People that sell problematic cars and don't disclose?

[HULK_I6T]

A friend of mine just bought a BA falcon XR6 n/a as his first car. He is only 18 and saved his money for it. It has 146,000km and he paid it $7000.. He was pretty happy about it and it looks very neat in Mercury Silver.

Showed me his car and listed all of "his plans" for it.. You can see that excitement in a youngster with his first car, everyone knows that feeling.

Next time I saw him I asked him about the car, he said it leaks oil. He Took it to the mechanic and ****ZING**** real main seal and $650 he doesn't have.

He said it leaks a fair bit of oil so previous owner must have mopped it up and flogged it off rather than spend the money to fix it.. HE said he checked the car and saw no signs of leaks so the previous owner did a bobby dazzler of a mop up. He said he looked where the owner said he parks it and there was no spots. (I dont think that was its legitimate parking spot), he even asked the seller a direct question, does it leak oil or coolant and the seller said "no, never".

That leads me to my question, is it a dog act to sell off a car to someone knowing there is an issue with it that's either expensive to repair or may leave them stranded somewhere? It may have a checkered history but sellers pass it off as a woman driver etc.

I have always fixed any issue with my cars before they are sold and/or disclosed anything that may be an issue to a buyer. Its a car at the end of the day and why would you want to short change someone and have them want to square you up. Not worth it in my book.

But it seems that many sellers out there systematically try and flog off problematic cars to either make a buck or make it the next blokes problem. It really does boil my blood. Purporting the car is of one standard but knowing its another.

HAve you sold off a problematic car? or do you fix properly or disclose any issues and take a bath on the price.

[MrEL]

If there was no signs of oil leaking when he looked at it maybe just maybe it started leaking after he bought it???????????????????????????

They have to start leaking sometime , who says he wasn't unlucky and it happened to be when he had it?

[HULK_I6T]

Originally Posted by MrEL

If there was no signs of oil leaking when he looked at it maybe just maybe it started leaking after he bought it???????????????????????????

They have to start leaking sometime , who says he wasn't unlucky and it happened to be when he had it?

whilst that scenario is possible, its highly unlikely.

No leaks for 146000km and then considerable leaks at 146001km?

Seller must have known as parking on the driveway it leaves spots everytime he drives it.. Seller has even been deceiptful as he claims it was always parked in a position where there was no oil spots.

also buyer picked up car on a thursday and showed it to me late evening and then I saw him the following Sunday morning again when he advised it leaks all over the shop.

[Polyal]

Originally Posted by HULK_I6T

whilst that scenario is possible, its highly unlikely.

No leaks for 146000km and then considerable leaks at 146001km?

Buyer must have known as parking on the driveway it leaves spots everytime he drives it.. Buyer has even been deceiptful as he claims it was always parked in a position where there was no oil spots.

also buyer picked up car on a thursday and showed it to me late evening and then I saw him the following Sunday morning again when he advised it leaks all over the shop.

Pay $200 for a proper check before handing over $7000...its pretty simple.

More so if your not car savvy.

[HULK_I6T]

Originally Posted by Polyal

Pay $200 for a proper check before handing over $7000...its pretty simple.

More so if your not car savvy.

Agree this is good practise but its a dog act to sell something knowingly that its got issues and pass it off as it being perfect condition, nothing to spend etc.

Could you imagine receiving cash from a buyer that had fake notes in it? Same as selling a dodgy car knowing its issues but not disclosing them. A dog act.

[Lunch]

I bought a car off a guy that seemed too good to be true but it was the exact car id been looking for for about 8 months, there were a few questionable issues with the whole scenario but the seller had, what i thought, were good reasons, even when i asked why he was getting rid of the car he told me that while he was in hospital recovering from cancer his missus did the dirty on him and they were parting ways and selling their assets as a result, i wasnt goin to question that so after doing a write off check and coming back all clear, the sale went ahead, i even hooked him up with some cash ( at his request) so he didnt have to go 50/50 with his ex.
A month later i had a small accident and it went to the panel shop, when i turned up to pick the car up the owner of the panel shop took me aside and asked how long I'd had the car and that at some stage it has had the whole passenger side replaced which really had me angry but as with most things, time calmed my agression, 2 further months and the noises coming from the drivetrain were beginning to concern me but i figured what ever it was, id get around to fixing it, then my lovely missus bought me a wiz bang keyless entry utelid but when the place was fitting the lid i got a call telling me my tub was 25mm out of square i got screwed good and propper, i started doubting all his BS and if he hadn't had cancer i was wishing it upon him!!
I knew i wouldnt be able to look a private buyer in the eye and tell them the car was perfect but i wasnt getting stuck with a twisted pos either, 3 days later i traded it because i figured that being a 4 year old car, a car dealer had to sell it with a dealer warranty and that the next owner would be able to hit the dealer up if anything failed, that was the only way i could live without the guilt....

[Spurious]

Christ, even a ford dealer did it to me....when I bought my AU2 in 2010

I inspected the thing 3 times before purchase, asked if it had or did leak any fluids...no was the response. Hell I even made them put it on a hoist so I could look underneath. Sure I found dried up oil stains on the sump, which is why I asked the question.

I had the car home for less than 3 weeks & found oil dribbling down the block from the head gasket. Fair enough it weeped for 3 years before I fixed it, but the point remains, the dealer lied to my face.

Ray Denning at Fairford in Burnie, Tasmania...yeh', buy a car from him!!!

It's simple, trust no-one & do your homework & understand what you might be in for.
The best advice I could give is don't ask too many questions & just assume the seller's gonna lie anyhow. So do your own checks until you're either satisfied or scared!

[FPV+fteT3]

I had one I didn't want to sell years ago it needed some work so I sent it to the auctions, someone bought it cheap but it needed @2k spent on it to fix front end suspension and rear main oil leak, my conscience is clear. Car showed up in a car yard shortly after asking @4.5k over what was paid for it at auction. Saw it advertised but I didn't look at it to see if it was repaired properly.
I check mine on a hoist before buying if 2nd hand and invite my mate the beater to cast his eye over them for repairs whilst its up in the air, has worked well for me so far when buying used cars.

[Hulsty]

Sounds like a naive purchaser to me, blowing all his money on his first car with nothing in reserve? Not a good idea. Being his well experience mate you should have given better life advice to him.

When I bought my first car it was $4500, I had a spare $2K just incase and it got used, first service was $650, needed tyres not long after etc etc. With any car you always need some contingency for minor issues.

IMO there is no way of knowing if the seller was pulling a shifty, the seller could have been totally unaware and the problem literally happening 1km after taking it off the concrete. Recently after a 1500km trip I parked my car up for a few weeks, jumped in it, brakes were stuff, failed master cylinder while just sitting there.

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by MrEL

If there was no signs of oil leaking when he looked at it maybe just maybe it started leaking after he bought it???????????????????????????

They have to start leaking sometime , who says he wasn't unlucky and it happened to be when he had it?

The rear diff seal in the G6E we bought brand new started leaking a month after we bought it. I've had cars that have little problems pop up weeks or months after buying them. That's life sometimes...

[SSD-85]

It really is the buyers responsibility to thoroughly inspect a vehicle before purchase. If the seller does not accept this, then walk away.

Simple.

[XR Martin]

Driveway warranty

[Pinkbits]

Buyer beware!
Why do you assume the previous owner was aware of any problem?

[Smoke Pursuit]

Thats what you get when you buy a BA XR6 for 7k....

He should have bought a 10 year old Corolla instead.

[Polyal]

Originally Posted by Smoke Pursuit

Thats what you get when you buy a BA XR6 for 7k....

He should have bought a 10 year old Corolla instead.

Well BA's are worth that if not less.

But there have been times when I have sold a car and a week later Im notified of an issue I never knew about...not much we can do with that.

As I am yet to buy a brand new car (bet yet is 3 years old), then I ALWAYS budget $1k in random stuff to be fixed on the first service.

[LTDHO]

Originally Posted by Smoke Pursuit

Thats what you get when you buy a BA XR6 for 7k....

He should have bought a 10 year old Corolla instead.

I couldn't agree more.

If I bought a BA XR6 with low k's I wouldn't expect it to be mint.

Kids should by an old car they can afford to run!

[Trump]

Oh dear...

[JIm260]

Looks like some previous posters have "form" you know what your cars condition is, dont even try to tell me it happened right after you bought it!!

Cheers
JIm

[MrEL]

Originally Posted by JIm260

Looks like some previous posters have "form" you know what your cars condition is, dont even try to tell me it happened right after you bought it!!

Cheers
JIm

Huh?
How long is it from the time of purchase to the time it started leaking?

Ive had a rear main let go before when Ive just been out on a drive. No oil leak when I left and leaking oil when I got home.

If your pointing a finger at me with your "form" comment you are truly a person of low intelligence.

[JIm260]

Originally Posted by MrEL

Huh?
How long is it from the time of purchase to the time it started leaking?

Ive had a rear main let go before when Ive just been out on a drive. No oil leak when I left and leaking oil when I got home.

If your pointing a finger at me with your "form" comment you are truly a person of low intelligence.

Or perhaps someone who has been bitten!

[kypez]

I sold my R1 to a mate recently. Its never missed a beat nor had any issues in 8 years of ownership. A week into owning it, he's said that its started cutting out and had a flat battery.

Am I to blame for this? It never missed a beat while with me and I can see how he might feel I hid these things (which I didnt). I offered to fix the problems to a certain degree but beyond that, I'm not in a financial position to provide warranty on the purchase.

Similarly, when I sold my Audi TT a few years ago, I sold it to a lady to whom I'd said the vehicle had no issues at all. I got her a pink slip and then did a final check when I noticed a nail in the tyre. I already had the pink slip (they did a crap job clearly). Took the car to get a plug for it only to find out that the tyre couldnt be saved (had camber wear that I didnt pick up on earlier either that affected the repair of where the nail had gone in).

I bought two new tyres and sold the car as I had given my word that she didnt need to spend any more money on it at that point.

But each to their own. I believe in keeping my word and I couldnt sell a car/bike that I wouldnt want to buy.

What goes around comes around...

[dirty hands]

I have no problem trading in a problematic car to a dealer for another car

Selling a problematic car to a person
when its registered and passing inspection-and you dont disclose all its faults -- is a low act

unregistered and as is -- I have no problem there

[Tex Scrotum]

Rear mains leak Pfffffttt!
That's nothing.
My first car blew head gaskets every 80kms.
That car taught me a lot 😉

[scottyg938]

he should have got one with under 100,000km on it

[blueoval]

Dog act or not, There are dodgy characters no matter where you look when buying something. You just have to be on the ball and make sure you everything in your power to check the item before buying. That is why it's cheaper to buy privately than from a dealer.

The onus is on YOU the purchaser to cover yourself and do what is needed before doing the deal. Taking the sellers 'word' in this day and age is extremely risky.

I was looking at a Subaru Liberty Spec B before buying my current car. It had low km and was in excellent condition and was well looked after.

Now I could have done the deal then and there but I thought for the peace of mind, I will get an independent inspection done. Low and behold, there was some suspicious things that popped up and one was that the vin numbers didnt match the engine and body.

Now that doesnt mean much to most lay people and I could have just accepted it and bought the car, but I didnt feel right about it and the owner had no explanation that he was going to offer me, so I walked.

That was a $180 inspection report spent that I will never get back but at the same time it has potentially saved me a lot more. Did I think the seller was a dog for not telling me? Not really. I did my homework. He tried to hide something and got found out. The onus was on me as the potential buyer to do all the required checks and inspections before purchase. It's no different for anyone else.

Some ppl will try to pull the wool over your eyes, but you are more of an idiot for taking ppl on face value in my opinion when it comes to business deals.

Like anything in this world, DO YOU'RE HOMEWORK!!!!

[Falcon SXR8]

Why blame the seller for something that might not have been a problem when he had it ??? It could easily been the young fellas fault thrashing it racing aurions ???? Maybe it just started after he sold it, you do realize leaks have to start somewere.

[HULK_I6T]

Originally Posted by Falcon SXR8

Why blame the seller for something that might not have been a problem when he had it ??? It could easily been the young fellas fault thrashing it racing aurions ???? Maybe it just started after he sold it, you do realize leaks have to start somewere.

Sure they do, nothing for 146000km and then major leak at 146001? Either it's a 1/146001 chance of happening, or the seller performed a dog act.

By the way you have a 1/12000 of being hit by lightening in your lifetime. So it's 12 times more likely being hit by lightening than the leak starting a moment after he drove off with car.

[Stefan]

Originally Posted by Falcon SXR8

Why blame the seller for something that might not have been a problem when he had it ??? It could easily been the young fellas fault thrashing it racing aurions ???? Maybe it just started after he sold it, you do realize leaks have to start somewere.

Yeah, young punk's first car....got it, gave it a good hiding for a few days, bam 146K KM car start leaking oil.

Now the young punk got some "know it all" in his corner too.

Feel sorry for the seller really.

[galaxy xr8]

Hulk did your young friend buy the vehicle with or without a RWC ?.

[HULK_I6T]

Originally Posted by galaxy xr8

Hulk did your young friend buy the vehicle with or without a RWC ?.

It has a fair bit of rego from memory, so don't know.