If I could turn back time...

[edible_hat]

This happened to a co-worker...

She went to buy a car. A 2003 Ford Falcon, all looked good until she went to get the RAA to inspect it. The dealer tried to discourage it... very suspicious! It happened anyway, and the RAA's inspector found that the car had been in a crash, had the clock wound back and was, in fact, a retired taxi!

So she went somewhere else and got a better car for $3,000 cheaper because it's orange.

[Gurndigarn]

w.raa.net/"]RAA[/URL] to inspect it. The dealer tried to discourage it... very suspicious! It happened anyway, and the RAA's inspector found that the car had been in a crash, had the clock wound back and was, in fact, a retired taxi!

By "clock wound back", you mean the odometer was reversed? Oooohhh, nicely illegal, at least in the US.

[bainsidhe]

A coworker of mine got a discount on a car because it was "lilac". Thing is, the lavendar hue was very faint and the car basically appeared silver. And it saved him a couple grand. Needless to say, he felt no less manly driving around in a lilac car.

[Saydrah]

I would LOVE a lavender car. I wanted Majestic Amethyst for my Cobalt, but they only made that in 2005.

[PepperElf]

had the clock wound back

Yeah that's a shady dealer.

I'm not sure if they're legally bound to tell you outright if the odometer's been turned back, but if you ask...

So if the dealer didn't want you knowing... I'd say he's not worth buying a car from.

[JustADude]

I'm not sure if they're legally bound to tell you outright if the odometer's been turned back, but if you ask...

Actually, in most countries I've heard of with any sort of regulations on the subject, they're bound to not do it in the first place!

[Arucard]

Back in 2005, i got a nice 2002 Corolla sedan, dark metallic forest green, only 55k on the odometer for AU$14888, where other Corollas of a similar period with 90k or 120k on the odo were selling for $17000 or so. The reason? Some very faint scratches on the front right hand panel where someone had leaned something against the car and it had fallen sideways. I still don't notice them unless I know what to look for.

i love my car.

[blas]

I thought I got lucky with a bright blue car.....until I saw another Neon (one of the same types, the 1st generation Neons, made before 2000) that was fuschia. And a guy was driving it.

I was tempted to follow him and ask if he wanted to trade.

[otakuneko]

If I could find a way...

Wait wait, this isn't a Cher concert, or anything to do with Cher!

Dammit, look what you've done. Now I've got a song with actual english lyrics stuck in my head. 'scuse me while I go put on some Megumi!

[edible_hat]

By "clock wound back", you mean the odometer was reversed? Oooohhh, nicely illegal, at least in the US.

yep, that's it. It was showing a low reading for a 2003 model, let alone a retired taxi.

and it is illegal. They also have to tell you if the car:
-has been in an accident
-has had any repairs since they got it
-was used as a taxi/police car/etc.

[PepperElf]

o yeah that too. i think when mom got a car that had been tampered with... she got some discount from the dealer on that

[Chromatix]

I think it's allowed to sell a car that's had the odometer reset, provided you're upfront about it. There are legitimate reasons for resetting the odometer, such as when a new engine is put in - the car's logbook should show the old reading at that time.

[AccountingDrone]

I have a certification from my garage on the title for one of my cars, I had the speedometer/odometer cluster die, on a 96 VW jetta. We replaced it and carefully recorded with the state and my insurance company the actual milage when we replaced it. We really dont have a 12 year old jetta with 34000 odd miles on it ... it is like 350 000 miles =)

Though we wont be selling the car other than as a parts car, we tend to do one of 2 things with old cars, use them until they turn into movable piles of rust held together with duct tape, or restore them and sell them as antiques.

[fireheart]

I think it's allowed to sell a car that's had the odometer reset, provided you're upfront about it. There are legitimate reasons for resetting the odometer, such as when a new engine is put in - the car's logbook should show the old reading at that time.

But wouldn't they also be required to inform you that a new engine's been put in as well?

This is why I'm a little reluctant about buying my first car...I have no clue who's a shady dealer or not or what a good price is for a first car. My cousins got theirs for under $2000 and they work fine.

[PepperElf]

i'd suggest doing a lot of online and offline research.
not just who the dealer is but what the car is like too - consumer reports is a good one cos they're not sponsored by any company

and there's also websites that estimate what a car is worth, entering in the model, make, milage, etc... i just don't remember what it was.

Oh, and extended warranty =
Mom talked me into getting that ... it cost a little over a grand, but... when the transmission went, it covered about $200 more than what I'd paid for it.