driver none the less.
- It's from Japan. I bought it from a place in Houston and had planned for it to be my daily driver but I found another one that was an auto transmission.

I know most people prefer the 5 speed and this one is a good one. Hopefully I can give someone a good deal on it.

I have a 2007 Honda Odyssey with about 230k miles and I’m trying to decide if it’s even worth keeping anymore or if I should just sell it for like $1,500 or less and buy something better.

I bought it in May and have put around 4k miles on it. It actually drives pretty good and the engine/transmission have seemed solid, but it has a bunch of random issues.
The power steering leaks and whines really bad so I basically have no power steering right now. Neither sliding door works, although I honestly don’t really care about that. AC doesn’t work either. The heat works but when I turn it on there’s this really high pitched noise and kind of a burning smell so I can’t use it.

The paint is also really bad. The roof is basically completely faded and there’s faded paint on the sides too, but I don’t care that much about cosmetics.

The biggest thing happened yesterday. One of the radiator hoses came off while I was driving and it overheated pretty bad. I got it home and it still runs fine, but I have no idea if I damaged the engine from overheating it.

There was also this weird white/milky looking stuff coming out around the radiator hose after it happened. I don’t know if it was just old coolant/gunk or if oil and coolant are somehow mixing, which obviously would be way worse.

The previous owner did replace the timing belt and water pump around 35k miles ago from a shop and did some other maintenance too, so it’s not completely neglected or anything.

I’m just wondering at what point it stops making sense to keep fixing a van with 230k miles and a bunch of issues.
If I sold it I’d probably try to get another Odyssey or maybe a Sienna that’s like 5-6 years newer and hopefully around 100k less miles. Obviously I’d have to spend more money but at least I’d hopefully have working heat/AC, power steering, and something that hasn’t just overheated.

Would you guys fix this one and keep driving it or just sell it cheap and move on?

My husband and I have been looking at the Honda Odysseys. We search through Carguru and Carfax mostly and see when the price drops and some say, fair deal, good or great deal based on the price. The price disclaimer says it's the total with dealer fees and taxes We are assuming we have to include if needed like warranty and gap insurance.

We had one dealership tell us they don't reduce the price since it's already reduced and that from our lender's APR seems like that was the best offer we would get so they didn't bother to try to run the credit.

Are dealers able to negotiate the price and should we purchase the warranty since it's sold "as is"? Can we get a good rate/ better offer if we go in with our prequalified offer from our lender?

I recently totaled my 2007 CRV and want something similarly reliable. I drive 40/50 miles every day for work. I don’t have much cash but could do $2k down. The totaled car had 190k miles but was still going strong :/

I’ve always owned Toyotas or Hondas so am leaning there. SUVs or crossovers are preferred because Michigan potholes really messed up a Prius I had a while ago.

I really want to avoid taking out a huge loan but since I need it for work, it might be worth it to get a newer car. The top of my budget is more or less $13k if I’m financing. What make/ model/ mileage would you recommend?

Need to get rid of one of our cars. Seeking advice on which one we should keep and which one we should sell. Any input on pricing for our region would be appreciated too. Located in sf bay area. We are aware of the infamous Nissan CVTs, but weren't sure if it still has a high likelihood of giving us problems down the line despite how well the car has been maintained vs the Toyota Corolla that has not been maintained as well and has seen "harsh" driving conditions. TIA.

Both cars drive perfectly fine. Neither has ever had any kind of mechanical or electrical issues, or had any parts replaced except the tires and 12V battery (as far as we can remember - definitely no major parts replacement like timing belt, water pump etc). The Nissan Altima costs about $20 more in insurance every month. Around 5/32 tread remaining on the tires of both cars. All recalls (if any) have been taken care of.

2012 Toyota Corolla S with nearly 110k miles on it. Maybe 25% of those miles are from short distance driving that could be considered "severe conditions" (<2~3 mile trips). Serviced every ~6k miles. Never had a transmission fluid exchange, but it seems fine to my amateur eyes when I examine it (service techs have never flagged it either). Brake fluid exchange only once at 90k miles. One of the TPMS sensor needs to be replaced. Visible damage to rear and front bumper covers from being hit at a low speed while parked on the street. Paint starting to delaminate on roof due to always being parked outdoors.

2015 Nissan Altima 2.5 SV with nearly 155k miles on it. 90% of it being gentle highway miles. Always garage kept and no cosmetic damages. Manufacturer recommended service schedule followed for the most part, including CVT fluid exchanges, brake fluid exchanges etc. A lot more spacious than the Corolla (stating as a potential selling point - extra room doesn't matter to us).

Which of the two would you recommend we keep and which one should we sell?

They offered to add extra 36,000 mile warranty and keep it at the same price. I plan to buy today or tomorrow.

I bought a car from a Used Car Dealership in a different state. The Dealership SAID it passed their state Inspection. Took it for inspection in my state failed inspection. Back rotors and brakes failed on both sides. What are my rights as a buyer.

Also I signed As is sale.

I negotiated a good price on a sensible 2020 used Camry with 100k miles. It seems solid to me but I’m not a mechanic. A one hour inspection is $189 which seems reasonable and the mechanic said he often does inspections for the nearby dealer.

Anyway, the salesman agreed to the price but said it’s as-is. They do a blah blah inspection and I don’t need to do one.

Is there any alternative but to walk away? I’ve never had someone say I can’t take the car to the nearby independent mechanic for an hour.

Hey everyone,

I have a 2011 Honda Accord 3.5L V6 automatic with approximately 350,000 km (217,000 miles) on it. The car has mainly been driven on the highway.
I’ve noticed that the engine moves and jerks quite a bit whenever I switch gears, particularly when shifting between Park, Reverse, and Drive.

I’ve attached a video showing the engine movement while changing gears.
I’m wondering if this amount of movement is normal for these V6 Accords, especially given the mileage, or if it’s a sign of something going bad.
I’ve heard that worn engine or transmission mounts could cause this, but I’m not sure if that’s what’s happening here.

A few questions:
Does the engine movement in the video look excessive?

Could this be caused by worn engine or transmission mounts, or should I be looking at something else?

Is this something that needs to be fixed urgently, or can I continue driving it?

Has anyone experienced this on their Accord V6, and roughly how much did it cost to repair?

I’d appreciate any advice, especially from anyone familiar with this generation of Accord.

Thanks