Navigating the used car market can be daunting, but Nile Motormouth Jenkins breaks down seven crucial maintenance red flags to watch for before making a purchase. From understanding vehicle certification to checking for liens and the importance of a used vehicle information package, this episode provides practical advice for buyers. With anecdotes from his own experiences in the automotive world, Nile emphasizes the need for thorough inspections and smart negotiation tactics to avoid costly mistakes. Tune in for valuable insights that could save you from a bad deal.
Buying a used car can save you money-or cost you thousands if. you don't know what to look for.
In this episode of Car connection, we walk used-car buyers through 7 critical maintenance red flags ( plus a few bonus ones ) that can help you avoid buying someone's else's problem.
From hidden neglect to warning signs that scream future repairs, this is real-world advice from the service bay- not sales talk.
You'll learn:
1) What maintenance clues tell the real story of a vehicle
2) Which "small issues" are actually big money problems
3) How to spot lipstick on a pig ( or a skunk in a mink coat )
4) When to walk away-even if the price looks good
A little knowledge before you buy can save you years of frustration and thousands of dollars.
New merch is rolling out now- including our first-ever Car Connection coffee mug, winter toques ( knitted hats ) snapback hats, ( Black & Yellow our CC Colours ) zip up hoodies.
Every purchase helps fund vehicle repairs and supports people fighting their way to total Freedom from addiction-in Canada, campuses available in Canada and U.S open to Canadians.
Tough times don't last.
Tough people do.
Let's roll into 2026 together
tnx for Listening, Watching, Joining our Car Connection Community and Crew,
Doing Life Together, Happy Motoring Friends, Luv Y'all a Bunch, NMJ
"And that one was entitled, let me see here. What really happens if you skip oil changes? Yeah, you don't want to go there."
An oil change is when you replace the old oil in your car's engine with new oil. It's important because old oil can damage the engine over time.
Oil changes are routine maintenance tasks that involve replacing the old engine oil in a vehicle with new oil. This is crucial for maintaining engine health, as old oil can lead to increased wear and tear on engine components.
"Even if it's synthetic, it smells like robot tears. Read your owner's manual or ask your technician automotive technician."
Synthetic oil is a man-made oil designed to work better than regular oil. It helps keep your engine running smoothly, especially in extreme temperatures.
Synthetic oil is a type of motor oil that is artificially made using chemical compounds. It offers better performance and protection compared to conventional oil, especially in extreme temperatures.
"Ignoring oil changes can lead to what we in the biz call catastrophic wallet leakage."
'Catastrophic wallet leakage' is a funny way to say that ignoring car maintenance can end up costing you a lot of money in repairs.
'Catastrophic wallet leakage' is a humorous term used to describe the significant financial costs that can arise from neglecting vehicle maintenance, such as skipping oil changes, which can lead to serious engine damage.
"...if you're like me, I always buy pre-owned. I have never bought one brand new car ever. I've owned a lot of vehicles..."
Pre-owned means a car that someone else has owned before you. These cars are usually cheaper than new ones and can be a good option if you're looking to save money.
Pre-owned refers to vehicles that have had one or more previous owners before being sold again. Buying pre-owned cars can often be more economical than purchasing new ones, as they typically depreciate in value more slowly.
"...I've flipped a lot of vehicles and when we had the shop, I used to buy $500 beauties..."
Flipping vehicles means buying a car for a low price, fixing it up, and then selling it for more money. It's a way to make a profit from cars that need some work.
Flipping vehicles refers to the practice of buying cars at a low price, making improvements or repairs, and then selling them for a profit. This can be a lucrative business for those who know how to assess and fix cars.
Term
$500 beauties
"...I used to buy $500 beauties where a family might say, you know what, we just don't want to fix it anymore..."
$500 beauties are cheap cars that you can buy for $500. They might need some work, but if you can fix them, you can sell them for more money later.
The term '$500 beauties' refers to cars that are purchased for a very low price, often because they require repairs or are considered undesirable. These cars can be a good investment if the buyer is skilled in fixing them up.
"...check the floor, vacuum it, clean it inside, do all the mechanicals, and I'd make it available to my customers for a son or a daughter or a second vehicle."
Mechanicals are the parts of a car that make it work, like the engine and brakes. It's important to check these parts to make sure the car is safe to drive.
Mechanicals refer to the various mechanical components of a vehicle, including the engine, transmission, suspension, and braking systems. Ensuring these parts are in good condition is essential for vehicle safety and performance.
"...you can climb in from the outside without opening the doors. That's a parts car. And we would sometimes harvest stuff and just make sure everything works and"
A parts car is a car that isn't working anymore and is used to take parts from it to fix other cars. It's like a donor car that helps keep other cars running.
A parts car is a vehicle that is no longer roadworthy and is used primarily for its components. These cars are often stripped of usable parts to repair or enhance other vehicles.
"...if we came across a customer on hard times, these an alternator or starter or something that we have..."
The alternator helps keep your car's battery charged and powers things like the lights and radio while you're driving.
An alternator is a crucial component in a vehicle's electrical system that generates electricity to charge the battery and power the electrical systems when the engine is running.
"...first and foremost, is the vehicle certified? That means you like it..."
A certified vehicle means it has been checked and approved to ensure it's in good condition, which can make buying it safer for you.
A certified vehicle is one that has undergone a thorough inspection and meets specific standards set by the manufacturer or a certifying body, often providing added peace of mind for buyers.
"Is the car certified? Buying an uncertified car or truck or minivan is wrapped up with a bowl saying danger, danger."
A certified car is one that has been checked and approved by experts to ensure it's in good condition. It usually comes with a warranty, which means you can get help if something goes wrong after you buy it.
A certified car is a used vehicle that has undergone a thorough inspection and meets specific standards set by the manufacturer or a third party. This certification often comes with a warranty, providing buyers with added peace of mind regarding the vehicle's condition.
"...I think it needs some brake pads or possibly a tire. Lying, red flag..."
Brake pads are parts of your car that help it stop when you press the brake pedal. If they wear out, your car won't stop as well, so it's important to replace them when needed.
Brake pads are a crucial component of a vehicle's braking system, providing the friction needed to slow down or stop the vehicle when the brakes are applied. Worn brake pads can lead to decreased braking performance and should be replaced regularly.
"...if the seller is a curbsider. And what that means is, I'll put it in in layman's terms, a flipper, just like house flippers, right? There's car flippers. And we call them curbsiders. So they'll buy something,..."
A curbsider is like a house flipper, but for cars. They buy cars, fix them up a little, and sell them quickly to make money, which can sometimes mean they hide problems from the buyer.
A curbsider is someone who buys cars, makes minor repairs or cosmetic improvements, and then quickly sells them for profit, often without disclosing the vehicle's true condition. This practice is frowned upon in the automotive community, as it can lead to buyers purchasing cars that may have hidden issues.
"...this is seven red flags you're purchasing. This is a private sale, private sale technique. Do you have a used vehicle information package? Short form is UVIP from the Ministry of Transportation that shows previous owners and liens."
A used vehicle information package (UVIP) is a report that shows important details about a used car, like who owned it before and if there are any debts on it. It's important to get this report when buying a used car to avoid surprises.
A used vehicle information package (UVIP) is a document that provides essential information about a used vehicle, including its history, previous owners, and any outstanding liens. It's often required when transferring ownership to ensure transparency in the sale.
"...somebody's got a lien registered, could be a service tech, a shop they never paid the bill and they put a mechanics lien on it and guess what? That bill has to be paid before you can take over that car..."
A mechanics lien means that someone, like a repair shop, claims they are owed money for work done on the car. If you buy the car without paying off that debt, you might not be able to keep it.
A mechanics lien is a legal claim against a property (in this case, a vehicle) for unpaid repairs or services. If a car has a mechanics lien, the debt must be settled before the new owner can take possession of the vehicle.
"...you don't have the green sheets, you don't know for sure. Till you buy the green sheets and go this thing's changed hands six times..."
Green sheets are important papers that show the history of a car, like how many people have owned it and if it has been in any accidents. You need these to know if you're buying a good car.
Green sheets refer to official documents that provide a vehicle's history, including ownership changes, accident reports, and any liens. These documents are crucial for verifying the car's background before purchase.
"Because here's a big problem. Vehicles with high mileage getting the odometers rolled back. So the UVIP is going to show you mileage."
Odometer rollback is when someone tricks the mileage on a car to make it look like it has been driven less than it really has. This can be a big problem when buying a used car.
Odometer rollback refers to the illegal practice of reducing the mileage displayed on a vehicle's odometer to make it appear less used than it actually is. This can mislead potential buyers about the vehicle's true condition and value.
"...have you had any repairs costing you $100 done on the car since you owned it? Because once a vehicle reaches 100k, pretty much it's going to require tires, maybe an alternator..."
'100k' means the car has driven 100,000 miles. At this point, many cars need more repairs and new parts because they've been used a lot.
In automotive terms, '100k' refers to a vehicle that has reached 100,000 miles on the odometer. This milestone often signifies that the car may require more maintenance and repairs due to wear and tear.
"tie rod ends, sway bar bushings, ball joints, inner tie rod ends, sway bar links, and the list goes on and on."
Tie rod ends are parts that connect the steering system to the wheels of a car. They help the car turn when you steer the wheel.
Tie rod ends are crucial components of a vehicle's steering system, connecting the steering rack to the wheels. They help in transferring the steering motion to the wheels, allowing for precise control of the vehicle's direction.
"tie rod ends, sway bar bushings, ball joints, inner tie rod ends, sway bar links, and the list goes on and on."
Sway bar bushings are small parts that help keep the sway bar in place. The sway bar helps your car stay stable when turning.
Sway bar bushings are rubber or polyurethane components that cushion the sway bar, which helps reduce body roll during cornering. They play a key role in maintaining vehicle stability and handling.
"tie rod ends, sway bar bushings, ball joints, inner tie rod ends, sway bar links, and the list goes on and on."
Ball joints are parts that connect the wheels to the car's suspension. They help the wheels move up and down and turn left and right.
Ball joints are pivotal components in a vehicle's suspension system, allowing for smooth movement and flexibility between the steering and suspension systems. They enable the wheels to pivot while maintaining a connection to the vehicle's frame.
"tie rod ends, sway bar bushings, ball joints, inner tie rod ends, sway bar links, and the list goes on and on."
Sway bar links are parts that connect the sway bar to the car's suspension. They help keep the car stable when turning.
Sway bar links connect the sway bar to the vehicle's suspension, allowing it to function effectively. They help in reducing body roll during turns, enhancing the vehicle's handling and stability.
"...you can get a print off. They're not worth the freaking paper that's printed on. Do you want a huge hole in the atmosphere on that? You get a print out on the vehicle..."
A vehicle history report is a document that tells you what has happened to a car in the past, like if it was in an accident or if it has a salvage title. But it might not show everything, especially if something wasn't reported.
A vehicle history report provides information about a car's past, including accidents, title status, and ownership history. However, it only includes data that has been reported, which means some issues might not be documented.
"Does the air conditioning blow ice cold? Yeah, take a thermometer. You know what I take? My meatometer."
Air conditioning in cars helps keep the inside cool and comfortable. It works by removing heat and humidity from the air inside the car.
Air conditioning in a car is a system that cools and dehumidifies the air inside the vehicle, providing comfort to passengers. It typically uses a refrigerant to absorb heat from the cabin and expel it outside, making the interior cooler.
"Yeah, take a thermometer. You know what I take? My meatometer."
A thermometer is a tool that tells you how hot or cold something is. In cars, it's used to check if the air conditioning is working well by measuring the temperature of the air coming out.
A thermometer is a device used to measure temperature. In automotive contexts, it can be used to check the temperature of the air coming from the air conditioning system to ensure it is functioning properly.
Term
AC
"...put the AC on low, low fan, max AC, and take a reading."
AC means air conditioning, which helps keep the inside of the car cool and comfortable. It's especially important when it's hot outside.
AC stands for air conditioning, which is a system in vehicles that cools and dehumidifies the air inside the cabin. It is crucial for passenger comfort, especially in hot weather.
"So a cheap repair on air conditioning would be 500 bucks, but dream on, that's not going to happen."
Repair costs are the money you have to spend to fix something in your car. Here, it talks about how much it might cost to fix the air conditioning if it's not working.
Repair costs refer to the expenses incurred to fix a malfunctioning component of a vehicle. In this context, it discusses the potential costs associated with repairing the air conditioning system, which can vary based on the severity of the issue.
"...I should have done the negotiating because he overpaid by about $11,000."
Negotiating means talking to someone to agree on a price. When buying a car, it's important to negotiate to try to get a better deal.
Negotiating is the process of discussing terms and prices to reach an agreement. In car buying, effective negotiation can significantly impact the final price and terms of the sale.
"...it's a business transaction. Friendship is friendship. Business is business."
A business transaction is when you buy or sell something, like a car, for money. It's important to treat it seriously, even if you're friends with the seller.
A business transaction refers to any exchange of goods or services for money. In the context of buying a car, it emphasizes the importance of treating the sale as a formal agreement rather than a personal relationship.
"...but you don't want to add that to the price of the vehicle so you're overpaying. Got it? This is where it's important..."
Overpaying means you pay more money for something than it is actually worth. In car buying, this can happen if you really like a car and ignore its problems.
Overpaying refers to paying more than the fair market value for a vehicle. This can happen if a buyer does not properly assess the condition of the car or if they become emotionally attached to it.
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Good morning Niagara, you're tuned to Car Connection where the coffee's hot, the tools
are ready and the talk is always tuned up.
I'm your host, Nile Motormouth Jenkins, coming to you straight from the Car Connection workshop
where we mix a little humor, a little know-how and a whole lot of horsepower.
Here it's not just about fixing cars, it's about keeping you rolling, saving you money,
giving you the confidence to understand what's under the hood, from the classics to the commuters,
the weird noises to the what the heck moments, we've got you covered.
So grab your coffee, double check your order before you leave the takeout window.
That's right, because you can't reverse in the takeout lane.
Yeah, I'm just saying, I don't know how I know that.
But anyway, sit back, get that favorite morning beverage locked down in your cup holder,
hand the crayons over to in the leaf bag over to your co-pilot.
If you have one, you're going to want to take some notes this morning.
Yeah, we've got a really hot topic today and you can join the crew.
Keep an eye on on the road and the other guy, the one that drives like an absolute idiot.
That's right, they're out there by the dozens.
Join the crew this morning because this is Car Connection, your Saturday morning.
Pit stop for stories, smarts, and a few good laughs.
So, hey, remember, if your beverage is hot and I make you laugh, it's cool.
It's cool to laugh by the time it, you know, lands, probably not.
Hot beverages are just that.
So keep that in mind.
So a few good laughs.
I'm Niall Motormouth Jenkins and we're going to ship this morning drive into gear right here.
In the workshop, tons of stuff on the go.
Here's what we got for you today.
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Used car buyers, seven maintenance red flags to check before you buy.
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We want to always make sure we say thank you to those who help us out and keep the car rolling
here in the car connection workshop. I do have a motor mouth tech tip for you this morning.
I didn't forget. No, I did not. It's not true. Who said that? Yeah, it's not true.
Well, this one kind of ties in with the podcast that I did on Friday.
And that one was entitled, let me see here. What really happens if you skip oil changes?
Yeah, you don't want to go there. Well, folks, your car is not a vampire.
It doesn't like old dirty oil. Even if it's synthetic, it smells like robot tears.
Read your owner's manual or ask your technician automotive technician.
Ignoring oil changes can lead to what we in the biz call catastrophic wallet leakage.
So if you haven't tuned in to that podcast on skipping oil changes,
you might want to get on that. I give you a lot of nuggets. Well, today,
something that generally happens at the beginning of a new year and we're only days away.
How's your Christmas shopping going? Yeah, mine too. Sucks with a double K and a big T at the end.
Sucked. Yeah. Yeah, I prefer getting started on the 24th.
It seems to be a habit. I don't know. I don't know. We just keep moving, right?
Keep moving. Well, today, we're going to be talking about used car buyers.
At some point, if you're like me, I always buy pre-owned. I have never bought one brand new car
ever. I've owned a lot of vehicles. I've flipped a lot of vehicles and when we had the shop,
I used to buy $500 beauties where a family might say, you know what, we just don't want to fix it
anymore. It's time to get another one. Would you like to have it? Can we leave it here? Generally,
they'd say, can we just leave that here? Here's the keys. Here's the ownership. Oh, I thought you
were just leaving it here indefinitely. Okay, I'll do something with it. And that's what started
I would assess them, take it apart, inside and out. I'd take all the seats out,
pull the carpet up, check the floor, vacuum it, clean it inside, do all the mechanicals,
and I'd make it available to my customers for a son or a daughter or a second vehicle. And most
of the time, the customer would come back and go, is that a, you're kidding me? And I go, yeah,
fixed it up. Oh my gosh, it looks amazing. I go, yeah, you want to buy it back? And I'd usually
sell them for, you know, 1500 bucks. Sometimes I buy one for 500 and I call them my $500 beauties.
As long as they weren't rotted out, you can climb in from the outside without opening the doors.
That's a parts car. And we would sometimes harvest stuff and just make sure everything works and
then tag and bag it and put it in the used parts department in the mezzanine. That way,
if we came across a customer on hard times, these an alternator or starter or something that we have
a wiper motor, blower motor, and they got little money, I just give them the part, just pay me
for the labor. So we had a really good thing going there. And I'd like to get the same thing going
here at the car connection workshop is to be able to do that. And then shoot the video, give us
permission, shoot the video and share it with everyone else out there. So today, we're going to
talk about used car buyers. Some of the red flags. And if I if time permits, I'll give you more than
seven. But I will definitely give you seven pointers. For sure. That's guaranteed for sure.
Seven being the number of perfection. All right, first and foremost,
is the vehicle certified? That means you like it. Possibly, maybe, kind of, you have to have it
looked over. Now, if you're not confident in looking it over yourself, or you can't get a service
tech to go with you, a buddy, somebody, you know, that is an automotive service tech,
so that they can look around it quickly and go give you the nod, the wink, that was usually the
signal. I'd say, you know, somebody would hire me out. And people used to hire me out. And when I
had time, I'd go do that. Look, they pick a few vehicles out, pick me up and I go with them.
You know, they take care of, you know, making sure I'm beverage and fooded all day. And then we go
looking. And if, you know, we're looking, I'm looking at a vehicle and I'm thinking this is,
this one here is a goodie. I look at them and wink. And that was the signal, this is a good one.
I would consider buying it, try and make a deal. That's what that wink meant. And so we'd move on
from there. But the first thing you should ask, you're buying a vehicle pre-owned privately. This
is what you're buying from a car lot as well. Is the car certified? Buying an uncertified car or
truck or minivan is wrapped up with a bowl saying danger, danger. Yeah, usually the seller will
say something like, well, I think it needs some brake pads or possibly a tire. Lying, red flag,
they know, they know what it needs and they're not willing to put the money out to fix it. So
if you're really interested, you're going to need to know what you don't know and that is
the truth about every single thing that needs to be taken care of. Remember the five things,
what it is, where it is, how it works, how it breaks and confirmation, right? Confirmation of
the repair. We want to know that. And so if you don't know what's waiting for you, you could end
up overpaying and then the cost of repairs, all of a sudden the vehicle, I'm going to use 10,000
as an example. So they're asking 10, you chisel them down to 95 and then you find out afterwards,
it needs $4,800 worth of repairs. And I just read a work order the other day, a genuine work order
that happened within the last 90 days to a lady, someone I know, just shy of $4,000. So you can get
there very quickly when the shop rate is 130 an hour. And I'm not being disrespectful there because
the cost of equipment today and overhead and everything, you can't run a shop at $60 an hour
like we used to or 65, which was our shop rate on the Hamilton Mountain. And we weren't the most
expensive, we weren't the cheapest. But you know what, my snap on bill every month to just to pay
for the equipment we had was $1,000, just for the tool truck. Yeah, we used to call it the,
you know, the cash trucks coming cash trucks, cash trucks here, then we knew we had to go out and
make a payment. Yeah, 1000 bucks minimum for I can't even tell you how long for the equipment
that we had that we were able to get and make payments that you know, you're not adding in
anything else. That's just that for tools and equipment. So you want to make sure that you know
exactly what that vehicle needs. So I'm going to move on and then I'm going to come back to that
first little nugget, the seven red flags. We're going to come back to red flag number one,
going to circle back towards the end. Secondly, we don't do emissions tests anymore. So that's out
of the way. We don't even need to think about that. So that brings us to number two, how long have
you owned the car? And this is where I listen when I ask, when I ask a question to the person
that owns it, and you may be talking to someone who's working in between, like the husband,
it may be the wife's car, and the husband is the one representing her and selling it. And I've
been there and if time permits, I'll share a little story. Yeah, because I was working with
not one liar, but two. But I was also working the price of the car because the car was worthy
of rescuing if the number was right, because I knew what repairs I was looking at. And it was
it was aesthetics. And that gets expensive real fast. So this question,
which is how long have you owned the car? It assists you in determining if the seller is a
curbsider. And what that means is, I'll put it in in layman's terms, a flipper, just like house
flippers, right? There's car flippers. And we call them curbsiders. So they'll buy something,
they'll doctor it up, you know, the, you know, it's like a lipstick on a pig. So you really
got to be careful because if they're a curbsider, they're looking to make some quick money, get the
sheet metal rubber down the road. And then once it's out of their hands, it's your baby because
there's no comeback. In Canada, there's no comeback for that. There's no lemon law for curbsiders.
But curbsiders are not really, they're frowned upon by by dealerships used and new. So this question
helps to assist you in a big, big way. Because that way, you'll know if they're an unlicensed
professional who wants you to think this is a private sale. So I like to get that out of the
way right up front. Because if I'm dealing with a curbsider, I know they bought a piece of junk,
they put some lipstick on it, and a little spit and polish, and they're just looking to flip it,
put some money in their pocket, and you're going to get beat, you're going to get beat up real bad.
So that's number two. Number three, this is where you you ask this question, and then two
words you say in your head, shut up. Why are you selling it? And here's where they'll give themselves
away. So when you you ask that, and then shut up in your head and say nothing, listen with specific
intent, the more they talk, the more they're lying. You got it? If they have a huge backstory to tell,
walk it, there's more to the story. Yeah, there, you should at that point, I say,
in my head, I'm smelling what they're selling. Got it? So if there's a huge story about it,
just keep listening and let them finish. And then you say thank you for your time.
I appreciate that and get the heck out of there because there's more to it than they're really
telling you but a long story. You're dealing with Pinocchio there. Yeah, watch out, you might lose an
eye. Next. Now remember, this is seven red flags you're purchasing. This is a private sale,
private sale technique. Do you have a used vehicle information package? Short form is
UVIP from the Ministry of Transportation that shows previous owners and liens.
And I'll tell you this right now, many of the sellers don't want to spit out the 20 bucks or so
to buy the package that's mandatory when you change the ownership into your name. So somebody
has to dump a 20 spot to buy the seller's package. If they won't provide the seller's package,
to me, that's a red flag. I will look them right in the eye and say I'm seriously interested
but I want to see the seller's package. And if they refuse to go and get, hey, you know what
they say, you know what, come back tomorrow or I'll send somebody to go get it right now.
They should be prepared to sell the vehicle. You know what I'm saying? This is how you can
nail a curbsider with this question. Oh, you have the UVIP. Pardon? If they say pardon,
they don't even know what you're talking about. Red flag. Get the heck out of dodge.
Yeah, if they don't have the seller's package or they don't want to provide the seller's package,
guess what I do? It had better be the sweetest deal on the face of the planet and the only car
on the face of the planet or I'm walking. Because you know what? Something smells. Again,
I'm smelling what they're selling because the used vehicle information package is going to give you,
are there any liens on it? You don't want to be buying something like that where there's
still money owing on it or somebody's got a lien registered, could be a service tech,
a shop they never paid the bill and they put a mechanics lien on it and guess what? That bill
has to be paid before you can take over that car and that's a sucks to be you program. Don't go there
don't sign up for that class, let me tell you. So never ever hand over any money until you see
that document because that's going to give you a lot of information. Is it a repaired wreck
is going to be on there? Are there any liens? How many owners has it had? Oh, it's one owner already,
you know, they'll say I'm one owner. Well, if you don't have the green sheets, you don't know for
sure. Till you buy the green sheets and go this thing's changed hands six times.
Yeah, it'll show you where it originally was purchased, who had it, where it went next,
and who the current owner is. Exactly. So if you're standing in front of Fred Smith
and it belongs to John Thomas, guess what? You got a curbsider. That's a red flag.
Thank you for your time. Really appreciate it. Get the heck out of dodge. Next up, where are we at?
We're 1234. All right, I'm going to give you some extra today, we got a few more minutes.
And this is, if I can say anything, slow down this stinking process, folks, you're not going
through the drive through ordering a lotty. No, you're not. This is big money. I don't care if
it's three grand to me, you know what, over $1.99, that's big money. That's why I don't go in the
dollar store. But you got you got a deep pocket school in there now. You know what, could you,
could you find three items in less than a minute under a buck? I don't know.
Do you owe any money on the car?
Dang, dang, dang. I've seen this happen. Oh, no, it's all paid off. But you don't have the green
sheets to prove there's a lien or there isn't a lien. So if you take his word for it, his or her
word, you're really hanging your butt out there in the wind. And it's going to be glowing red
when this deal goes south. So again, it comes back to the UVIP. Use vehicle information package.
That's going to give you a lot of answers to your questions. And you're ready for this?
It's also going to show you mileage. Because here's a big problem.
Vehicles with high mileage getting the odometers rolled back. So the UVIP is going to show you
mileage. So you can figure out very quickly if somebody's rolled back or changed the dash,
the odometer, and rolled back hundreds and thousands of mileage, said, look, you know,
it's only got 60,000k on it. It could have 360,000k. Okay, next, you don't want to get bit by that one
because that's huge. That's very, very huge. I'll just give you a little back story. Once it's a,
I pulled an article out. One seller we spoke to owned more money on the car than he was asking for
it. So if you want to purchase an auto that has a lien on it, you must make the check payable to
the lending institution or take it there yourself with the seller beside you. Also ensure that you
get a letter from the lending institution that outlines that they no longer have a financial
interest in the vehicle. I pulled that from some banking notes. That's from the bank itself.
So you don't want to go there. That can be opening a big can of you know what horse pucky.
Next, have you had any repairs costing you $100 done on the car since you owned it?
Because once a vehicle reaches 100k, pretty much it's going to require tires,
maybe an alternator, a battery, a radiator, brakes, emergency brake cables,
tie rod ends, sway bar bushings, ball joints, inner tie rod ends, sway bar links,
and the list goes on and on and on. 100k. We really need to take a look at this vehicle
at that point. Next, is the car presently licensed and insured so you can take it for a test drive?
If they're refusing a test drive even with them in the vehicle, that's a huge red flag right there.
If there's no license plates on it, then that's another red flag. So do you see a trend here?
Buying a vehicle privately can be a hairy carry scary moment because once you throw the money
down and you own it, it's your problem. So if there's problems with the registration,
problems with the lean, problems with it was the vehicle's tagged salvage,
do you know how to look for that? It's right on the ownership. On the top of the ownership,
on the side where all the owner's information is and all the vehicle information, it will either
pass, fit, P-A-S, fit, or it will say salvage. If it says salvage, red flag, get out of there,
that means it's been written off by insurance at some point for a wreckage and somebody has bought
it at an auction or private sale and they've done a toodaloo on it, put some lipstick on it,
and you still got a pig with lipstick. Yeah, it's a skunk in a mink coat. Don't go there.
Do not sign up for that class. So has the car been in an accident? People say, well, you know,
you can get a print off. They're not worth the freaking paper that's printed on. Do you want
huge hole in the atmosphere on that?
You get a print out on the vehicle, you pay for that. You're only going to see
anything that's happened to that vehicle damage-wise that's been reported.
So, like my neighbor a couple years ago, he had one major wreck with a very expensive car
and it got written off and then he had a wreck with his other car's daily driver
and he paid for that out of pocket. So it did not go through his insurance. It was a big number
too, like it was just slightly under 10 grand. He paid for it out of his pocket. Now that won't be
on an inspection report. It won't be there. So if the person's honest enough, they've reported
the collision work and put it through their insurance. But if they don't want their premiums
to go through the ceiling, they're going to find a way through, you know, a line of credits,
credit card, or something, some other means of getting it fixed and paying for it cash and
not reporting it to the insurance. So that won't help you. You're only going to see what has been
reported. So we have to keep that in mind. It doesn't tell you everything about the vehicle
and the owner's not- he's going to- if he's hidden that from the insurance, he's going to hide it
from you too. Does the air conditioning blow ice cold? Yeah, take a thermometer. You know what I
take? My meatometer. My meatometer. Because I don't want them to know that I'm a licensed service
tech, so I'm not taking any high tech equipment. I just take my meatometer. I put it in the dash
closest to the glove box and run the car, put the AC on low, low fan, max AC, and take a reading.
If the air conditioning doesn't even come on, then you know it's done. So a cheap
repair on air conditioning would be 500 bucks, but dream on, that's not going to happen.
It's more likely going to be on the upper part of $1,000 to $2,000 to get that air conditioning
running depending on number one. How long has the air conditioning not been working? The longer
it's not been working, the more money it's going to cost to get it back up and running.
And if you ask, oh, well, the air conditioning is not running, well, it was working last year.
Probably not is the answer to that. Probably not. Yeah. Oh, it just stopped working. Liar,
probably not. No, they know what's wrong with it and they decided we're not going to fix it. So if
air conditioning is top drawer for you, that's a major deal breaker. That's a red flag. Get out of
there. Done. Because you're going to drop, figure out, you're going to just figure two grand
in case it's a whopper to get the air conditioning back up and running. I mean, you really got to,
I really got to love, love, love, love, love, love everything else about the vehicle that
everything else is top drawer. The AC is not working. I am an HVAC tech in automotive. So
it's not a super big deal for me to do the work and get it back up and running with my AC equipment.
But for you, it's cha-ching. That's going to cost you an arm and leg and probably
more and then some and a bag of chips. So never be afraid to ask that because you can end up
in a big hole so fast if the air conditioning is not running.
Here's, I think I may wrap it up with this one. Here's the question. Again, here's where you
have to, this is negotiating. This is the, this is the negotiating part to me is the quickest
and easiest once I've looked it over and I'm going, yep, this is a goodbye, but I'd like it in my
mind at this price, this is my number. So when you decide this is my number
and if you can't get them there, then you have to be able to say I'm walking.
You have to be able to say that, okay? Because that's normally where, you know what, you're
going to buy on emotion and it's going to be a sucks to be you program when that car's in your
driveway and you realize you got a ton of repairs to do. So if I look a vehicle over and I'm going,
okay, the air conditioning is not working. I can deal with that. The rest looks good. The
interior is clean, decently clean. It needs a, you know, it needs a clean up an aisle three to
make it look top drawer and, you know, some buffing out and a little more mechanical. So
just needs, I need to put my TLC on it and I'm happy, but not at that number, knowing that I
could be, I still got to buy parts, my labor is my own, right? I could get into 1000 bucks for the
parts. So in my mind, if they're asking 10, I'm thinking my number has to be nine on this maximum.
I may try them at 85. And my top drawer is nine. So guess what? If he says no, or comes back,
it says, will you give me nine? Done. Then we're done. It's a deal done. But you have to know your
number. When you're looking at, you know what they're asking. In your mind, as you go around the
vehicle and you're checking it out, start just like house buying. Well, you know, it needs carpet,
it needs a carpet removing, it needs floors in the kitchen. Well, it needs this needs that.
It needs paint work throughout. You start adding that up. Well, it needs the roof is 15 years old
is probably just about done. So you know, there's $11,000 or more. You start subtracting that from
what they're asking. So you have some room to get that stuff done if it's a house that you really
want. Well, consider the car a house. When you're buying it, consider it a house, except it's going
to depreciate, you know, like a lead balloon in the lake. So here's the question. And I'm going to
finish with this one, because this is the coup de gras, the grand fromage of the whole transaction.
So they're asking 10, you know, the air is down. Could be two grand. I'd be happy if I got it for
eight. So that's your that's your number. But you'd be willing to go like 8500. Okay. Or you might say,
you know what, I'd go nine, but then that gives me, you know, I got 1000 bucks off. Put that towards
air conditioning. You ready? Are you flexible on the price? Then you say to yourself, in your head,
shut up. I don't mean to be rude about it, but you need to because you need to zip it. And zip it
good. Exactly. Zip it. Because here's the deal. And I learned this from one of my best friends
been in the car business for a long time, they own 22 dealerships, gifts that you know, I got,
I got it right from the horse's mouth. Are you flexible on the price? Shut up. Because the next
one who speaks will lose the deal. That's how that works. So that you know, the next one that speaks
loses the deal. You shut up and you wait. And don't say a word, just walk around the car.
You know, you don't have to give stand there giving them the stink eye. Well, well, what's it going to
be? No, just, you know, casually hands in your pockets, just walk around the car and look at it,
look at the grill. Open the door. And you might right away say, well, what are you thinking?
Then tell them what you're thinking. Yeah. Because I did this, this happened with a friend of mine,
we were out in Toronto, buying a car hauler. And I should have done the negotiating because he over
paid by about $11,000. Because the guy looked at him across the table and said, well, what are you
thinking? And he high balled it instead of low balled it. And I'm going, this guy has just opened
the freaking gate and let all the cows out. Hallelujah. I'm jumping in. And I would have said
$3,500 because it needed a pile of work. I went there to be the tech looking the trailer over.
This thing's a monster. It's a behemoth. But it needed a roof. And it needed tires. It needed
six tires. So you're into some big money already. And he offers them way too much. So in the vehicle
after leaving, says, what do you think? What do you think? I go, you way overpaid, dude,
way overpaid. Well, I didn't want to hurt the guy's feelings. I go, it's a business transaction.
Friendship is friendship. Business is business. So if you're buying a pre-owned car off of a friend,
that's a bad thing. If you want the friendship to go south, I did it. And I lost a really good
friendship over it. It sucked. It was not good. So I look down, I go, yeah, you like way overpaid.
Well, I didn't want to hurt his feelings. I go, it's a business transaction. He said,
what do you think? What would you, I said the key words in my ears went up like six foot
satellite dishes. What would you like to pay for it? And I'm looking at him and I'm waiting,
I'm going, it's not my deal. I came, I saw, I looked it over, I wrote the list. I said what I said,
here's where you're at. If you're happy with it, you buy it. You know, me, it needs a lot of work.
I'm going to pass. It's not the only one on the face of planet,
but he paid $11,000, way too much. I would have paid $3,500 that trailer. I'll tell you what,
I would have taken it home. Yep, because it needed a lot of work. And a group of us all pitched in
and worked on this thing and shifts to get it up and running. And it was, it was just, it was way
too much. So know your number. And that's it. Your number is your number. So if nine is your budget
and you're looking at a vehicle that's 10, and you see some stuff that needs to be fixed,
you got to subtract from their number to come up with your number. But if the vehicle looks sweet,
the structural integrity, the interior and the exterior is really, really good. And most
of the mechanicals are good, except I'm using the air conditioning as a red flag and going,
that could cost me too grand. Know your number. If you, if, you know, when you say,
are you flexible on the price, and then you shut up, and you wait for the answer, and meander
around and let them think about it, sometimes they'll go, what are you thinking? Or what would
you like to pay? Tell them what you'd like to pay. You low ball your number. If your lowest
number is eight, you'd like to get it for eight, then you say eight. But you know you'd go as high
as nine. Then you know, you're still in the game. Then you say, I'd like to pay eight. And then you
say the words in your head, shut up, and wait for their answer. Don't say a word because next
person who speaks loses the deal. That's how this works. I had a really good teacher. My friend,
Mike, very good teacher, and wait to see what they come back with. If they go, would you go
8500? Boom. Yes. Cha-ching. Celebrate. You did all right. Now, the rollout on this is one last tip.
If you can't take somebody with you to look that vehicle over, but you look it over and
you're interested, that's where you say, I'd like to take it to my personal mechanic and have them
look it over for me. I'm very serious about buying it. I'm not tire kicking. I'm very serious,
but I would like my auto mechanic to look it over. You say, would you drive it there
with me or drop it off so he can look it over? And you pay the technician his time because here's
the deal. If you do that and your tech discovers, you know, writes the list and it's going to cost
a fortune to fix the thing based on what they're asking. You can either make them another offer
and see what they come back with, but again, stick with your number. If you see it's going to need
$3,800 worth of work, then that money's got to come from somewhere, but you don't want to add
that to the price of the vehicle so you're overpaying. Got it? This is where it's important. This is,
you know, it's a good big purchase and you got to treat it as such. It's no feelings,
no touchy-feely in the transaction. You got to be nice and respectful, but no touchy-feely.
All right, keep your heart out of it. Well, I really love the color. No, keep your heart out of it.
Well, I might not find another one. It's not the only car on the face of the planet, trust me.
This I know. So, that's where, if it turns out to be a skunk in a mink coat and you got to dump
160 bucks to have your tech look it over, isn't it better that you walk it and that you knew
before you owned it? 160 bucks was money well spent to not be stuck with somebody else's junk
and problems in your driveway. So, I hope you got something out of this. I hope you got a good
takeaway and that your co-pilot has taken a bunch of notes because this is a big one.
Buying a used car privately. I gave you more than seven maintenance red flags to check before you buy
and if you run the course you'll come out the other side of winter. You really, really will.
So, until next time, visit us on our website anytime ccbusnet.com all the links for you on
the homepage top right hand corner to connect with us on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram,
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going to come to your house.
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