Car Market is INSANE Now!

[TrailerManNJ]

@tx2: Just god awful to be operating in this fashion. Not only am I being forced to have to make a quick buy, but I'm also dealing with cars that are being sold within minutes due to a crazy hot market. It's almost like I have to take anything that I'm lucky to get.

 

[Morgana]

Or he's just truly socially inept / without a filter / thought it would sound funny. A really competent scammer probably (probably!) wouldn't say something like that. I agree, though, that it just raised the red flag higher.

Might as well go through with the inspection, since you're out the money anyway? If the inspector gave it a clean bill of health, could you get past the fact that the seller was a jerk?

Have you looked at the Carfax? Even if you have to pay for it yourself, it might be worth it.
That is, if you're even still considering buying the car.

It's a tough call, for sure, and a rotten situation. Good luck!!

 

[tx2sturgis]

@tx2: Just god awful to be operating in this fashion.

{snip}

It's almost like I have to take anything that I'm lucky to get.

A few months back I was in a similar predicament. The target vehicle of my dreams had two wheels, not four, but the situation was similar. With the current post pandemic supply shortfalls, by the time I could call a dealer about a listing on the internet, the bike was sold to some guy from Montana picking it up tomorrow morning. Or a guy from Albuquerque, they forgot which. Another dealer I called, they were holding it for the cousin of the dealership owner's mom. At another, a nice couple from Australia has already paid for the bike in full and will be picking it up next spring...its in the back room. You can touch it but don't even THINK of sitting on it!

Anyway....after many more of these 'dead ends' I finally broadened the acceptable list of substitutes and have ended up with a decent, 2 wheel vehicle. Not my first pick, but it will work for me, for now, and actually I saved a bit of money when I stopped trying so hard to get exactly what I wanted.

You might find that your hand is forced...and you have to settle for something else. And it might work out for the best, despite your efforts otherwise!

Yogi Berra said it: 'When you come to a fork in the road, take it.'

 

[Calaverasgrande]

Yeah I bought my Transit for far too much.
Wish I'd had been able to haggle down more, but it's a sellers market.
And the more I drive and sleep in this thing, the more I find wrong with it.
Well at least it runs great and stops fine.
It just has lots of exterior wear.

And I wanted a Sprinter anyway!

 

[TrailerManNJ]

@morgana, @tx2, @calaveras - You guys are right. I'm not going to find the PRECISE car I want in this market, especially with the time crunch I'm under. I have to take what I can get and make do with it. So...

The inspection still stands, as I certainly wasn't going to cancel it and lose $175. Unless the report comes back terrible, I'll probably snatch it up. Aside from working everyday, I have some medical issues I'm dealing with, plus all of the other stresses of life we all have to deal with. I don't have the time to monkey around 3 or 4 hours daily to car shop. 

P.S. - When I get the inspection report back this afternoon I'll try posting here. Aside from your feedback on the car's report, you might enjoy seeing how Lemon Squad operates if you need a similar service in the future. Thanks to all for chiming in!

 

[TrailerManNJ]

UPDATE #2: Inspector went out today as scheduled, and I got his report back about an hour ago. This was my 2nd time using Lemon Squad to inspect a vehicle, and both times I was very impressed. They are definitely pricey, but the cost is well worth it when it involves a big purchase. Especially if you're like me, and aren't very knowledgeable when it comes to mechanical stuff, or maybe if the car is too far away to inspect yourself. They have a number of complaints about their services online, but I can only speak of MY experiences, which were very positive. They're definitely worth a shot, IMO.

As for the vehicle report itself, kinda sorta what I was expecting based on prior photos I saw of the car, as well as my conversation with the seller. The Lemon Squad inspector took 81 photos of the Prius! Exterior, interior, underside, etc. Glad he did, as they showed more scratches and other minor cosmetic flaws that weren't really visible in the seller's original photos. You can read all of the reports yourself if you care to (links below), but the gist of the report was this...

The car has all the usual light cosmetic damage your average 14 year old daily driver has, in addition to some minor carpet wear and other such things. Underside of the vehicle showed some light surface rust in a few areas. Overall, definitely not as aesthetically beautiful as I was hoping, but that's not the most important thing.

As for the operation of the Prius, the inspector said it handled well on the road test, but offered somewhat of a "hard ride". He recommends that the struts be replaced. Like I mentioned earlier in this thread, the tire pressure warning light shows on the dashboard. Tires might just need air, or the sensors in one of the wheels might be bad and needs replacing. Those are the two most common culprits, but it could also be something else.

No other warning lights are on, and the vehicle scan threw off no codes whatsoever. Sooo...

I would say the car is about an average buy. I'm not getting a great deal, and I'm not getting a bad deal...unless something craps out later.

To be honest, my goal is to hopefully have the car last just 2 years without anything major going wrong. If this happens, I'll have a decent sized bankroll by then to move up to a truck-top camper (my ultimate nomad dream home), or perhaps buy another, lower mileage Prius. If it lasts longer than 2 years, GREAT! But 2 years is the goal, which I think is a pretty low bar for the car to pass, and decently realistic.

So, what do you guys think?

https://ibb.co/3s2v1GC

Links: https://ibb.co/q5Qb98z
https://ibb.co/q5Qb98zhttps://ibb.co/3s2v1GC
https://ibb.co/xCDFS5b
https://ibb.co/PDt2DCh

 

[bullfrog]

It won't have the Toyota reliability with a rebuilt aftermarket battery. Did the inspector do an oil analysis? They are cheap and can be very enlightening. Are there any service records and by whom and how often were they performed? Especially the oil changes as Toyota had some piston ring reliability issues I believe during that time period. Have all the filters been cleaned or replaced in the battery cooling system (air vents by back seat and one reason batteries fail prematurely)? A shot in the dark is just that, if you didn't get questions like these answered your inspection wasn't a very good one in my opinion. If you did your research on YouTube as suggested you would be an expert at this point and know what you need to know. Everyone has their own opinion but facts are what is needed to have good ones. Good Luck!!!

 

[maki2]

Just look at the bright side, there is no shortage of toilet paper. They have all moved onto the bigger crimes...hoarding vehicles instead of TP. That is much less of a worry to the majority of Americans. But I do miss the next to no traffic in April and May of 2020.

 

[RVTravel]

I love the blue color. Have you watched this video yet?


Mod edit: Link is to a video about the different generation Prius' problems.

Please provide a description of linked videos. Not everyone has unlimited internet.

 

[tx2sturgis]

TMNJ...did you buy it? What happened?

Closure dude...we gotta have closure....

 

[sander]

Want to know tooo

 

[crofter]

For some reason the alert I set up on FB Marketplace isn't working. I'm not being notified whenever a new listing is posted. Yet, when I go in and check manually, new listings appear. Has this happened to anyone else?

Just spotted another Prius listed within the past few hours. I was late to the party however, as the woman selling the car said she was "hammered" with responses, and a guy called up offering cash in hand, which he's driving down now from 2 hours away! Said she'll call me if the deal falls through, but I do NOT like operating this way. Rush jobs normally have shitty outcomes.

This is getting ridiculous 

I am selling a 2008 Prius in fair condition, low miles in AZ. PM me if you are interested with your name and email or phone to set up a time to see it.

So far I have 3 interested buyers without advertizing. 
-crofter

 

[AeroNautiCal]

Local and free newspapers can be a good source of inexpensive, local vehicles, likewise sales cards in newsagents windows.

I have bought cars this way from buyers that did not want to pay out much money to sdvertise their car.

I recently enquired the cost of a low milage car that was perfectly suitable for car camping, and was really surprised when the company seller asked more than double what I believed the car was worth!

What was more disappointing is that this was a car that I had leased and have driven from new and knew had been treated really well (by me!).

 

[PeterPiper]

I wonder what I could get right now for my 2006 Dodge Caravan with low mileage engine and new AC, already set up for RV living ?

I have two. Really only need one.

 

[Casemods]

Look into an HHR. Prices seem reasonable still. And they are very roomy. I see them in the $2-5k range for base models. I wanted a new one or an ss but decided not to change since it runs great and the car market is so stupid right now.

 

[TrailerManNJ]

@tx2sturgis TMNJ...did you buy it? What happened?

Closure dude...we gotta have closure....

Hey everyone! Hope you are all having an excellent holiday season!!!

I am SO sorry for leaving this thread hanging. Just now checking in again after almost 7 or 8 weeks, and as a few members were wondering what happened to me and my car search, I'm updating this conversation with some great news.

Prior to my absence here, I *thought* I'd found a solid vehicle to begin my nomad journey, and posted some details regarding that transaction. Well...

That deal never got made, primarily due to the seller being absolutely stir-crazy, and making all kinds of demands in order to complete the transaction! After this, it was all downhill from there lol.

Cycle for last couple of months has been: Search like mad for a few days to find a good condition used Prius online, then hire a car inspection service to go assess the vehicle in person, then haggle over price, and finally, hopefully seal the deal. This process repeated itself FIVE times due to many factors - vehicles weren't up to snuff after inspection, couldn't agree on price, one seller backed out of our arrangement at the last second, etc. Each time this happened would cost me a week or two in time, and $200 for the car inspection. It has been MADDENING, and even more so in this upside down market, where older cars are literally being sold for 2 and 3 times their usual value!

After losing out on a CREAM PUFF Prius 2 weeks ago by a few hours, one that had 96,000 miles in exquisite condition, and was owned by one older couple for its entire life, I almost felt like giving up and throwing in the towel. My OCD list of needs was too great, the market was too hot for my taste, and honestly, I was tired and beat up from the search itself.

Shortly before Christmas, I half-heartedly resumed the hunt and went on Facebook Marketplace for what seemed like the billionth time. Here we go again, I thought. And lo and behold, after a bit of perusing...

There it was, my newest target! Carefully reviewed the seller's ad, and it met all of my needs: price, miles, private seller, and so forth. Spoke to the owner over the phone and found out it was still available. Went through the process yet again, and this time...

IT WORKED OUT!!! Everything was finalized today, and I'm now the happy, proud owner of a 2008 Prius which I've nicknamed Elvis (yes, it's a he). Next step is getting it hauled from NH to me in NJ.

So, it looks like Elvis and I will be hitting the road full-time within the next few months, after I sort out some medical affairs, and get him outfitted with necessities (bed, fridge, solar panel, etc.). My hope is to have wheels on the highway sometime in March, just in time for spring.

I cannot thank everyone who chimed in here with feedback and other information enough. Going full-time is equal parts exciting and downright scary...at least for me. But in my heart of hearts, no matter what transpires, being out there in the world - LIVING FREE - I believe the journey will be a rewarding one.

I'm glad to be a part of this online community, and I hope to get to know all of you more fully in the coming future.

P.S. - New forum is looking (and more importantly, working) great!!!

 

[winterwanderer]

I had a tinge of buyer's remorse after impulse buying my 2005 minivan (with 122K miles) for $3400 back in April, as the "experts" predicted that the 30% spike in used car prices would soon crash. And now look, it's a 90% spike. The van had a few hidden surprises...when I brought it into Mexico, I found out it was declared a total loss four years ago! That caused a stir with immigration, but after roughly fifteen checks of the VIN # and my documentation, I was issued an import permit.

 

[user 27148]

/subscribed

 

[tx2sturgis]

Hey I'm glad it finally worked out for you!

Thanks for the update...

 

[scaredycat72]

The car is 14 years old so it's going to have issues. Plus if the seller was a scammer, he wouldn't have told you any of that information and he definitely wouldn't be holding the car for inspection. Your original post just said cars were selling sight unseen, which means he could sell his just as quickly.

I would go ahead with the inspection if you want a car. Nothing about this sounds fishy to me.