Looking at used GTI

[GTIfan99]

You have it exactly right. I drive my cars that many miles for work and at 200,000 miles you are approaching many costly maintenance items and possibly rebuilding the engine for a car that has a wholesale value of maybe a couple of thousand dollars even if it's in seemingly good condition. Because I use my car for work I'm not going to put the thousands of dollars into to it to maintain reliability which is essential for me. That's also why I way over maintain my cars with respect to fluid changes etc.

I wouldn't even consider buying the car we're talking about without a compression test and if it still has good compression I wouldn't pay more than $2000 for a car with that mileage knowing other major repairs are on the near horizon.

Once my 2019 gets to that point, it'll turn into a track car that gets fully built. It won't even be worth trading in or selling at 200,000 miles.

 

[jimlloyd40]

Once my 2019 gets to that point, it'll turn into a track car that gets fully built. It won't even be worth trading in or selling at 200,000 miles.

Good idea. For the little money you would get for it.

 

[Ridebjj]

There is a huge difference between a sub 100k car (bored with it, want new features etc.) and a 200k plus car. I think that in most cases, when somebody keeps a car that long, the only reason is because they know (or suspect) that things are going to fail soon.

There are, of course, exceptions, but they generally prove the rule.

I can't say what the story is with the car in question, but it's without question that you're shaping the world to fit your specific narrative.

You are convinced no one could just get tired of a car at X mileage or X time of ownership, so you're ascribing those exact reasons to the actions of parties completely unknown.

Beyond that, 200k miles of highway cruising over 3 years is as low stress on a car as it gets, besides storing it in a garage. It's like 20k of city stop and go.

 

[Ezekiel81923]

"Looks like new, runs like new"

If that interior is their idea of "looks like new" then I don't want to know what their idea of "runs like new" is.

$9k seems high, even if you don't care about the interior and exterior cosmetic stuff. But if the maintenance records are legit and an independent mechanic gives it their seal of approval I wold not hesitate for $6k

 

[cb1111]

"Looks like new, runs like new"

If that interior is their idea of "looks like new" then I don't want to know what their idea of "runs like new" is.

$9k seems high, even if you don't care about the interior and exterior cosmetic stuff. But if the maintenance records are legit and an independent mechanic gives it their seal of approval I wold not hesitate for $6k

I can't say what the story is with the car in question, but it's without question that you're shaping the world to fit your specific narrative.

You are convinced no one could just get tired of a car at X mileage or X time of ownership, so you're ascribing those exact reasons to the actions of parties completely unknown.

Beyond that, 200k miles of highway cruising over 3 years is as low stress on a car as it gets, besides storing it in a garage. It's like 20k of city stop and go.

"Looks like new, runs like new"

If that interior is their idea of "looks like new" then I don't want to know what their idea of "runs like new" is.

$9k seems high, even if you don't care about the interior and exterior cosmetic stuff. But if the maintenance records are legit and an independent mechanic gives it their seal of approval I wold not hesitate for $6k

Y'all look at the CARFAX? It has so many holes - a few months it does few miles, in 2018 in one month it did 10k miles and thereafter seems to drop off the radar.

 

[El_bigote_AJ]

"Looks like new, runs like new"

If that interior is their idea of "looks like new" then I don't want to know what their idea of "runs like new" is.

not to mention the front bumper cover smashed up and missing parts

 

[Ezekiel81923]

Y'all look at the CARFAX? It has so many holes - a few months it does few miles, in 2018 in one month it did 10k miles and thereafter seems to drop off the radar.

Admittedly I did not. When I say the car needs legit maintenance records I'm lumping a clean, sensible carfax into that.

But the carfax is only so reliable. My previous cars report was virtually blank for a 10 year old car but that's because I did oil changes / tire rotations / new tires / brakes / fluid changes and what have you in my driveway. So without a separate record of that, which I had, I would not expect anyone to look at my carfax and assume the car was cared for.

 

[Corprin]

I bought a car with 225k once. Paid $1100, welded in a floor pan, and drove another 60k of utter abuse.

Never left me stranded. But that Jeep 4.0L is not a VW motor.

You can get much more car for your $10k than a clapped out MKVII

 

[jimlloyd40]

Admittedly I did not. When I say the car needs legit maintenance records I'm lumping a clean, sensible carfax into that.

But the carfax is only so reliable. My previous cars report was virtually blank for a 10 year old car but that's because I did oil changes / tire rotations / new tires / brakes / fluid changes and what have you in my driveway. So without a separate record of that, which I had, I would not expect anyone to look at my carfax and assume the car was cared for.

Isn't Carfax only getting records from dealers?

 

[GTIfan99]

I bought a car with 225k once. Paid $1100, welded in a floor pan, and drove another 60k of utter abuse.

Never left me stranded. But that Jeep 4.0L is not a VW motor.

You can get much more car for your $10k than a clapped out MKVII

I had a YJ with the 4.2 and carb, pre-4.0. That think was awesome. Rode like an ox cart though. Did a cross country trip in it, over 6000 miles. It was rough, but I was young, so it built character.

 

[cb1111]

Isn't Carfax only getting records from dealers?

CARFAX gets their info from a variety of sources. I've had mom-n-pop gas stations report tire rotations, big chains like COSTCO report tire purchases, dealers reporting services and, of course, bodyshops.

It is usually hit-or-miss, but here the reporting stops at 72k and two years ago. In the first year, the owner drove 58k miles and had the car serviced semi regularly at the VW dealer. In the next two months he puts 13k miles on the car and then it disappears - but adds 134k in two years.

 

[jimlloyd40]

CARFAX gets their info from a variety of sources. I've had mom-n-pop gas stations report tire rotations, big chains like COSTCO report tire purchases, dealers reporting services and, of course, bodyshops.

It is usually hit-or-miss, but here the reporting stops at 72k and two years ago. In the first year, the owner drove 58k miles and had the car serviced semi regularly at the VW dealer. In the next two months he puts 13k miles on the car and then it disappears - but adds 134k in two years.

Does Carfax pay to get the information?

 

[cb1111]

Does Carfax pay to get the information?

I know they pay body shops. I'm sure they pay dealers too.

 

[launchd]

I know they pay body shops. I'm sure they pay dealers too.

You know what’s crazy, they don’t actually pay the dealers or body shops directly, they pay the software vendors that are critical in running their operations. Part of the contractual agreements that the businesses (dealers, body shops and even some mechanics) sign, include the sharing and use of their data by the software vendor’s 3rd party partners (Carfax). Whereas it would be hard to target each one of these businesses individually to create a network/wealth of information, it certainly becomes a lot easier when you infiltrate the software companies they all use. Smart business.

I’m sure they make other deals outside of this blanketed approach though.

 

[cb1111]

You know what’s crazy, they don’t actually pay the dealers or body shops directly, they pay the software vendors that are critical in running their operations. Part of the contractual agreements that the businesses (dealers, body shops and even some mechanics) sign, include the sharing and use of their data by the software vendor’s 3rd party partners (Carfax). Whereas it would be hard to target each one of these businesses individually to create a network/wealth of information, it certainly becomes a lot easier when you infiltrate the software companies they all use. Smart business.

Interesting - and makes sense too. I do know, however that the little shop that did my tire rotations got paid directly. They told me that they reported every month. That was fifteen years ago, so that may have changed by now.