I was wondering if any of you would have thoughts about dealers in the Albany, NY area. Are there certain dealers that have a reputation behind the scenes of unethical practices? Are there dealers that are considered to be more ethical?
I bought my used Hyundai Elantra from Lia Hyundai and, as a dealer, they have been ok but not great. I am thinking ahead in case I decide to buy another car (transmission went on Elantra). I realize that there are many other things to consider beyond a Carfax. Next time, I will insist on taking the car to an independent mechanic to check it out. As for something like the transmission, I’m assuming that there’s not a good way to tell if it is faulty?
I was lectured about how I may have damaged my transmission in another post and I acknowledge that as a possibility. I don’t want to go there again but want helpful hints about buying a car that I can afford ($10,000 to $14,000)
For the last several years, buying new has been out of the question. I wasn’t making a lot of money when I was employed and I’m lucky to have some windfall to buy another car if I need to even though I am in the job market. Even the 2012 Elantras seem to be upwards of $23,000.
Mleich, I agree with you and I am having the car fixed for now. Please don’t should on me. I like contingencies and wanted to have info for my file ‘in case’ the car gives me more problems down the road.
The expenses for repairing my car are getting higher. I will be spending $2,200 for the trans and I will probably have to have the timing belt replaced. I also have a question about my brakes grinding in icy conditions on another post (even though brake pads have been replaced on front and back). When you start talking about $3,500, one begins to wonder if it’s worth it. It does seem that most people posting on this forum believe that buying used buys just another set of headaches. I did have a good Nissan Sentra that was used and it was a really good car. It got old and I didn’t like having to shift in stop and go traffic that lines up on 787 south in the Troy-Albany region.
By the way, my friend works with a man who bought a new Toyota Avalon. His struts went at a very low milage and he has had a few other problems. Luckily he was/is under warranty.
I live in the albany area. I have a distrust of them all. get a new car from one and go back as little as possible. could be even worse buying used. might come down to something as easy as distance.
The sound of the “brakes grinding in icy conditions” could easily be your anti-lock brakes working perfectly. If the system senses slippage it pulses the brakes really quickly, creating a feeling of grinding or crunching in your foot on the pedal. You can hear it too.
The kind of question is very difficult to answer, but if, once you spend the money on the transmission, you have a good car, then it’s probably worth doing. The timing belt is a maintenance item that will come up on most cars, and has nothing to do with quality or price. It’s like tires, you got to pay after a while. If you buy another used car, you might well be replacing the timing belt there, too, as well as whatever else you might wear out. Cars cost money, and the business of buying and selling cars ends up costing you money, because other people profit from the deal. Keep your money and your car.