Have any of you bought cars from small car lots?

[Thor Von Clemson]

Or anywhere thats not a big dealership? There is a local small car lot called AutoSource that has a lot of mid-high end imports at good prices. They finance through local banks with a pretty good interest rate.

I've heard that you don't get the same service that you would if you buy from a dealership if you need to get something fixed.

Any of you have anything good, bad, or ugly to say about it?

[Thrust]

I happened upon a GSX (awd, turbo) eclipse about 8 years ago at a small car lot. I had been looking for one, to serve as a daily driver, forever. It was in great condition w/ low miles and the dealership was willing to let me drive it 2-hour away to a mechanic friend's shop to have him give it a look over. Now, I'm pretty sure the dealership went out of business a year or so after that but my experience with them was quite pleasurable. However, as with buying ANY use car I say plan on fixing anything yourself. Have the car inspected by a 3rd party prior to buying and if possible get a complete service history. Having worked in the industry I try to stay far away from repair facilities (especially dealerships) and do any needed repairs myself.

[rjohnstone]

Big dealership or little, I have my financing arranged before I even start to shop. Most small dealerships can't offer great deals on financing because they can't sell the volume of cars like the big guys.
I use my pre-arranged financing as a tool in the bargaining process.
I'll pay a little more if they can get me a better rate.

+1 on getting ANY used car inspected by a third party. I trust no one.
As for repair facilities, the local Mistsubishi dealership that I bought my Eclipse from back in '96 is great. They have consistantly beat every shop in town on price for services. Knowing the service manager helps too.
I've been dealing with the same guys for 10 years... even the sales guy I bought the car from is still there. That says a lot in my book.

Every Toyota service center I've been too has been less than spectacular to say the least. Asshats keep knocking vaccumm lines off my car everytime it goes in for service. Usually a day or two later the frikkin check engine light comes and I know exactly where to look. Same hose every time. And before I leave they always say... yea, it's good. We checked it this time.

I stay away from small repair shops... been screwed one too many times by BS repairs that were not needed, or I was charged for, but the service was never done.

[OnlineStageGear]

On the other hand, the larger dealers have denying warranty work down to a science.

[LouSiffer]

I just bought an 04 Durango SLT from Car Max. It was the best buying experience I ever had. I love their format. The price on the sticker is what you pay. There is no haggling. If you don't like the price, go to the next car. The sales people are paid the same whether you buy a $10k car or a $50k car. BTW, KBB had my truck priced in at $18,950 and I got it for $16,550.-Lou

[rjohnstone]

On the other hand, the larger dealers have denying warranty work down to a science.

I've never had that problem... ever. In fact I've had the opposite experience.
I've actually had the Mitsubishi guys come to me and tell me something was broken...hand me the part and say not to worry... it's covered under the warranty.
I remember one time the volume knob on my stereo cracked. I asked if they had any replacements or spares. It was not a big deal really, but the car was only two years old at the time and I wanted it to still look new. The tech looked at me and said, "Your tape deck is broken " and then ordered me a whole new stereo under warranty.
I have had the following items replaced under warranty. Unlike the stereo, these were legitimate repairs.
Battery, both rear struts (oil seal leaked), radiator (cracked from a rock hitting it), shift linkage (kept binding and finaly snapped), head gasket (leaked) and a few other minor things.
Can't say the same for Toyota though. I haven't needed anything replaced under warranty yet, but it's due to expire in less than 10k miles anyway.
So I'm sure EVERYTHING will fall apart a day later.

[Jason1212]

I had to replace my daily driver in November after I was rear-ended. I looked at all types of dealers and individuals. I ended up buying from an individual because of price. The thing to look for and request from a dealer is a CarFax report. It is a bit of insurance that what you are going to buy is not a total POS.

[rjohnstone]

A report from CarFax is nice in theory, but I know for a fact that they are not accurate.

My wife's car had the entire front end ripped off (frame was bent 2 degrees from center) when a guy ran a red light.
This was nearly two years ago. I ran a CarFax report on her car to see if it showed up there... nothing.
I have an outstanding claim with the guys insurance company seeking to recover the loss of resale value due to the accident. Repaired or not, I'm sure the next buyer would like to know that the frame had been bent on the car. Yes, it was straightend, but that's not the point.

I also ran a report on my Eclipse which was broadsided 3 years ago and the accident and damage were not listed there either. It was minor damage (sheet metal and a bent wheel), but it still should have showed up in the report.

Me, being the honest guy that I am, updated the both reports myself with the actual damage and what was repaired.

So take anything you read in a CarFax report with a grain of salt.

The best bet is to have the car inspected by a third party.

[quakana]

Around here those small lots carry only used cars bought from the auction. Big Dealers who take them in on trade for wholesale, sell them at the auction because they dont want to sell them on their lot and have to service/warranty them.

[Newc]

A local small lot recently pulled a scam that many of the fly-by-night small lots in New Orleans used to pull.

A guy comes in and lays down $5000 cash for a used car, which is what the lot was selling it for, then as soon as the guy leaves the lot, the dealer calls the cops saying the guy dropped $4K on the table, said he was going to get the other $1000 out of his truck, then grabbed the title and keys and bolted. Grand Theft Auto.

The dealer calls the guy while the cop is there and says "look, we don't want trouble, just bring the car back", then tells the cop that the guy was threatening him over the phone.

When the cop gets the phone, the guy asks if the "dealer" was accusing him of stealing the car.

Well, here in good ol West TN, it's still White vs Black, so the white dealer's word that a young black man stole the car is Law.

Nevermind the fact that dealers at the big lots do not fill out a title until AFTER the money is in the safe, and ALL of it is in the safe. That's Business 101, but since the guy paid cash, the Law doesn't know how much money was put on the table, so they're going to side with the business owner.

[xenophobe]

A report from CarFax is nice in theory, but I know for a fact that they are not accurate.

No, but if a car has been salvaged, it has to be reported by law. Many of the larger body shops, as well as all the dealerships will submit entries... sometimes they're vague, but CarFax is better than nothing.

Always have a used car checked out by a mechanic you trust.

It really doesn't matter where you buy the car from though. If it's used, it's used. Some of the better deals are from private individuals or small lots. Dealerships bank on used cars. That's where all the bread and butter is for them.

I bought my '97 K2500 Suburban from a private party for $6500. KBB was at $8900. I had to put in about $1000 worth of repairs, but I'm happy, and the motor is solid.

[quiksilver]

I bought my last car from a small lot with high end imports, just like you described. It's been a good experience thus far (knock on wood - but that's true with any vehicle).

[GWARGHOUL]

Buy American, you commies.

[rjohnstone]

Hey... I'll have you know my Eclipse was made in Normal, Ill.
100% American made in a Chrysler factory.
The only thing import about it is the name.

@Xeno... My Toyota was repaired at the biggest Toyota dealership in the state.
They're the only ones that can certify the frame was repaired to Toyota's original specs.
All the parts were brand new, genuine Toyota parts, not salvaged or aftermarket replacement parts like smaller shops will use.
Claim was filed through State Farm insurance. Neither the dealership, their repair shop or the insurance company reported any of it to CarFax.
The only way I found out they didn't report it was when I made the claim for loss of resale value.
Short of the police report and the paid invoice from the bodyshop, there was no evidence that my car had been wrecked.

[Jason1212]

Generally once a car gets totaled it becomes the property of the insurance company. They retitle it and then it gets tagged as salvage. At least that's how it works in Texas. Car Fax is only as good as the resources it has for its information. The key is to look at cars that have record counts then read the reports. Some will show to have problems while others show regular service at the proper intervals.