ATLANTA — Used car sticker prices often double or triple without you knowing until after you drive off the lot.
News Center 7′s Consumer Advisor Clark Howard warns that going to a dealership without a plan could leave you with a huge bill and sometimes without a working car.
Used car purchase complaints are among the most common calls we receive at the Consumer Action Center. Mechanical failures, expensive add-ons, and sky-high interest rates leave new owners with much more than they can afford.
Howard talked with three customers who dealt with three different dealerships, all with similar problems.
Adriana Parks took the 2015 Impala she bought back after she was told the issues she encountered were resolved.
Parks said the check engine light came back on hours later. “I told the salesman I wanted my money back. I didn’t feel safe driving this car.” She was told all sales are final.
Howard said his team took Parks’ car to Cooper Lake Automotive where owner Bill Rimmer looked it over. He said, “The battery is bad.”
Rimmer said overall the car was safe, but the check engine light would prevent her from passing an emissions test.
“You can’t have any pending codes to pass the test and if we clear the code, it will have a pending code if we drive it around the block,” Rimmer said,
Howard said his team called the dealership and was told they would make the necessary repairs.
Jennifer Hambrick told Clark Howard and his team that the used Mitsubishi she bought stopped running completely within months of buying it.
She was forced to use Uber every day to get to work.
“I’ve got five kids. It’s a struggle to and from work. It’s a struggle on where I stay,” Hambrick said.
We spoke to the owner of the dealership she went to who said his Google reviews speak for themselves, but it was only when we called that he gave Hambrick a different vehicle.
Jordan Sammons spent thousands on a rental car waiting for the dealership she when to, to switch out the transmission of the 2013 Ford Escape she bought earlier this year.
“So far as of today, I have spent almost $2,500,” Sammons said. When she called to get an update on the fix she was told to “Make your payment and call me on Monday and I’ll give you an update.”
When Clark Howard and his team called the dealership, they were told a manager would get in touch with us. So far, no one as called, but now she has been given a new vehicle.
Mechanical failures aren’t the only issues these women face. Each of them financed at the dealership and has interest rates over 25%.
T. Micheal Flinn is a consumer attorney. He said, “Unfortunately, the people who get preyed upon the most by used car dealers are all the people who can least afford to do anything about it,”
Flinn said potential buyers need to research businesses thoroughly before stepping foot on the lot.
“I think the most important thing is knowing what the price of the car should be,” Flinn said.
These are two things you should do before you buy a used car. One, get pre-approved for a loan at a credit union or a bank before you ever set on a dealer lot. That will eliminate a world of problems with bad loans.
And, speaking of bad cars, any vehicle you want to buy, make a deal for it subject to you having it inspected by a mechanic of your choosing.