What would you have done?

[ArnoldBabar]

After buying a new car, I just sold my old car myself. I've run up against something, and am curious what others would do in the same situation.

It's a '97 Pathfinder, low miles, and I realized it was far from perfect -- not real clean, dent in the rear bumper, and some rocking indicated it probably needed shocks. Rather than fix it all up, I decided just to price it way below market to get rid of it, and let the new owner prioritize what they cared about fixing. When people asked me what kind of mechanical shape it was in, I told them it ran fine, that I knew of no problems but that it hadn't been examined by a mechanic in a long time. And I was sure to point out the suspension issue.

Sold it this morning to a nice young guy, an immigrant who works as a hospital janitor and has a wife and baby. He paid me in cash, we did all the paperwork, and I reported the title transfer online.

A couple of hours later, he calls me saying he took it to a mechanic and it has big problems. I was having trouble understanding his english, but it sounds like there was a broken strut and some kind of oil leak (I had no indication it was leaking oil). He asks if I can pay for the repairs (about $900) or let him give the car back. I tell him he can't return the car -- legally, I don't even know how it would be possible -- but that I'll kick in $300 toward repairs, about half the cost of the broken strut. Factoring that in, I'm now getting around half the blue book value. My wife said she's OK with me giving him the $300, but to make it clear to him that I wash my hands of it from there.

Legally, the car is his. He signed a bill of sale stating that it was sold as-is, and I have no further obligation. He should have taken it to a mechanic before buying it, especially since I told him there was an unidentified problem, but he didn't. I sold it for way under market value because I knew it wasn't in perfect condition, and I honestly didn't know what was wrong. I wasn't trying to pull anything over on him.

At the same time, this kid probably just gave me all the savings he had, and now he's been handed a big repair bill. I feel a little guilty about it.

What should I have done? Told him to go **** up a rope? Paid for the repairs? Taken the car back?

 

[dargan]

The guilt is understandable. Even though you didn't mean to rip the guy off, he might think you're trying to.

I probably would have taken it to the shop and gotten everything fixed myself, then sold it for the KBB price.

 

[User 1019]

As long as you were honest in reporting any mechanical problems, you don't owe him ****. If you feel like you may not have been completely on the up and up about it, let your conscience be your guide.

And why didn't he take it to a mechanic BEFORE he bought it. I'd probably tell him to **** up a rope. If he's no better consumer than to buy a vehicle after seeing it only once, without an inspection, then it's his problem. He won't make the same mistake twice.

 

[Captain_Kirk]

Caveat emptor.

 

[User 1019]

Indeed.

 

[FileNotFound]

I'm with the caveat emptor crowd. I wouldn't even take his calls. You bought it, you own it.

 

[writing irish]

You're fine, Babar. If I were selling a car, chances are I wouldn't have the money to fix it all up before selling it, but I would take it to a mechanic and get a vehicle inspection done beforehand. But yes, caveat emptor. The guy ****ed up by not getting it inspected before buying it.

 

[shockey]

i understand your guilt. but i go with the "buyer beware" crowd. who doesn't do his due diligence on a transaction like this? the kid effed up, not you.

 

[Moderator1]

For $38 bucks, my mechanic will do a thorough check-up of any car you are about to buy and give you a detailed list of what needs to be done now, what looks like it might need to be done soon and what can be done if you are looking for perfect. He's saved my ass a couple of times.
I don't believe he's the only one in the country doing such a thing.

Check it out BEFORE you buy.

 

[User 1019]

For $38 bucks, my mechanic will do a thorough check-up of any car you are about to buy and give you a detailed list of what needs to be done now, what looks like it might need to be done soon and what can be done if you are looking for perfect. He's saved my ass a couple of times.
I don't believe he's the only one in the country doing such a thing.

Check it out BEFORE you buy.

That's a pretty snazzy price, considering most shops' labor rates are at or above $50.

 

[JakeandElwood]

You told him about the suspension problem and said the car hadn't been to a mechanic in a while. You weren't deceiving him at all. I think that with your warnings it should have been obvious to take the car to a mechanic to check it.

You shouldn't feel guilty, you were transparent about the possible issues.

 

[ArnoldBabar]

I'm with the caveat emptor crowd. I wouldn't even take his calls. You bought it, you own it.

I considered not returning calls, but another factor is that he knows where I live, and the last thing I need is he and his buddies deciding I ripped him off and pulling some ****.

 

[imjustagirl]

I'm with the caveat emptor crowd. I wouldn't even take his calls. You bought it, you own it.

I considered not returning calls, but another factor is that he knows where I live, and the last thing I need is he and his buddies deciding I ripped him off and pulling some ****.

In about three weeks, we're all going to know where you live, too. So you're right to be concerned.

Two weeks and four days.

Not that I'm counting.

 

[forever_town]

I'd probably have taken my car to Carmax or some place similar so I don't deal with the hassle or the worry about someone turning psycho ***** on me.

 

[ArnoldBabar]

I'm with the caveat emptor crowd. I wouldn't even take his calls. You bought it, you own it.

I considered not returning calls, but another factor is that he knows where I live, and the last thing I need is he and his buddies deciding I ripped him off and pulling some ****.

In about three weeks, we're all going to know where you live, too. So you're right to be concerned.

Two weeks and four days.

Not that I'm counting.

Is it that soon? Egad. I need to get started laying down plastic and hiding the silver.

 

[JBHawkEye]

Before I'd give him any money for repairs, I would have the car checked out by another mechanic. This guy could be pulling a fast one _ cover all of your bases.

 

[Buck]

For $38 bucks, my mechanic will do a thorough check-up of any car you are about to buy and give you a detailed list of what needs to be done now, what looks like it might need to be done soon and what can be done if you are looking for perfect. He's saved my ass a couple of times.
I don't believe he's the only one in the country doing such a thing.

Check it out BEFORE you buy.

That's a pretty snazzy price, considering most shops' labor rates are at or above $50.

Good, smart, honest mechanics are gems beyond compare.
I have one, and I love him.
By being honest and not trying to screw every customer, he's smart, because he gets all return business and I tell everybody to go to him.
Just as he was recommended to me when I first got to town.

 

[ArnoldBabar]

He just called me again. "The mechanic says everything is wrong, need axles, timing belt, water pump, muffler, all these things. He says $1,200, but you told me it ran good ..."

Ugh. I think the mechanic is trying to take him for a ride. I've been driving it with all these apparently crucial problems for years without incident. It might indeed need all those things, but not today. The reason I priced the thing so low was so the buyer could use the difference to fix it up. I'm trying to explain all of this to him, but I'm not sure how much of it he understands.

He actually offered me $200 to take the car back. He's practically in tears about how he can't afford the repairs, the car is for his wife and baby, etc. I told him I'd give him the $300 we talked about, but I couldn't do any more. This sucks. Next time I need to sell a car, I'm driving it into the bay, reporting it stolen and collecting insurance.

 

[Buck]

He just called me again. "The mechanic says everything is wrong, need axles, timing belt, water pump, muffler, all these things. He says $1,200, but you told me it ran good ..."

Ugh. I think the mechanic is trying to take him for a ride. I've been driving it with all these apparently crucial problems for years without incident. It might indeed need all those things, but not today. The reason I priced the thing so low was so the buyer could use the difference to fix it up. I'm trying to explain all of this to him, but I'm not sure how much of it he understands.

He actually offered me $200 to take the car back. He's practically in tears about how he can't afford the repairs, the car is for his wife and baby, etc. I told him I'd give him the $300 we talked about, but I couldn't do any more. This sucks. Next time I need to sell a car, I'm driving it into the bay, reporting it stolen and collecting insurance.

Just park it in the front yard and let all the neighborhood's stray cats live in it.

 

[User 1019]

Be strong. This is not your fault.