I recently bought a 2005 Pontiac Vibe and though I love the way it looks, I hate the way it handles. It drives like a bumpy old Jeep. Within the first month of having it I was considering selling it back and buying something else, but I waited and hoped I’d get used to it. Well, I haven’t gotten used to it, I don’t like it at all, and now it doesn’t have a clean Carfax b/c I slid on an ice patch and bounced off a curb and that screwed up the rim and some other bits in the front (had fixed; went through insurance). I owe about $15,000 on it. I really hate it–but I don’t know what to do, especially with the “collision.” Am I stuck with this car?
You are not stuck with the car, but remember anytime you go though a dealer (new or used car) the dealer makes a profit. So selling your car and buying something different will cost you. How much depends on a lot of factors including your bargaining abilities.
I would suggest doing some local research. Find a car you would like and its price and find what would be offered for your car in trade or sale. Then you can decide.
I am sorry to hear you hate your car. I have loved every car I have owned since I started driving about 45 years ago.
You are lucky to have bought a vehicle that’s very popular, where I live, the Pontiac dealers sell more Vibes than any other car. They have good resale value.
If you really hate the car, clean it up, wax it and sell it privately. Then you can then buy a car with a better ride dirt cheap, like a rental Ford Taurus 3 years old or similar vehicle. Don’t go though a dealer to trade the Vibe.
No, you’re not stuck with it. Sell it. The Pontiac Vibe is a vehicle with high demand. You can find a buyer. You will probably lose some money, but you don’t have to keep a car you “hate.” That would be foolish.
I agree with the others and will add that you don’t quite seem to understand how CarFax works. The only thing CarFax is used for is detecting deliberate fraud-- it can detect if someone took a salvaged car and “laundered” the title or if someone turned the odometer back. CarFax does not report little fender benders like yours. It does record the mileage any time you take it to a shop that reports to them, but that’s just to get a clear trajectory of mileages to tell if someone has turned back the odometer-- the number of reports has no bearing whatsoever on the worthiness of a car.
I am a firm believer in we are only here a short time and we spend alot of time in are cars, we should be happy!
Yes, CarFax does report fender benders. It may not catch them all, but I bought a van a couple years ago and the CarFax on it included info about a minor accident it had been in. Again, they may not catch all such minor incidents, but if an insurance company paid for the repairs there is a good chance CarFax will have it listed.
Easy way to find out is for the OP to run a CarFax on the car himself. It’s pretty cheap, and if you are selling it privately you can show the CarFax to prospective buyers.
I agree with the others, life’s too short. Only thing I’d add - do a thorough job test driving the Vibe’s replacement, make sure it meets all your needs. Then go about selling the Vibe. You don’t want to be in a rush to buy a new car.