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Would you buy this GTI?

happycamper515

New member
Location
Hawaii
Car(s)
RX350
2017 SE w/ 13K miles for $22K. The odd thing about this car is that it had 3 owners and I would be the 4th. This was actually a leased car for the first 3 years. The dealer took possession at the end of the lease and the Carfax says it was re-leased but for only 3 months which is kind of strange. At the end of 3 months the car was sold at auction and purchased by another car dealer. The current car dealer put the car on market at $26K two months ago. I've been watching the dealer steadily drop price over the past two months to where it is today at $22K.

The car appears to be in flawless condition although it is out of warranty. The Carfax says damage reported to the right front by the first owner but it appears to be cosmetic only. Given the current dealer is the 3rd owner on record they don't have a clue what kind of damage it was. The Carfax also noted service for the battery system and the battery had been replaced during the first lease owner. I'm kind of wondering why the original VW dealer didn't sell the car as certified rather than selling it at auction.

The cheapest I could get a 2020 GTI S would be about $30K OTD here. There are just no deals and dealers are not giving discounts. The best deal I can find is a Costco partner deal. I've seen $3-$4K closeout discounts on one year old models but those won't be happening until spring of 2021 on the left over 2020s. The current 0% financing is attractive as I wouldn't have to use my own money to buy a new model. I don't think I'd finance a used car at 4% interest.

On the surface this GTI looks like great deal in the market I live in. You get the PP, LP, and leather interior all for $22K in a GTI w/ only 13K miles on it. But when you take into consideration the car's history it's saying "Danger Will Robinson". Unless you buy the car from the original owner you never know what might have happened and that's assuming they tell you everything. I'm beginning to think maybe some bad karma exists in the car for such a new car to be sold at auction. The 2nd short lease is kind of strange, maybe something bad happened to the owner in the car.

https://www.jnhyundai.com/used/Volk...+(Oahu)&utm_source=craigslist&utm_medium=paid
 
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IanCH

Autocross Champion
Location
MA
Car(s)
'20 GTI
Damn hawaii being an island they really lock down the prices eh?

I got 20% off sticker on a 20 AB before ttl in July here in ma.

Also current rates for cars from my credit union are under 2% - you sure you can only get 4%?
 

happycamper515

New member
Location
Hawaii
Car(s)
RX350
We've got the worst freaking covid economy and the VW dealer tells me they are having their best year ever selling cars. I find that hard to believe and call BS on that one but they won't drop prices below the Costco partner price.

I even considered buying the used SE and then buying a year of Carshield in case something happened in the first year.
 
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VDubberinDE

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Delaware
Car(s)
2018 VW Golf R
Actually used car prices are way up. People are not buying new because of possible downturn in economy coming because of Covid.
But I would pass as it seems no one wants to keep that car. Biggest mistake people make is always going cheap and then they pay for it later.
 

JC_451

Autocross Champion
Location
NJ, one of the nice parts.
Car(s)
2017 GTI Sport
The car should still have almost 2 years of powertrain warranty left. It's covered for 5 years or 60k.

That being said multiple owners in really short order is an absolute no go for me. The more owners the greater the chance one of them treated the car badly.
 

Luva

Go Kart Champion
Location
FL
Car(s)
2020 GTI SE
Yeah, I agree with others. Too many red flags on the low mileage 2017 SE GTI. Darn, sounds like it's hard to find deals on an island.

Just my 2 cents - GTIs are loved by car enthusiasts. This means they get driven hard and are often modified. Buyer beware when in the used market. Good luck. Hope you find a used GTI with a cleaner history.
 

Dog Dad Wagon

Autocross Champion
Location
Go Birds
Car(s)
16 Touareg TDI
Don’t buy the car. There’s damage reported and they’re asking 22K for a car with no warranty, or less than a year left.

you could get a 2021 GTI S with a 50K warranty for prolly 24K, with all the special financing VW can help you out with

Edit: didn’t see the part about GTIs being 30K new where you are.
 

The Fed

Old Guys Rule
Location
Florida
Is the current dealer a VW dealer? If so, ask them to certify it. If it had too much damage I don't think they would be allowed to certify it. If it's not a VW dealer, personally I wouldn't buy it. ANY dealer will tell you they know nothing about previous damage. If you're really interested in the car, go to a reputable body shop and pay them to inspect it. They know all of the telltales. If I were there. I'd look for overspray and roughness where the car would have been taped off, and take a tape measure to make sure the bottom of wheel well arches measure the same from the ground on each side, front and back. A body shop should be able to tell if the car was on an a unibody machine and if it looks like suspension parts were ever replaced. Look at the wheels, are they all the same OEM ones? How about the tires, all the same brand with wear commensurate with their location on the car? Call your insurance company and ask if they can run the VIN through C.L.U.E. for you. Might have more info about the damage. I'm not sure if only the underwriters have access to it.

If it's tuned the balance of any factory driveline warranty will be voided. You can call the major tuners to see if they will tell you over the phone if the car was tuned VIN.

A battery replacement within 3 years isn't unusual. Happened to me, and my car is always garaged.

I can understand your desire to get a GTI, but it could be better in the long run if you wait until the new ones come out. If you need something right away, buy an old pickup truck, they probably won't lose any value.
 

Acadia18

Autocross Champion
Location
The Greater Boston Metropolitan Area
Car(s)
2019 Golf R
Personally, I wouldn't get hung up on the owners.

Owner 1 leased the car for 3 years. Seems like it was a pretty standard 3 year lease, then it got turned in due to the lease ending, not due to anything wrong with the car.

Owner 2 had the car for 3 months, another lease. Maybe they leased the car, and decided it wasn't for them and turned it in. Maybe they lost their job due to everything going on, couldn't afford it, and turned it in. Maybe, maybe, maybe,... There's way to many things that could cause someone to turn in a lease early then to just assume something being wrong with the car.

Owner 3 is the dealer selling the car, which isn't really an "owner".

I'd be more concerned about the damage reported honestly than the owners. Despite CarFax listing 3 prior owners, you'd essentially be the second owner since one owned it for 3 months, and one is the dealer selling the car. For the damage, if you're seriously considering the car, try to get ahold of who reported the damage (dealer, body shop, etc.) if it's listed and ask them. It could be a simple dented fender that was replaced and painted. It could be a completely smashed front end with frame damage.

Don't write off a car just because of what CarFax says. It's a tool to help you decide, but not a end all decision maker. Do your due diligence, maybe more than normal given with what the CarFax says, but still give it a chance.
 

Nissanskylinen1

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Toronto
Car(s)
'16 R w/DCC & Nav
Ok here’s what you do:
1) Get a friend to go to the dealer and check the car out. Ask him to see what the condition is like and find out basically why it hasn’t sold since.

2) Ask the friend to sit down right then and there and offer $18k for the car. He will tell the dealer that the car has been in the accident and that the repair job was terrible (even if it wasn’t). Then ask him to be really picky about the wear and tear and not be impressed by the car. The dealer will refuse (obviously)

3)The friend comes back to you and tells you what the car is like. If you think it’s ok, then continue to step 4. If not, then look for another car. *** if the dealer calls your friend about the car after seeing it, tell your friend to tell the dealer that you got one with half the miles / no accident for the same price ***

4) You call the next day asking to check the car out. Walk in with cash and snatch the car up for $20k. The dealer will be desperate and thirsty from his “breakup” from your friend’s offer and fake interest.
 

Acadia18

Autocross Champion
Location
The Greater Boston Metropolitan Area
Car(s)
2019 Golf R
That car has only had 1 owner. When a new title was issued in May of this year (which is what CarFax counts as ownership transfer), it was recorded at 12,754 miles. Which is the same it's currently at. There wasn't an actual second owner that owned it for 3 months and got rid of it.

Since damage was reported on 9/17, then serviced at Tony Volkswagen on 9/20, they probably did the repair work. Give them a call, give them the VIN, and ask about it.

I'm shocked at the amount of people jumping to "avoid this car at all costs!" To me, this looks like a perfectly fine one owner GTI that probably have very minor damage. Vet the car and see if you can research the damage, but it looks fine to me.
 
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