Do you tell the dealer of "hidden" issues when trading in your car?

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Apr 11, 2019
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Minnesota
Do you tell the dealer about all the issues that you know about your car or do you let them find them themselves in their assessment? I have some things that only make noise sometimes and I was wondering if I should tell them about these issues or not. I don't want some call 2 days later asking why I didn't tell them the AC goes hot after about 10 minutes on the freeway
 
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Originally Posted by Whammo
Do you tell the dealer about all the issues that you know about your car or do you let them find them themselves in their assessment? I have some things that only make noise sometimes and I was wondering if I should tell them about these issues or not. I don't want some call 2 days later asking why I didn't tell them the AC goes hot after about 10 minutes on the freeway


Absolutely not

Never seen or heard of one telling a potential customer about weaknesses or issues with a new or used car and even if you did tell them, its doubtful they will actually do anything more than mask the issue.

Their job is to turn a profit- not fix cars properly
 
It's the dealer's job to inspect the car when you trade it in. There is plenty of room between wholesale trade in (the price you get while trading in) and the retail price to repair things the dealer may not catch. They drive the vehcile-so they know how the car runs and the transmission shifts.

If they pull off the wheels and it needs brakes-it's not a big deal.
 
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Originally Posted by Alfred_B
If a buyer asks, you need to tell the truth. I'm sure it works the same with dealer trade ins.

I think they skipped that part in used car sales school around here... That said I can only recall my parents or I finding out about a major issue in a used car once after buying it. They bought a used 1991 Escort GT at a Mazda dealer and did ask if it had been in any accidents and the sales guy automatically said "no" but a couple years later it had some funny rust starting and it had been sideswiped. The car still died of mechanical issues
The same dealer took our 1989 Grand Caravan as a trade in, with its 3rd transmission just starting to fail, so what goes around, comes around...
 
For a dealer, I won't say anything negative unprompted.

For a private buyer, I'll make sure they're aware of all major issues.

For a friend, I'll tell them EVERYTHING.

No matter who it is, I will never lie -- ever.
 
Originally Posted by IndyIan
Originally Posted by Alfred_B
If a buyer asks, you need to tell the truth. I'm sure it works the same with dealer trade ins.

I think they skipped that part in used car sales school around here... That said I can only recall my parents or I finding out about a major issue in a used car once after buying it. They bought a used 1991 Escort GT at a Mazda dealer and did ask if it had been in any accidents and the sales guy automatically said "no" but a couple years later it had some funny rust starting and it had been sideswiped. The car still died of mechanical issues
The same dealer took our 1989 Grand Caravan as a trade in, with its 3rd transmission just starting to fail, so what goes around, comes around...

I remember my Aunt bought a used car from a big dealer here in town. She found out a couple years later that it had been involved in a wreck. They ended up buying the car back for her purchase price.
 
Oooh this has always been a moral dilemma. If I am selling to an individual I tell them everything I know and everything I suspect, but then if I sell the car myself I'm not getting rid of it because of mounting mechanical issues.

I would be equally forthcoming when trading with a dealer, but my trades are usually too old and too many miles for a new car dealer to sell themselves, and they are just going to dispose of it somewhere else. Any in-depth information I provided about fried ABS computer, worn cv joints and the fuel pump I expect to fail within a year because of the noise its making, would not get passed along to the eventual buyer. Sad but true. I just pretend I am my wife and tell them the things that she would know about. ABS light on, gas gauge doesn't work below 1/2 tank, tires worn etc.

I traded a suburban that actually had a negative net value if I attempted to fix everything that was wrong with it. It showed up at a under $5k used car lot across town. ABS light still on, fuel gauge still broke, same worn tires, but priced 2.5 times what I got in trade. At least the buyer got a car that had been regularly maintained.
 
Originally Posted by d00df00d
For a dealer, I won't say anything negative unprompted.

For a private buyer, I'll make sure they're aware of all major issues.

For a friend, I'll tell them EVERYTHING.

No matter who it is, I will never lie -- ever.


Excellent behavior - I agree!
 
For a friend I'll tell that person if there's a potential problem. For dealerships no they inspect the car they don't find nothing oh well . I'm there to get the best deal possible. We ain't friends
 
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Originally Posted by IndyIan
The same dealer took our 1989 Grand Caravan as a trade in, with its 3rd transmission just starting to fail, so what goes around, comes around...

Odds are that didn't impact the dealer at all, but the poor person who bought it.
 
Originally Posted by Lou_Boyle
...about fried ABS computer, worn cv joints and the fuel pump I expect to fail within a year because of the noise its making ... I just pretend I am my wife and tell them the things that she would know about. ABS light on, gas gauge doesn't work below 1/2 tank, tires worn etc.

ABS light still on, fuel gauge still broke, same worn tires, but priced 2.5 times what I got in trade. At least the buyer got a car that had been regularly maintained.

Interesting definition of "maintained"
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I don't care for lying. Don't like it happening to me, so I don't do it to others. Anything I go to flip gets a full listing of known problems and is priced accordingly.

I did trade in a car once with dead a/c that I didn't disclose and that wasn't caught during dealership inspection. I felt bad afterwards. They hosed me on the new car sale so I don't feel that bad, plus as a dealership I'm guessing they could easily handle the a/c repair much cheaper than I ever could. But I don't think I could do that again, I've regretted it ever since--most dealerships are very good at putting the screws to people, but I'm not sure who gets screwed when you trade in a dud.
 
Of course!

I want as little as possible on my trade-ins!
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Originally Posted by supton
but I'm not sure who gets screwed when you trade in a dud.

The buyer of the new car!
They are ultimately the one who's left paying for everything.
 
Of course you don't tell them.

That way, when the dealer puts it out onto the lot and some sucker buys your undisclosed problems, they can come to BITOG and everyone can agree about how dealers are all scam artists.
 
Originally Posted by d00df00d
For a dealer, I won't say anything negative unprompted.

For a private buyer, I'll make sure they're aware of all major issues.

For a friend, I'll tell them EVERYTHING.

No matter who it is, I will never lie -- ever.


+1

I have never sold or traded with a dealer but I would agree with your first statement.

I have never sold or traded with a "friend." Sorta made that a policy.

I have always told private buyers anything I was aware of. Like quirks and such.
 
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