Auto buyback?

[supton]

Coworker pointed this out to me: possible VW buyback

My question: has any automaker done a buyback of defective cars? Outright, from the get-go, can't fix so we'll scrap 'em.

Depending upon the cost of repairs, I could see how a repair on a 7 year old car (2009 TDi's impacted) might exceed fair market value. I want to say Toyota might have bought back some Tacoma's for frame rot, but their program was geared towards repair.

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If VW does buy them, would it be legal for them to dump them in countries that don't care about emissions?

 

[The_Jeff]

Saturn stopped the sale of their very first s-series due to engine block porosity (oil leaking) and turned them into "cutaway cars" demonstrating the unique tech. Not sure if some were "sucked back" from customers.

The cutaway cars show up on ebay, invariably without titles.

 

[Donald]

I think a lot of buybacks are xxx dollars for the buyback off the purchase of a new vehicle.

So VW might fix the new ones and buy back the old ones.

I cannot understand how Toyota thought it was a good idea to replace the frame on all the pickups with frame rot. Maybe they forced Dana to provide the frames for free.

 

[itguy08]

Originally Posted By: supton

If VW does buy them, would it be legal for them to dump them in countries that don't care about emissions?


I don't see why not. The "defect" is for emissions compliance and that it doesn't meet it in the EU and the USA. If there is a place that doesn't care they would have been legal there at the time of sale and today.

It's not like, say the frame rot where the car is unsafe to drive and could kill someone. (Spare me the "the emissions kills" nonsense.)

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: itguy08
Originally Posted By: supton

If VW does buy them, would it be legal for them to dump them in countries that don't care about emissions?


I don't see why not. The "defect" is for emissions compliance and that it doesn't meet it in the EU and the USA. If there is a place that doesn't care they would have been legal there at the time of sale and today.

It's not like, say the frame rot where the car is unsafe to drive and could kill someone. (Spare me the "the emissions kills" nonsense.)


They still produce DDT for sale overseas I believe.

 

[supton]

I don't see why they couldn't ship them either, it'd be legal, and a chance they might be even cleaner than what originally sold there.

But I could see groups complaining about how VW would then be dumping their problem elsewhere, legalities notwithstanding.

 

[Andrew1972]

Originally Posted By: supton
Coworker pointed this out to me: ....

My question: has any automaker done a buyback of defective cars? Outright, from the get-go, can't fix so we'll scrap 'em.


Chrysler with the 2009 ish Durango, Dakota, Durango, and some RAM due to defective steering had to buy back if not repaired.

 

[Andrew1972]

Originally Posted By: Donald
I think a lot of buybacks are xxx dollars for the buyback off the purchase of a new vehicle.

So VW might fix the new ones and buy back the old ones.

I cannot understand how Toyota thought it was a good idea to replace the frame on all the pickups with frame rot. Maybe they forced Dana to provide the frames for free.


My mum got a new frame on her 2000 Tundra as the rot was terrible and would not pass inspection. It took them 3 months due to backlog so they handed her 201x Camry rental for that entire time. Surprisingly it came back perfect and got some maintenace done at serious cut rate due to little to no labor to replace parts(timing belt, exhaust, shocks).

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: supton
I don't see why they couldn't ship them either, it'd be legal, and a chance they might be even cleaner than what originally sold there.

Realistically, how much is 2009 VW worth? Most people buy the TDI because they plan on driving them a lot, so most of these cars will have fairly high mileage on them.

What I mean is, is it still worth VW's dime to buy the car back, have it at least minimally restored/reconditioned so that it's marketable/sellable, have it shipped to another country, have it go through customs/duties/import process, pay any applicable dues, have it officially certified to meet the local safety/emissions regulations, and pay the local dealer and its staff to find a new buyer?

It might just make more sense to scrap it.

 

[exranger06]

Ford had a recall for rusting rear axles on Windstar minivans. By the time they were recalled, they were very old and many were not worth fixing, so Ford offered a buy-back on them.

 

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted By: exranger06
Ford had a recall for rusting rear axles on Windstar minivans. By the time they were recalled, they were very old and many were not worth fixing, so Ford offered a buy-back on them.


I thought they were all either fixed or gone by now, until a couple weeks ago when I saw one sitting on the side of the highway with a snapped rear beam axle!

 

[OneEyeJack]

GM bought back about 31 early production Volts under the lemon laws at the time. They gave one to Bob Lutz and sold the rest to GM employees with what was called a "diminished" title.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: Donald
Originally Posted By: itguy08
Originally Posted By: supton

If VW does buy them, would it be legal for them to dump them in countries that don't care about emissions?
I don't see why not. The "defect" is for emissions compliance and that it doesn't meet it in the EU and the USA. If there is a place that doesn't care they would have been legal there at the time of sale and today.
They still produce DDT for sale overseas I believe.

DDT is banned(produce and sale) worldwide, that why millions were and are dying every year in Africa by malaria caused by mosquito.

 

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted By: exranger06
Ford had a recall for rusting rear axles on Windstar minivans. By the time they were recalled, they were very old and many were not worth fixing, so Ford offered a buy-back on them.


They had to recall the recall because not all the repairs were being performed properly. Thankfully we haven't seen many of them that are really bad here.

 

[The_Jeff]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete


What I mean is, is it still worth VW's dime to buy the car back, have it at least minimally restored/reconditioned so that it's marketable/sellable, have it shipped to another country, have it go through customs/duties/import process, pay any applicable dues, have it officially certified to meet the local safety/emissions regulations, and pay the local dealer and its staff to find a new buyer?

It might just make more sense to scrap it.


Do you remember the 1980s Camry diesel? Nissan Sentra Diesel? Ford escort? Tempo? Isuzu P'up? Of course you don't. "Legend has it" they all got gently used in the US then shipped to South America where diesel fuel is 1/2 the price of unleaded.

 

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Do you remember the 1980s Camry diesel? Nissan Sentra Diesel? Ford escort? Tempo? Isuzu P'up? Of course you don't. "Legend has it" they all got gently used in the US then shipped to South America where diesel fuel is 1/2 the price of unleaded.


I wouldn't say all... I know someone with a mid-80s Escort diesel wagon. And I've seen a diesel Camry for sale once.

 

[Andrew1972]

Originally Posted By: rslifkin
Originally Posted By: exranger06
Ford had a recall for rusting rear axles on Windstar minivans. By the time they were recalled, they were very old and many were not worth fixing, so Ford offered a buy-back on them.


I thought they were all either fixed or gone by now, until a couple weeks ago when I saw one sitting on the side of the highway with a snapped rear beam axle!


My MIL was handed a $2500 check for a van she paid $4000 for 5 years before did nothing but changed oil yearly. It had a pleathora of issues and she was elated about this and moved on!!

 

[Andrew1972]

Originally Posted By: rslifkin
Originally Posted By: eljefino
Do you remember the 1980s Camry diesel? Nissan Sentra Diesel? Ford escort? Tempo? Isuzu P'up? Of course you don't. "Legend has it" they all got gently used in the US then shipped to South America where diesel fuel is 1/2 the price of unleaded.


I wouldn't say all... I know someone with a mid-80s Escort diesel wagon. And I've seen a diesel Camry for sale once.


They all rotted away into nothing. All rust buckets.

 

[spackard]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR

DDT is banned(produce and sale) worldwide, that why millions were and are dying every year in Africa by malaria caused by mosquito.


The first part of that sentence is untrue. It's still allowed for malarial control in several countries (indoor walls of some homes are sprayed with the pesticide to kill mosquitoes that spread malaria).

 

[artificialist]

Originally Posted By: eljefino

What I mean is, is it still worth VW's dime to buy the car back, have it at least minimally restored/reconditioned so that it's marketable/sellable, have it shipped to another country, have it go through customs/duties/import process, pay any applicable dues, have it officially certified to meet the local safety/emissions regulations, and pay the local dealer and its staff to find a new buyer?

It might just make more sense to scrap it.

There was also the RWD Maxima diesel from the early 80s.
Do you remember the 1980s Camry diesel? Nissan Sentra Diesel? Ford escort? Tempo? Isuzu P'up? Of course you don't. "Legend has it" they all got gently used in the US then shipped to South America where diesel fuel is 1/2 the price of unleaded.