Trading in car with known issue?
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Anonymous
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We have a car that burns oil - Chevy says the oil consumption is within normal range (1 qt every 2,000 miles...if you can believe that would be normal...)
We want another car and normally would just trade-in our existing car, but I feel bad about the ultimate owner of this car getting stuck with a lemon. I can't in good faith sell it privately without telling someone about the issue, so that option is off the table (who would buy it?). My guess is that if I told the dealer about the oil issue, they'd buy the car anyways to get the deal done, and just pass it on to an unsuspecting buyer. So, we feel kind of stuck with this car...any thoughts? Does the burden shift to the dealer once I trade it in if I disclose the issue? |
Anonymous
| If the manufacture says it is within "normal" then I would trade it in to the dealer and feel fine. I completely agree that I'd feel guilty selling it privately. |
Anonymous
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A Chevy (guessing Equinox) burning oil? They will know if they do ANY research. Clear conscience.
https://www.carcomplaints.com/news/2018/chevy-equinox-oil-consumption-lawsuit.shtml |
Anonymous
| Buyer beware. The dealership won't lose any money on the deal. |
Anonymous
Agree - trade it in to a Chevy dealer since Chevy says it normal. Many years ago I had a piece of crap Chevy Vega and it’s oil consumption was even worse. |
Anonymous
| OP here. Yes, Chevy Equinox. Trading it in to Chevy makes sense but a bit complicated as there is a 0% chance I ever buy GM again. So I would have to trade it in separately or to a dealer that has both Chevy and Toyota dealerships (only Toyota from now on). |
Anonymous
Carmax? |
Anonymous
I traded my car with a known issue to Carnac (not a GM, but another American car). I bought a new Honda. OP, I kind of agonized about it for over a year, but I just needed a reliable car. When I bought the car the issue wasn’t well-publicized, but it is now. I feel like the buyer can do their own research? |
Anonymous
Ugh, autocorrect. Carmax. |
Anonymous
It's a used car with a commonly known issue that is within the manufacturer's "normal" range. Let me check if that is OK to sell without telling..... 
It says: "Sleep peacefully" |
Anonymous
| OP again - thanks everyone, looks like there is consensus. My only thought kept coming back to some high school kid putting his/her hard earned $ towards their first car and ending up with this dud. But, I guess that's life and also why they aren't paying a lot more $ for a used Toyota/Honda. |
Anonymous
Koons in Tysons Corner. They have both Chevy and Toyota dealerships. |
Anonymous
This. I've said it before, and I will say it again. Chevy makes junk. If someone wants to buy a used Chevy, buyer beware. |
Anonymous
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I can’t believe OP’s question isn’t being answered correctly, just a bunch of ignorant people replying for no reason.
OP, here is the real answer: no you are not stuck with it. You can and should trade it in. You should not tell the dealer what you know is wrong with it. The dealer is in the car business and is considered an expert, as such they should be able to figure out what is wrong before offering you a trade in value. If you sell to a private individual, then you should disclose to them what’s wrong with the vehicle since they are not experts. The person that buys the car from the dealer would be expected to do their due diligence. They’re buying used, they should have it looked at by an independent auto mechanic prior to buying and base their purchase price on that. You are not stuck with the car and need not worry what some hypothetical future owner may do with the car. It’s kind of you to consider them but goes well beyond the scope of what anyone else would do when trading into a dealer (again, this does not apply to a private buyer). |
Anonymous
| Carmax typically offers much higher prices than a dealer. Make an appointment on line and bring it in. You have 2 days to decide after that. |