Dodgy 2nd hand holden dealership???

[mickyyyy]

Hey guys,

Im looking at a EL XR6 at a 2nd hand dealership and have test drove the car and all but the thing is a nugget. It just dosent go and took forever to change gear.

They had a look and said it was a cat converter and they will replace it if i leave a deposit. Now they refuse to replace the cat before i put down any money and all they do is talk about leaving a deposit and are really pushy, but i keep saying no. Ive spoken to my exhaust guy and 3 mechanic mates and they all agreed that a cat can do that but also a gearbox can make the car run like that 2. Also could be a tuning issue in regards to the engine.

I would like to put deposit and get it fixed but if i pull out ill have to pay 5% termination fee of agreed purchase price.

This is another thread asking what could be the problem

http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?t=11243950

My questions are

Can a dealership have a car on the lot that is not in good working order?

What is the best way to protect myself if i leave a deposit?

I thought that they should write down the following;

Mechanic has determined that cat converter is faulty and needs to be replaced as vehicle is not in good working order.

I thought that would be good as if the car comes back and still the same then at least i have some sort of security.

All you information and help will be greatly appreciated


Thanks in advance guys

[mr smith]

Walk, no, run away. Plenty of good cars out there at the moment for a good price. Dont have to put up with crap like that.

[Maggot]

You could sign up subject to the issues being fixed.. but seeing as you don't know what the issues are it would be tough to document.. tell them to stick it.

There are plenty of cars around cheap at the moment. (ones that work)

[RG]

They're being difficult, it isn't worth it so leave it as something better will come up at a dealer that will be happy to help you.

[jcxr]

What do you expect from a Holden dealership?

[05_ENFORCER]

Turn your back on them and walkaway.............................. straight to the MTA (motor traders association) and have a chat about your situation.
Oh let the dealership know that you think the deal is not reasonable because the vehicle is defective before doing that.
You do not have to pay anything to get a vehicle up to merchantable quality before buying.
Some of the unscrupulous dealers all too often get you to sign the agreement first and then bull$hit to you later

[4Vman]

Why are you even asking? shop elsewhere... They're obligated to sell you a warranted vehicle. you havent bought it yet so they don't have to do a thing.

[mickyyyy]

4Vman

What you mean by "They're obligated to sell you a warranted vehicle"?

Yeh the reason im wanting it as its really low kms for its age and is in imaculate condition inside and out. So thats why im trying to haggle him but there being a major pain in the backside to deal with. If it was average kms and condition i would of left there ages ago.

[snappy]

What bothers me is the want you to the depoisit down . So they will then fix the issue but if you don't buy it they are just hoping the next bloke that comes along wont notice .

[mickyyyy]

What i dont understand is how in the first place put a car on the yard for sale like that. Then ask a potential buyer to put a deposit down then they will fix the car. If it really is just the cat then why didnt they ust fix it and then no one can complain that it has issues.

Im thinking there is more to the store as my mechanic thinks it could aslo be a gearbox issue as well as it did slip when i first drove it, but it was the first take off it done that but nothing else after that.

[4Vman]

Originally Posted by snappy84

What bothers me is the want you to the depoisit down . So they will then fix the issue but if you don't buy it they are just hoping the next bloke that comes along wont notice .

It will be a cash flow thing, they don't want to fix it till its sold and they get paid for it.
Shop elsewhere id say.

[pauljh74]

I don't believe the cat converter would affect the operation of the transmission. Cat converter might result in less power but it would still shift normally. If you're REALLY keen on it ask them if they will let you get an INDEPENDENT professional mechanical inspection. If they say no - RUN, don't walk away.

I'd be telling them fix it first, then I'll have another look at it and buy if it suits me.

As for signing up on the condition it is fixed - no way. What sort of repairs do you think they will perform? They'll get a slightly less stuffed part and whack it on to make it last a few months. If the job isn't done well enough they will probably stuff you around after you buy it.

Come to think of it - if the cat converter is stuffed, it needs to be fixed to be roadworthy anyway - the cat can't be doing it's job properly.

[mickyyyy]

If the cat is really stuffed which it seems, the car goes like a dog. No power at all and that is probably why it took for ever to shift gears.

[CAMS290]

Originally Posted by mickyyyy

If the cat is really stuffed which it seems, the car goes like a dog. No power at all and that is probably why it took for ever to shift gears.

Get a RACV or NRMA test done on it, might cost youa couple of hundred bucks, but it will be money well spent if its a dunga

[mad cow]

they probably didnt even notice the problem. after all a half stuffed ford is still going to go better than a good commodore.

[RATT]

They are not obliged to warrant the car as it will be over 10 years old. The pushiness is a worry though.
The reason they won't replace the cat is that they may end up wholesaling the car to an auction house who will then sell it as is.
If you're in NSW, NRMA don't do inspections anymore but I am unsure about RACV.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Im suprised they would wanna sell something like that... Most big dealers dont waste time with cars over 10 years old, they wholesale em...

They would have to sell it roadworthy wouldnt they?

[XR Martin]

If you really want it just offer the dealer a price under the asking price that will easily cover a new trans and exhaust. I wouldnt even bother asking them to fix it because it will be more than likely a dodgy fix anyway.
Remember its only an EL and there are still plenty of parts out there to fix them. As long as the body and interior is in good shape thats the important bit. Mechanical side of things isnt too expensive to fix in comparison.

[Scott]

Originally Posted by mr smith

Walk, no, run away. Plenty of good cars out there at the moment for a good price. Dont have to put up with crap like that.

Good advice.

[dom_105]

Don't even bother. It's a buyers market in this economy, and at this time of year. A lot of private sellers would be strapped for cash just after Christmas, and might be prepared to drop a bit to get it off their hands. That goes for dealers as well, for different but obvious reasons.

If you got the cashola up front, you will be fighting them off with a stick.

[axeray]

Forget this car.

Use your time looking for another one instead of worrying about cars like this.

[fiery]

Originally Posted by pauljh74

I If you're REALLY keen on it ask them if they will let you get an INDEPENDENT professional mechanical inspection. If they say no - RUN, don't walk away.

This is probably the best advice anyone could have given you. Seriously why wouldn't anyone get an independent check done anyway?

Going by its Klms it would be a good car, depending price of course.

Another quick question for you though. Why would you leave a deposit to start with if the thing is for a mate (going by the thread you linked in this thread)?
No dealership should push you into leaving a deposit unless they have others interested.
But, if you walk away and someone else buys it then it wasn't meant to be

[XRQTR]

Originally Posted by mickyyyy

Yeh the reason im wanting it as its really low kms for its age and is in imaculate condition inside and out. .

What do you mean low k's?? how low is low??

I find it difficult to believe a low k car could have a stuffed cat UNLESS something pretty serious has gone wrong with the engine resulting in a melted cat.

As for immaculate, nothing a good detail can't fix most times.

On the dealer window label (the one that hangs over the rear window with the pricing details) they should have the name and address of the previous owner, I'd be chasing them up and ask them a few questions about what condition and k's the car had when they got rid of it and why they got rid of it.

If you still want it, then low ball the price as someone said cover yourself for a trans and exhaust at the least, walk in with the cash or a bank cheque, most dealers find it hard to say no to cash on the spot.

[mickyyyy]

Im considering to buying the car now and it has 70,000kms on it and thats pretty low for a EL XR6 and the lowest i have them is $8000.00

XRQTR

Are you sure that all dealers have previous owners information and contact number on the sheet hanging down?

[RG]

Originally Posted by mickyyyy

Im considering to buying the car now and it has 70,000kms on it and thats pretty low for a EL XR6 and the lowest i have them is $8000.00

70k on a 96-97 car, that's what just under 7k per year. Not out of the question but quite odd nevertheless.

Considering there is an AUII XR8 on here atm for 9k (it does have more kays I know but still) it seems a little high. There is no way I'd pay anything over 5-6k for any E series 6.

Seems suss.

[mickyyyy]

Yeh i offered 7grand but they refuse

Apparently they keep the car for 45days then wholesale it. Im not familair with dealerships and wholesale thing they do. Can anyone explain to me ?

[RATT]

Originally Posted by XRQTR

On the dealer window label (the one that hangs over the rear window with the pricing details) they should have the name and address of the previous owner, I'd be chasing them up and ask them a few questions about what condition and k's the car had when they got rid of it and why they got rid of it.

No they don't and if I was the previous owner I would be alittle unhappy if my information was on display like that.

[deesun]

Ask for the log books and check out where it was serviced. Ring them or go around and see if they will give you some history on the car, not asking for owner details of course.

If you search long and hard enough, cars with very low k's like this one are around. Your research should tell you if it is a genuine car or not. Logs etc. Well looked after/hardly driven cars usually have logs and its probably why the dealer put it on the lot rather than wholesale it immediatly. Keep digging if you think its worth it. Otherwise do as everyone says and walk away.
Hard aint it.

[Spudz27]

I would stay away. I have seen EL's with 90,000 on the clock for only 5,000. I know it is an XR6, but clearly there is an issue with it and 3,000 more than what most decent EL's sell just to have and XR6. You can buy AU's for around that price.

[xbgs351]

I don't know about the dealer, but I think the thread title is a bit dodgy!