I have been searching for a used Ford Five Hundred (or Mercury Montego). While getting reports on specific VINs, I noticed quite a few of these being listed as entering dealer inventory/being put up for sale months ago (ie: 07/2008). Most of these are are ‘corporate’ or lease vehicles, if that plays into it… I can’t understand why these cars have been sitting for so long, especially since I’m looking for Ford/Mercury Certified Pre-owned (when I’d hope rules out most real lemons). Just curious if anyone knows something I don’t (about these specific models of cars or re: used cars in general)! I don’t want to get a low-mileage bargain that isn’t…Any thoughts on what’s going on here?
Stock doesn’t turn over quickly, especially today. I don’t see that as unusual at all.
There have been a lot of repossessions of cars and RV’s. Everybody with too much payment has tried to sell off the semi new car that was keeping them from eating. Offer low on those cars because the dealers are making good profits on them when they can get rid of them.
Cars of this model are normally used for airport transfers nowadays but if you’re serious about purchasing a used car, why not the 2005 Ford Freestyle? Perfect for all wheel drive. You can get one for a good deal of $13,800.
I’d guess they were part of a rental car fleet, and the car may have been pulled from the rental fleet (and then technically “for sale”) but not actually handed over to the dealership until there was a bunch of them ready for pickup (or at least enough to fill a car-transporer/tractor trailer.
Haven’t you read the news? Sales of new and used cars have plummeted this year, and dealer inventories are very high. Dealers can’t sell because buyers are too scared to part with their money or can’t get loans. The sales slump has affected all brands. This is not a good time to be a car dealer.
On the other hand, if you have the money and want to buy this is a great time to make a deal, but cars sitting on dealer lots for a few months is nothing new, even in good times.
The fact that a given vehicle has been on a dealer’s lot for a few months, or longer, should not be cause for concern.
Here is my money saving secret tip for judging whether a car on a lot is a good car or a bad car. If the car is sold right away, it’s probably a good car. If the car stays on the lot for a long period of time, it’s probably a bad car. This way, you never buy a car and save a bundle of money.
So, you’re saying that a BRAND NEW car that was on a dealers lot for seven or eight months would be a bad car? This situation is not uncommon, believe it or not, especially with the economy the way it is.
Actually, back in 1978 I did buy a new car that had been on the dealer’s lot for a long time–from April to October of 1978. The car is an Oldsmobile Cutlass 4-4-2. It has an automatic and a small 260 V-8 so that the hot rodders didn’t want it. It has the big numbers on the door, so the mature adults didn’t want it. I bought it at a very good price and still have the car. I’ve used my method to determine which cars are good and which are bad and I haven’t had to buy a car in over 30 years (just kidding–actually, I do have newer vehicles but the 4-4-2 is still in the fleet).
For a minute there, you started to sound like an old poster that went by the name of Craig58.
I wonder what ever happened to him anyways
It’s because the Five Hundred (now Taurus) is a classic case of Ford not being able to market their way out of a wet paper bag. I can think of a million and one ways that they screwed up the launch and subsequent re-launch of the Five Hundred / Taurus, and the aftermath is a good car that sells as slow as molasses.
And once the NEW new Taurus (2010) drops (which is a fetching car, by the way, and is looking like it’s going to sell pretty well) on dealer lots, the '09 and under Tauruses will go for chump change.