Selling a Car? Should You Make Repairs Pointed Out By The Potential Buyers Mechanic?

CJ from Granite Bay, CA · 10-21-01, 08:30

If you are planning to sell your used car and the potential buyer requests that he/she takes it to their mechanic, at their expense to be checked out; should you pay for the normal wear and tear that their mechanic points out. Lets assume the car wasn't dogged, service receipts are available, and the auto' s engine and transmission is in excellent condition, along with the body and interior. What is your opinion?

NY detailer · 03-24-02, 07:38

no don't pay for it.
you are not selling the car at the price you bought it for. I am sure you looked up the price of the car and what it is worth with the miles that are on it. You value of the car already has the deductions for wear & tear. If you have the receipts of all the mechanic work done, then that is just a plus in your pocket and should be used when you go to sell the car.

Don2000g · 03-26-02, 05:21

Well if its just a very minimal cost, I'd probably just say well lets just deduct $100 bucks or $200. This especially holds true if its either tires or brakes. In general, however, when you sell a used car, I honestly feel that you're selling it AS IS. This is assuming that it is in good running order.

Acuracer · 03-27-02, 03:36

If you are selling a car that is totally fixed and needs no service, then you can ask top dollar like a used car lot. Those cars are warranteed at least 30 days usually. However, I expect that you are not asking the "retail" price for the car and this is where things that need to be fixed come into play.

example: I'm selling my '79 Mercedes that needs some work - not a lot but some work. If I dumped, say, $1500 into it to make it run like it did in 1979, then I would ask A LOT more for the car. The buyer gets it as is and then he can decide what to fix and get a much lower price than a "perfect" car.

bretfraz · 03-27-02, 03:58

It really depends on what kind of car you're selling, who the potential buyers are, and what the market place expects for a car like that.

Every used car buyer expects *some* things to be worn out or not working 100%. People want cars inspected to give them an insight to any major problems with a potential purchase. It's not reasonable for a buyer to expect everything to be working like new.

But sometimes a car can be almost impossible to sell if certain systems of the car aren't working. Like air conditioning or brakes. No matter how cheap your car is, it may be all but unsellable if they don't work properly. The upshot is that if you have that work done, you can use it as a selling tool.

If most cars like yours are in similar condition for a similar price then it's not critical to do additional work. But if the market is selling cars like yours that are in much better condition you have to expect that buyer will spend more for those cars unless they can steal yours. This is really common at exotic/classic car auctions. Cars that have not been detailed or just slapped together do not sell or sell for super low prices. But if an owner went to the trouble of taking care of the little things prior to sale then the chances of a car selling for a good price go up. It's kind of a game of odds, if you get my meaning.

Just apply a little common sense and you'll be OK. Good luck.