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Sad Saga about a car: A Cautionary Tale [Update page 6]
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amother
Petunia


 

Post Thu, Oct 20 2022, 3:48 pm
amother Garnet wrote:
In the US those records are not accessible. I wish!

Of course they are. It’s called a carfax report and every dealer should provide you with one. Just always double check the vin against the report b
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amother
OP


 

Post Thu, Oct 20 2022, 4:31 pm
amother Ballota wrote:
Hey Op. Don't beat yourself up. It is all beshert.

We took our second hand car to a reputable mechanic for his blessing.
Since then we already:
Replaced all tires; dh says all cars need new tires every so often, even leased ones
Replaced breaks; dh says all cars need new breaks, even leased ones

We got whopper of a error message. No one could fix it, took it to multiple mechanics, they couldn't diagnose the codes.
First we got scammed and paid $800 to mechanic that did not fix it, told us after he'll help us 'crash the car at night after it rained' bec it is probably the transmission.
Drove to an expert twice, kept car for 3-5 weeks in his lot, gave birth in between, needed car so we picked it up.

Dh said this time we are going to dealership of car. Said he'll fix it for $5k. We paid. After avoiding our calls for 4 weeks, he said he can't. He promised it would be good, at least for a bit. We involved BBB, BH dealership got to the bottom of it and fixed issue. BH BH BH. It is still holding up. It was not the transmission fyi.

We are currently paying monthly fees to car shield, and BH nothing broke since.
https://carshield.com/free-quo.....w_wcB

And yes, Ima Slateblue, it is a major company like Toyota/Honda.....


Thank you Ballota! I really appreciate your post.
I don't know why it should make me feel better to hear that you also had tzaros with your car. But it makes me feel less like a fool. In the end of the day, I keep reminding myself and my daughter, that we learned the lessons and perhaps it's a kappara. Let's look forward, not back.
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amother
Thistle


 

Post Thu, Oct 20 2022, 4:50 pm
If buying a used car only buy a Toyota or possibly a Honda.
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Fave




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Oct 20 2022, 5:00 pm
PKL, you should have your on forum here on Ima….!

I’m sorry about your car issues. We bought a used Honda minivan in 2012 and kept it until a couple of months ago (10 years), with no major issues. We sold the car during the summer as due to the post pandemic shortage it was a good time to cash out.

Like everything else in life, each car has its own predestined Mazel and sometimes it works out better (and sometimes it’s just a source of Agmas nefesh…).
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amother
Lavender


 

Post Thu, Oct 20 2022, 5:02 pm
amother OP wrote:
Here is the sad and ongoing saga of one woman who is learning an expensive lesson. Well. It could be worse. It could be more expensive.
But here it is...

My husband believes in only leasing new cars. We both get new cars every 3 years or so.

Eishes chayil that I am, I never insisted on getting a second-hand car, even though I'm sure it's much more fun to drive a used car that has rips in the seats.

But seriously, I know that most people "like us" buy second-hand cars. I did always feel just a bit spoiled that I was always driving a newish car. Even if it was the most basic model. All my friends drive beat up old vans and mine is only slightly dented. How embarrassing.

His reason was always that he can't afford to get stuck and always have his car in the shop. I get that. I understand that time is money. But I privately thought that his fear of always being in the shop was grossly exaggerated. Everyone else manages, right?

Fast forward to last September. My daughter got a job teaching in a school. While she was still in seminary, we talked about her getting her own car, and paying for it by driving a carpool of kids to school.

I won't get into all the details (mostly because its too frustrating to even think about, let alone recount), but I will tell you that I spent at least 10 hours, sitting by several dealerships to try to make it happen, without success. The first day of school rolled around and she still didnt have a car. So I told her to take my minivan for her carpool and we would get her her own car after Yom tov.

Well. Yom tov came and went and we simply never took care of it. I work from home, so I managed without a car. She took my car every day and returned at 4:30. If I needed a car, sometimes I would take my husband's car, pick it up from his place of work. It wasn't the best solution, but it was basically okay.

Ok , the truth is, sometimes it was not okay. Many times. Whatever. But the months rolled on and we managed. More or less.

By the end of last year, my daughter was very clear that this summer she was going to get her own car for the upcoming school year. She was working and there was no reason for her to keep borrowing my car. She asked for my help, but, remembering my frustration from my failed attempts last year, I kept pushing her off. Also, because I really didn't have the time during the summer to work on it.

(For those of you not in the know, it appears that car leasing has become very expensive, as there is a shortage of cars. Due to covid, of course. )

Finally I told her that I just don't have the know-how to help her. My husband also did not have the time to invest in this. I advised her to ask around, see how her friends managed. After all, she is a working adult now. Independent, sort of.

She asked around and found out that a friend of hers bought a second-hand car from a frum car dealership and was thrilled with the experience. Plus, she mentioned a woman I am friendly with whose husband is friendly with the owner. Whatever. It sounded good.
I told her, go for it. Go meet them, find out if they can sell you a car, even without credit. What the terms are.

She said, "But I thought Daddy doesn't believe in buying second-hand cars?"

I said, "Look, it's very nice not to believe in it. But you are a young girl, just starting out, and you don't have an extra 600 a month, or whatever it costs, to shell out on a leased car. So you can be like all the other young girls who manage to get by with second-hand cars. "

She said, "But I don't want my car to be in the shop every day! What if it breaks down while I'm on the highway?"

I said, "I don't think these cars break down every day. Isn't it true that everyone we know has older cars? Do you see them in the shop every day? No...Sure, it's a risk. But I think it's a very, very small risk."

So said the brilliant mom to her trusting daughter. Or as they say...Famous Last Words.

Tbc


I don’t understand your feelings at all… you feel “different” because everyone else has second hand cars and your dh wants you both to have nice, newer, reliable cars that won’t be in the shop??

Consider yourself lucky that your dh is so sensible and generous! You want to be like the others who can’t afford to do so and have to settle for second hand??? Yes, they ARE in the shop very often! I’m exactly of the same mindset as your dh. I’d rather we pay some more and never, ever have to be at a mechanic’s other than routine oil change, etc!

Yes, for a new driver like your daughter it’s fine but not for you and dh.
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amother
Dimgray


 

Post Thu, Oct 20 2022, 5:11 pm
We have bad used car mazel. Our cars would break down (not just make funny noises, but full on break down) at extremely challenging times - like me with a carful of kids 200 miles from home in the middle of nowhere, or 15 miles from home an hour before Shabbos.

My father has pretty good used car mazel. He only gets used and they last him years with not too major repairs. Unfortunately he didn't pass it down to me!

We would have leased but we drive so many miles we couldn't. We bought brand new. Us, the paupers who sometimes struggle to pay the electric bill. We just couldn't afford used anymore.
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amother
OP


 

Post Thu, Oct 20 2022, 5:19 pm
amother Lavender wrote:
I don’t understand your feelings at all… you feel “different” because everyone else has second hand cars and your dh wants you both to have nice, newer, reliable cars that won’t be in the shop??

Consider yourself lucky that your dh is so sensible and generous! You want to be like the others who can’t afford to do so and have to settle for second hand??? Yes, they ARE in the shop very often! I’m exactly of the same mindset as your dh. I’d rather we pay some more and never, ever have to be at a mechanic’s other than routine oil change, etc!

Yes, for a new driver like your daughter it’s fine but not for you and dh.


I guess I should have put out the sarcasm alert. I'm sorry. I know that sarcasm doesn't suit me and that I'm not that great at it.

So, to set the record straight, of course I am grateful that my husband insists on getting us new car leases. I'm not ridiculous, nor am I a martyr.

But there's a bit of truth behind every joke. I believe that every couple, no matter how much they are on the same page about most things, will have some differences in the way they view finances. In my marriage, I tend to think "small", while he tends to think "big." Meaning, if it were totally up to me, I usually try to find a cheaper way to do things, even though it often ends up costing more. Since he is the more practical one in the marriage, I usually end up deferring to his opinion.
And that's the truth. Wink
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amother
Lavender


 

Post Thu, Oct 20 2022, 5:33 pm
Double
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amother
Lavender


 

Post Thu, Oct 20 2022, 5:37 pm
amother OP wrote:
I guess I should have put out the sarcasm alert. I'm sorry. I know that sarcasm doesn't suit me and that I'm not that great at it.

So, to set the record straight, of course I am grateful that my husband insists on getting us new car leases. I'm not ridiculous, nor am I a martyr.

But there's a bit of truth behind every joke. I believe that every couple, no matter how much they are on the same page about most things, will have some differences in the way they view finances. In my marriage, I tend to think "small", while he tends to think "big." Meaning, if it were totally up to me, I usually try to find a cheaper way to do things, even though it often ends up costing more. Since he is the more practical one in the marriage, I usually end up deferring to his opinion.
And that's the truth. Wink


Glad to hear. I’m also usually very thrifty but I too learned from experience that a car, especially one that’s very needed, is not something to take a chance on… the peace of mind of knowing you won’t have any problems is worth gold to me.
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amother
Cinnamon


 

Post Thu, Oct 20 2022, 6:37 pm
This sounds very hard and I am sorry for what you arr going through. A lot has to do with what type of car you are buying age history and miles. My guess is that it is an older car with high miles. My husband always takes it to a mechanic to check out, take it for a test drive and gets the car fax report. Most people do not have this experince. My father always checked the preset stations to see what type of person had the car before. Btw you could buy out your lease and then sell when lease prices go down. A 3 year old van should not have many problems.ĺ
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amother
Darkblue


 

Post Thu, Oct 20 2022, 6:52 pm
I must be crazy. I would much sooner have my DD21 drive a newer car and drive the old one myself. I would be so worried about her if it broke down with her alone on the side of the road. I wouldn’t even want her to have the stress of being late for work. Me they are not going to fire. Nobody is kidnapping me ( and they would return me in 15min. if they did.)
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amother
Mauve


 

Post Thu, Oct 20 2022, 7:00 pm
Next time you buy a used car, please do a tiny bit of research. Buying the way your daughter did is reckless honestly TMI though you are an awesome writer and I giggled all the way through.
Buying used is is risk, it always is, but there are ways to lessen the risk. Carfax reports, educated decisions, inspections, etc
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amother
OP


 

Post Thu, Oct 20 2022, 7:01 pm
amother Cinnamon wrote:
This sounds very hard and I am sorry for what you arr going through. A lot has to do with what type of car you are buying age history and miles. My guess is that it is an older car with high miles. My husband always takes it to a mechanic to check out, take it for a test drive and gets the car fax report. Most people do not have this experince. My father always checked the preset stations to see what type of person had the car before. Btw you could buy out your lease and then sell when lease prices go down. A 3 year old van should not have many problems.ĺ


Yeah, sadly I'm lacking the experience and know-how. There are so many factors to take into consideration when buying a used car to see if its a good deal. I know that now.
Thanks for the idea to buy out my current car. I think I will do that. I've been driving a Honda, and it's in excellent condition.

In other news, I called the owner of the car dealership that sold me the car, (to whom I towed the car) to ask what his expert mechanics said. He said that his guys could also not start the car. They are thinking that someone messed with the key battery and it's not connecting with the computer . They will have to reset the computer. It's just a guess but he said he should know more tomorrow.

So it seems I'm out of a car tomorrow. Again.

Gam Zu letova.
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ChutzPAh




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Oct 20 2022, 7:07 pm
amother OP wrote:
Yeah, sadly I'm lacking the experience and know-how. There are so many factors to take into consideration when buying a used car to see if its a good deal. I know that now.
Thanks for the idea to buy out my current car. I think I will do that. I've been driving a Honda, and it's in excellent condition.

In other news, I called the owner of the car dealership that sold me the car, (to whom I towed the car) to ask what his expert mechanics said. He said that his guys could also not start the car. They are thinking that someone messed with the key battery and it's not connecting with the computer . They will have to reset the computer. It's just a guess but he said he should know more tomorrow.

So it seems I'm out of a car tomorrow. Again.

Gam Zu letova.
[b]

That someone messed up the key? Haha. They are making this stuff up because they sold you a terrible car and think you will keep falling for their lies.
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amother
OP


 

Post Thu, Oct 20 2022, 7:14 pm
amother Mauve wrote:
Next time you buy a used car, please do a tiny bit of research. Buying the way your daughter did is reckless honestly TMI though you are an awesome writer and I giggled all the way through.
Buying used is is risk, it always is, but there are ways to lessen the risk. Carfax reports, educated decisions, inspections, etc


You are 100% right. I don't want to go down the road of blame here, but I was talking to my daughter today to just analyze what happened. I told her that when she went to the car dealership, it never occured to me that she would plunk down all that money from one second to the next. I thought she would come home and we would discuss it, do our research, etc.

She said that she thought the same when she went, but while she was sitting there, it all went so fast. They told her what an amazing car it was and asked her "so are you going to get it?" And she felt this pressure to just say yes. She tried calling me a few times, but I was unavailable to talk on the phone. So she said yes.

Looking back, she is ashamed at how she "fell" for it, but at the time, she was somehow pressured into thinking that if she doesn't grab this insane deal now, she will lose it.

So I talked to her about the fact that whenever something is presented as an insane deal, that is exactly when she must walk away from it. She should never put down a large sum of money under pressure. She knows that now, and hopefully will never make the mistake again. I know I have made such mistakes as well. She is perhaps a bit of a trusting soul (as is her mother,) so this was a valuable (if hard) lesson to learn.

Sadly, part of the reason she was so trusting is because the owner is a frum guy in our community and has kids in our schools. Also, her friend got her car in the same place and was very happy.

And to be very honest (pls don't throw rotten tomatoes at me, but) I still believe that the owner did not intentionally sell my daughter a bad car, thinking he can scam an innocent girl . I think he thought it was a good car.

But as they say, "kabdehu vechashdehu". And we were missing the chashdehu part.
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amother
OP


 

Post Thu, Oct 20 2022, 7:17 pm
ChutzPAh wrote:
[b]

That someone messed up the key? Haha. They are making this stuff up because they sold you a terrible car and think you will keep falling for their lies.


I think I should stick to making kugels. This is not my thing, clearly. Sad
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notshanarishona




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Oct 20 2022, 7:18 pm
I would cut your losses, sell the car back to the guy you bought it from, and buy from a more reputable dealer next time.
You didn’t mention what make/ model it is but the kind of repairs you are describing are like what we have on our 2004 Toyota with 200,000 miles. It’s basically a junker car.
I have only in my life bought used cars but always with research and 2nd opinion from a mechanic other than the seller.
I also wonder if you bought on a credit card if you can decline the charges or file a dispute.
I wouldn’t trust a word from the original mechanic no matter how “frum” or krum he is. He is a cheater/ lyer.
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amother
OP


 

Post Thu, Oct 20 2022, 7:41 pm
notshanarishona wrote:
I would cut your losses, sell the car back to the guy you bought it from, and buy from a more reputable dealer next time.
You didn’t mention what make/ model it is but the kind of repairs you are describing are like what we have on our 2004 Toyota with 200,000 miles. It’s basically a junker car.
I have only in my life bought used cars but always with research and 2nd opinion from a mechanic other than the seller.
I also wonder if you bought on a credit card if you can decline the charges or file a dispute.
I wouldn’t trust a word from the original mechanic no matter how “frum” or krum he is. He is a cheater/ lyer.


Yes that's what I want to do as well.
But I would have my daughter get a new car. I don't think I could handle the risk of a used car again. Especially since I clearly do not have the right connections/experience. I can ask a few people their opinion, but if everyone tells me something else, I'll just get confused. My daughter already spoke to someone (a good family friend) who said he will help her with it.
Regarding declining the charges, I thought about that, but the lawyer I spoke to strongly advised against it. He said it's a terrible idea.
She paid the deposit with her debit card, and is in contract for the next three years to pay the rest.
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amother
Pumpkin


 

Post Thu, Oct 20 2022, 8:25 pm
I'm so sorry you need to go through this! We had similar experience when we were newly married years ago. We used alot of our wedding money to buy our first car. Reputable dealer, we thought the car had trouble starting when they brought it to us from the lot and they just brushed it off. Turned out it was major lemon. Almost our $$ drained. Gam zu ltovah. Better that than medical bills.
I feel for you tho. I feel sorry you have to go through this heartache. Hope it all gets better soon!.
You are such a fabulous writer. Please write a story for us, you kept me entertained!!
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synthy




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Oct 20 2022, 9:12 pm
I feel so sorry for you! But I'm glad I read this. DH and I have been on the fence about getting a car (we don't have one yet) and he wants a pre-owned while I'm scared.
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