Cars Not What They Seem

Cars not what they seem!

In another recent car inspection the vehicle was found online and from the photos and description looked and sounded great so an inspection was organised.
The buyer had not seen the car apart from the photos on the internet.

Car yard description “2002 Lexus IS200 sedan in excellent condition throughout”
Now when you attend a car yard to inspect a car you would expect the vehicle could be test driven wouldn’t you?
Well, apparently not the vehicle in the photo from the sales page looks great but at the car yard, it had 4 flat tyres (probably flat spots from sitting to long, sidewall bulge), a flat battery (needed replacing), all 4 disc rotors were rusted and not just light surface rust.

This car had been sitting for some time to be the way it was and the car was buried with other cars all around it.
The car yard was aware that I was coming to inspect the car so you would think they would have the car ready for a potential sale for the buyer. Not this car yard.
Apart from the obvious issues it also had other problems like suspension, computer faults, play in the front end, transmission leaking and other smaller sundry wear and tear items that need replacing but all money.

The car had to be jump started and even this seemed to be an issue for the car yard to take the time to start the car.
The car wasn’t even roadworthy so couldn’t be driven.
The attitude of the car yard was if the customers want to buy the car first then we can then discuss having some items fixed after it is purchased, really! given that the car was not able to be test driven who knows what else was wrong the engine, transmission, or differential.

The car was a “no warranty vehicle”
It pays to have a car inspection, the asking price was near $7000 with no rego basically as it was so given repairs/rego would have been around $3000 it was not a viable vehicle and one that certainly was not bought.

Some of the pictures from the car in question.
I suppose you should also ask the car yard is the vehicle you have for sale actually drivable before considering the next step.
Most car yards want to sell cars, seems there is always something new.