@asemaster Let me guess . . . even if the lady had all of those repairs performed, it would still be a mediocre car, at best
No, the repairs listed above don’t address the missing back seat (to make room for subs), the peeling tint on the windows, the sagging door hinge and peeling clearcoat on every panel, the broken headlamp lens, and a few other things.
Mediocre is a distant past…
It’s often difficult for people to demand a pre-purchase inspection because it suggests a lack of trust in the seller. While that lack of trust is entirely appropriate, healthy & smart under those circumstances, some people feel awkward asserting themselves. People are concerned about offending the seller’s feelings when instead they should be confident about protecting their own interests before spending a large amount of money on a big unknown.
It’s correct that any seller that balks at giving you the opportunity to have a car checked out prior to purchase is not worth buying from. While it may take a little planning to arrange to take the vehicle to your mechanic, it is well worth it to have someone like asemaster on your side telling you what you need to know before you sign off on that “as is” bill of sale.
The missing back seat and sub room would have told me all I need to know before backing away.
I’ve been in the situation at times of having to tell someone that the car they just bought in “great shape” is not as great as they thought or as great as the seller said it was.
Totally agree on the need for prepurchase inspections.
I was looking at cars last year. One looked pretty good. Took it to a shop near the dealer for an inspection. Found out the car needed motor mounts and rear brake pads. Plus the mechanic found the rear bumper was not properly repaired. That inspection didn’t cost me money ($76), but saved me big money. I passed on the car.
My only suggestion is to choose a shop that has a lot of experience in that make of car.
“Found out the car needed motor mounts and rear brake pads.”
Those are wear and tear items
But the badly repaired rear bumper is not a good sign
A late-model Lexus for her and a $500 Honda for her son? Not exactly a Mom of the Year candidate.
You don’t know the son! 
I shouldn’t complain. They got the car registered thanks to the generous state emissions waiver program, and they dropped it off this afternoon for a new clutch, belts, and a failing wheel bearing that we noticed. $1200 into a car they just bought that will still have multiple oil leaks, mismatched/worn out tires, and a host of other problems.
Just curious asemaster but do you know about how much she gave for that Honda originally?
@ok4450 I don’t know but when presented with the (incomplete) laundry list of needed repairs the mom said that she didn’t pay much for the car so it was ok to put some money into it. They’ve had the car less than a week and have had to pay for emissions repair, 2 used tires, $1200 as noted above, and tomorrow I’ll call her and see if they want to add outer tie rods and ball joints to the clutch job. I’ll cut them a break on the labor…
Well, best of luck to them but it sure sounds like that car could turn out to be “one of them” sagas.
Hopefully that won’t be the case.
Hey, I could have done a pre-purchase inspection for $100 and told them to run, but now I’ve got $1500 in emissions and repair work they’ve done here.
On second thought, don’t have your car inspected before you buy. Just buy it and then bring it in.