tontonz1 Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Hey all watmmites, my isuzu rodeo finally broke down after 10 years drivin, and have been gettin around by moped (which is really fun btw!) and the time has now come for getting a car. I just got back from driving this beast VolvoS60 which is going for $7,900 at 44k miles, no accidents. It seems like a good buy (because it normally goes for double the price listed), but the dealer told me it was under a rebuilt salvage title, meaning that it was refurbished after being auctioned off from insurance companies and is road operable. I was wondering if anyone has bought a used car under a rebuilt salvage title and how well it ran/cost of repairs post-purchase. Or if anyone drives a volvo, if there are any typical maintenance issues? In addition to the volvo, I found someone selling their 2004 acura TL at 74k miles, no accidents and under a clean title (not a rebuilt salvage), and she is selling for $1,800. This seems like the best deal of my life since used TLs goes for $10k+, however I have yet to testdrive it, which I should hopefully soon. Seeing as this is mainly a music forum, I don't really expect anyone to be able to help me out, but this is the only online forum that I'm a part of and there maybe someone out there that knows cars? If anyone can help, I would greatly appreciate it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hautlle Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Odd that it was under a salvage title if it wasn't in an accident... Perhaps it was flooded or it had engine/drive-train problems? Can you get any more info on what was actually wrong with it to make the insurance company total it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Al Hounos Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 newer volvos are not very good cars. very poor reliability, especially with electrics. also, never buy a car with a salvage title. and an acura for $1,800? ever heard "too good to be true"? well nowhere is it more applicable than in used cars. just get something japanese. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tontonz1 Posted August 9, 2012 Author Share Posted August 9, 2012 Odd that it was under a salvage title if it wasn't in an accident... Perhaps it was flooded or it had engine/drive-train problems? Can you get any more info on what was actually wrong with it to make the insurance company total it? Yeah I was confused when the autocheck report said that the car had been in 0 accidents, but had a negative title check indicating that serious past damage or significant problems may have occurred. When I asked the dealer about it he just said the insurance company auctioned it off, and repairs had been done, though when I asked if they had a receipt for the repairs, he just said that they weren't necessary, which definitely got me wtfing. Im scheduling a 3rd party car inspection for it and see if they can find anything. newer volvos are not very good cars. very poor reliability, especially with electrics. also, never buy a car with a salvage title. and an acura for $1,800? ever heard "too good to be true"? well nowhere is it more applicable than in used cars. just get something japanese. Yea I sent her an email about test driving the Acura and getting it inspected and she replied saying this The shipping arrangements have already been made before moving to Portugal. The car is in Florence, SC and will be delivered by DAS. It will arrive with all the papers and documents required for registration and the keys. The clear title and the bill of sale will be already signed by me. All you have to pay a $1800 price that include delivery at your home address in 2 days. Here is how it works: 1.First of all I will need the following details from you: - Full Name - Full Shipping Address 2. After I will receive the details from you, I will forward them to Google Checkout. 3. After they will process your info, they will send us both invoices.Your will make the payment to Google Checkout and the funds will be 100% insured by Google Checkout. 4. Google Checkout will contact me and I will ship the car to you. After you receive the car you will have 10 days to test, verify and do whatever you need to the car.If you will buy it, then I will receive the payment from Google Checkout. Please take into consideration that I will get paid only after you receive the car and make sure everything is as agreed. 5. If you will decide that you will not buy it, Google Checkout will refund you and I will have the shipping company come pick up my car. If you wish to make the transaction, please send me the necessary info so that we can proceed. Thank you! Definitely doesn't sound right. I'm not about to send 1800 to get a car from SC from the seller who's in a different country. About the salvage title, it would make more sense that the car was probably repo'ed since there was no damage reported. If the car is reported stolen or repossessed, it is automatically given a salvage title, regardless if there was any damage. So it could be a brand new corvette, but its listed as salvaged and is sold dirt cheap. It's pretty risky business, but the price is incredibly nice for a college student. Also the reliability of the electrics, how bad is it in comparison to other manufacturers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redruth Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 skam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spratters Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Don't ever buy a car which has been salvaged at any point in its life. I speak from experiance. I work at a dealership and we have spent many thousands on cars from auction. Our cunt of a sales manager is always desperate for huge profits by ripping people off. I could count on one hand the amount of cars from auctions that are worth the money, even if they look good in the flesh. Be prepared for problems and large payouts when it goes wrong. I would also say, if you can, try and find a decent Volvo if you're looking for comfort, safety and longevity. They really are great cars. You may pay more upfront but you don't really need to worry ahead of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keltoi Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 don't touch either of those imo. 2nd one is definitely a scam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCM Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 never buy a car with a salvage title. and an acura for $1,800? ever heard "too good to be true"? well nowhere is it more applicable than in used cars. this also, the acura thing is a well-known scam used in many areas (cars, property, basically anything that sells for usually high prices) i've had very similarly worded emails from con-artists about cheap flats i have enquired about in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SR4 Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Al is right. Avoid new Volvos...I had one...the POS had electrical problems from day fucking One. Ive driven hoopties that were less hassle than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ron Manager Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 For what it's worth, about 18 months ago I bought a 1998 Golf (hatchback, Mk4) SDI for £1000. The car was in pretty good condition but didn't have much service history and had done 180,000 miles. I trusted the seller because he was a fellow grad student at my university, and he'd bought it from a mechanic who had personally done a major service at 170,000 miles (timing belt, new clutch, pads & discs, etc.). I was a bit nervous as it was risky, but I went for it. 18 months on, I couldn't be happier. This car is a beast. Because it's the SDI (non-turbo diesel... 68 HP at new apparently...), you can't rag it, and these engines are renowned for lasting forever. It gets over 50 miles per gallon, which I think is phenomenal for a basic 14-year-old car. The body has held up well - I've replaced the two front wings which were beginning to rust, but that was pretty simple and purely cosmetic. This model is so ubiquitous (produced from 98-04) that parts are very easy and cheap to source. Also, insurance (in the UK at least, for the SDI) is in the lowest bracket owing to the car's low power - a big factor for me as I've only had a UK license for a couple of years. Golf enthusiasts will tell you that this model is 'dangerously slow', but that's total bollocks, it's more than adequate. Basically, if you want something well-built, dependable, and cheaper to maintain, I wholeheartedly recommend a Mk4 Golf: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YELLOW Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 fellow volvo driver here, i would definitely stay away from the car Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshuatxuk Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 I would avoid the Volvo simply because of repair costs UNLESS you buy an extended warranty. I actually bought a warranty for a pre-owned Scion xB I drive now (as part of the payment plan - I bought it from a dealership), and it's worked out fine. Doesn't cover things like brake pads or tires, just parts. But I recently spent $150 on copay and misc parts for an A/C repair that would of cost me $1100. I'm going to take it again for a tune-up before the warranty runs out. But that said, I'd go with a Japanese or Korean model - my friends who all drive Hyundais have never had a major issue. I'd even be cautious about buying German cars in the US - my 96' VW Jetta had perpetually issues, almost all relating to one water pump breaking. If it was 10 or 20 years ago buying domestic would probably be a consideration based on the idea of cheap parts, but I'm not sure how relevant that is anymore either considering how cars are built now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlobkob Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 major lol at americans discussing cars. sorry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest theSun Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 got a 2011 5spd kia soul about a year ago for $12k 15,000 mi and no issues yet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baph Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 My GF has a 2007 Volvo C30 and it's been a great car, but maybe she lucked out. I wouldn't buy any car without a power-train warranty ever again, unless it was an old dirt cheap 1980s diesel Mercedes. You can drive those for fucking ever and patch them up with duct tape and optimism. Salvage titles and negative reports, though, yikes. Just ride a bike or a train or hitchhike with creepy guys in pickups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plstik Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Being a used car Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tontonz1 Posted August 10, 2012 Author Share Posted August 10, 2012 Thanks for the replies. Really surprised to hear all the bad things about volvos. I've seen a couple deals with the Golf but they have super high mileage. To spratters: i've heard horror stories about salvage titles, but i've also heard of incredible deals. Just wondering how often these "incredible deals" happen. to joshuatx: the dealership offers extended warranty on top of the manufacturers warranty if applicable. but I would need to get it through a third party which will have additional costs. any idea what kind of prices i'll be running into? Ran into a major problem with the dealership selling the volvo, when negotiating prices, I asked about refinancing options or other paymennt methods, and he straight up said they only take cash or check. When I asked why they don't offer different payment plans, he kinda scoffed at me with a "oh, well, we've had problems with customers returning broken cars. We don't even lease them out overnight. But if the car breaks down, we can do repairs for a very low cost." So now I would need to get a loan from a credit union that will accept rebuilt salvage titles, since most major banks will not accept loans for that kind of title. Fffuuuuuu Still reluctant to give up on it though, the 2.5L turbo is just too fun! Told the acura lady that if she threw in naked pics with the car, i would be more interested in buying it. See how she responds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Franklin Posted August 11, 2012 Share Posted August 11, 2012 the third party insurance will run from probably a grand to 2 grand i would imagine in the US on that model. I got a full warranty on my acura and it was $3000 on a $38000 vehicle with only 40 000kms on it. Tontonz I would run from both of those deals. Finding amazing car deals is very very hard and you have a way better chance of losing than of winning unless your're a mechanic. Settle for something really good instead. one owner used from dealers with extra warranty is a really good idea for example. You'll pay more but you're more likely to not be very upset in the long run. volvos have become a shittier brand since the early 00s. Acuras are nice as they are basically glorified hondas but NEVER buy from other countries. good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest abusivegeorge Posted August 11, 2012 Share Posted August 11, 2012 tontoz, I ran the largest car club in the world for in excess of five years. I can't give you specific details as to why not to purchase the Volvo, only that my experience from every single person in the club that purchased a salvaged vehicle regretted it and warned others to steer clear. I can tell you solidly though that the Honda is a scam, and the most frequently used model of car to be involved in this type of scam, steer well clear of both in my opinion. The amount of threads made on the car forum over the 5 years involving Honda Accords/TL's in this type of trade is uncountable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest abusivegeorge Posted August 11, 2012 Share Posted August 11, 2012 My suggesttion would be to look for a Ford Focus, relatively cheap second hand, incredibly relaible, fastest front wheel drive cars for their class, economical and safe. I know of 3 owners with 98 Focus' on over a million miles. My Dad has an 04 one with 160k on the clock, still on the original clutch and exhaust, only had the necessary changes, cambelt/oil etc. Incredibly fun to drive due to all round independent suspension, you really can't go wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tontonz1 Posted August 12, 2012 Author Share Posted August 12, 2012 What about a 2009 Cobalt? I found a pretty good deal on one, but havent seen a ford focus price worth investing in. Test drove a '00 BMW 740iL with 100k miles for $5k50. After driving a V8, i never wanna go back. Not to mention the bullet proof windows, so I can roll up in the hood safely. Realistically, I need to find a reliable bridge vehicle that will last me about 6 years before I start looking for a new car. Just need it to last me through graduate school and some time afterwards to look for a new car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hautlle Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 M gf got a cobalt a few months ago, and my brother has had one for a few years. Good cars, nothing fancy, easy/relatively cheap to repair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest abusivegeorge Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 Cobalts are great cars from what I've heard, I've only driven the 260 brake turbo jobby, and I ran the fastest 0-60, 0-100 and 1/4 mile times for front wheel drive cars on that day. They're reliable and comfortbale with great handling. I would recommend if you can get one at a decent price. If you're looking for V8 power, then I'm guessing you have more money to spend that I originally thought? What's your budget? Anything V8 and 5 years old or over can become increasingly costly to maintain. (I'm assuming the bullet proof windows comment after your V8 comment meant you don't wanna go back to anything LESS than a V8) My suggestions, of non V8 conformity: Honda Civic/Accord, Mazda RX8 or 3/6 series, BMW 3/5 series, Ford Focus/Mondeo, Any of the above will be reliable, cheapish (possibly barring the RX8) to maintain, easily affordable, capable of much mileage, fun to drive, safe and comfortable. I do however live in the European climate and I'm aware that the US manufacturers specifications differ slightly, but my suggestions also come from experience of those who've owned said cars in the USA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCM Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 a fucking BMW 740iL? how old are you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SR4 Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 My suggesttion would be to look for a Ford Focus, relatively cheap second hand, incredibly relaible, fastest front wheel drive cars for their class, economical and safe. I know of 3 owners with 98 Focus' on over a million miles. You gotta be fucking kidding me....a million miles? I really wish I knew jack shit about cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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