Car Shopping question?

Question

I am shopping for a second car. I have my eyes on a 2001 Nissan Sentra GXE that has 50K miles on it. Took a test ride and everything and it looks great, but the carfax history got me wondering.

08/23/2000 - Vehicle manufactured
09/30/2000 - Registered as a personal vehicle
10/10/2000 - Registration issued to first owner & mileage = 36
01/16/2004 - Registration updated when owner moved
05/11/2005 - Sold at Auction & mileage recorded = 50K

My question is, how can the mileage of the vehicle be 50K from 2005 to 2007?? It is an electronic odometer, so could it be possible that the person who bought it in auction in 2005, messed with the odometer? When I asked this guy about the previous owner, he said it was just traded in, but the carfax says it was sold in an auction more than a couple of years ago. Would I be making a mistake going ahead with this vehicle? Is there a website somewhere that gives the do's & dont's about buying a used car?

Answer 1

That particular circumstance would tell me that the car has been for sale since 2005. Auctions are only open to dealers, so it's possible that the car has been around to a couple of dealers since then, just sitting on the lot and not being driven. Usually, Carfax is pretty good at saying when the vehicle has been sold - so it's been on one lot or another for a while, based on that bit of history that you presented.

A note about Carfax-the only thing useful about it is the title history (i.e. if it's salvaged, flood damage, etc.). The actual history of the car is rarely accurate on Carfax. Don't rely too heavily on Carfax because it is only as reliable as the people that report information to it (which doesn't happen a lot). An example - a car that had about $4,500 in repairs in a body shop has a "clean" Carfax history report. I've seen many more like this coming through my dealership that we simply wholesale because we won't deal with cars that don't have a truly clean history, as determined by an actual physical inspection. This is a rare trait in the auto industry, so just beware.

Another used car buying tip - If at all possible, get a vehicle that is certified by the manufacturer (i.e. Nissan Certified Used Vehicle). These vehicles typically have to pass more rigorous standards and there are some added benefits built into the certification program that will help safeguard against some of the problems that you may run into with a used vehicle.

Answer 2

That's nothing to worry about. Cars are bought and sold all the time without being driven. They could sit in storage or on the lot for months before being sold. I've seen cars with 1000 miles in couple of years.

As long as everything's working great, not to worry.

Answer 3

I bought my daughter a sentra, and it has been a great car. But, your situation sounds a little shady. It may be a great car, but I don't think that guy is being honest with you and if he's in the business of selling cars then he's probably telling you what you want to hear. I would steer clear and just keep looking, you will find the right car.