OK to buy used car from other OEM dealer?

[paulri]

This question is important to me, because my Civic was stolen yesterday while we were out of town, and I'll probably be replacing it with a CR-V (I'm a bit older than I was when I bought it in 2005, and the increased leg room will probably help me out).

I have been shopping SoCal honda dealer sites for used CRVs. I have noticed quite a few non-Hondas in their inventory, and it only goes to reason that used Hondas can be found in non-Honda dealers.

Now my thinking has been traditionally, that if you want to buy a used car, go to the dealer that sells those new cars, because that means that the previous owner was so happy with the car, that they bought a car from the same OEM that made the original car that I am now going to buy, used. That in turn, implies that the used car I'm buying will likely be pretty reliable.

Does this reasoning make any sense at all? Would any of you, if you were thinking of buying a (probably non-CPO) used car, be ok with buying from a non-OEM dealer? I'm not talking about buying from "Paul's Used Car Palace" or anything like that, but from an established new car dealer.

 

[Onetor]

I would stick with OEM if possible. But, I'm not versed in sales. Do you have a master mechanic friend who can inspect used vehicle?

 

[StevieC]

Sometimes people trade into another dealership of another brand because they found something else that they wanted for whatever reason not necessarily because they were unhappy with where the vehicle came from originally. I traded my Highlander into Chrysler and my Highlander had less than 20K KM on it.

As with buying any used car (from a dealership or otherwise) always do your do-diligence on it. Have a good look at it, under it, around the engine and take it for a test drive. Take your time. Remember it's you who decides to buy it and you can ask to see anything (within reason) to make the deal happen. Ask for maintenance records in case they have them from the previous owner. I wouldn't fear it though.

Usually vehicles that have problems they will send off to auction and not attempt to sell them in house.

 

[Bud]

People get rid of their vehicles for many reasons, so personally I would buy where you can get the best deal.

 

[csandste]

My first choice : Hertz.

My second choice: non OEM dealers or private parties.

Third choice, other rentals

I try to avoid that brand's dealers, cause I don't like to over pay.

Of course if the price is right....

 

[paulri]

I'll probably start another thread on buying from private parties later on this week, if this hasn't been discussed ad nauseam already.

I honestly hadn't thought of car rental places. Thanks for the tip.

Originally Posted by csandste
My first choice : Hertz.

My second choice: non OEM dealers or private parties.

Third choice, other rentals

I try to avoid that brand's dealers, cause I don't like to over pay.

Of course if the price is right....

 

[tiger862]

Most dealers buy used cars from auction around here. What I found was if you buy Chevy from Chevy you pay more than Chevy from Dodge dealers. Depends on mileage but warranty is same as your Chevy is under warranty you can carry it to Chevy for warranty but if out of warranty then you can buy one. It is always smart to bring it to a reputable mechanic to have checked out as there are some shady fellows out there. The only manufacturer I aware of that lowers there warranty used is Kia. Just insert your brand in.
Worked for dealer for 30 years.

 

[Danno]

Check the VIN to make sure it is clean, I use this site.
www.vehiclehistory.com
But yes, do keep your options open to other dealers besides OEM dealers.

 

[demarpaint]

What's important is checking out the vehicle. Buying from an OEM dealer guarantees nothing, OEM dealers can put crap on the lot too.

 

[dadto2]

I have never even considered this... I just start browsing the used car lots until I find something suitable for a good price. For the past several years, I've been searching those lots with CarGurus, saves me a bunch of time and gas.

Way back in the day, I bought a 1995 Dodge Intrepid from a Ford dealer, and noticed that the transmission started skipping once the car was fully warmed up. (didn't drive it far enough on the test drive I guess) I took it back the next day under the NY lemon law, and the Ford dealer took it over to the Dodge dealer (different company) for a trans rebuild. No sweat.

 

[JTK]

All that matters to me is price, mileage on the vehicle and condition.

That said, the Ram in my sig was bought at a Buick/GMC dealer. I also bought a Hyundai years ago at a different Cadillac/Buick/GMC dealer. Both at significant savings over their own brand stores.

 

[KrisZ]

Most used cars are bought on dealer auctions. Dealers hardly ever buy the cars they previously sold. Lease returns are not dealers, but the leasing company's, so it's the leasing company that sends the car to the auction. If the dealer likes a particular trade-in, they may buy it from the leasing company, but that would happen only for highly desirable models, not run if the mill commuter cars.

 

[gman2304]

I bought my wife's Lexus es350 from my local Lexus dealer. It was a "certified" preowned Lexus and was bought new from the same dealership. I think the certification from the OEM maker/seller might mean something since they're familiar with their makes. IDK but I'm still getting free oil changes and washes, free pickup and delivery almost 2 years later. Plus they have free Starbucks coffee, WiFi and the morning paper in the customer lounge.

 

[Wolf359]

I bought my Mercedes from a Land Rover dealer. The nice thing about it is that they just priced it at book value which didn't value a lot of the options that it had because there was no check box for it. As it was at the right price point, I even got a warranty with it. When it needed work and they couldn't do it, they just brought it over to the Mercedes dealer and even gave me a Land Rover for a rental.

 

[Hall]

Originally Posted by Bud
People get rid of their vehicles for many reasons, so personally I would buy where you can get the best deal.

Yeap, first thought I had was simply that "brand loyalty" means nothing to some people (and that's fine and none of my business).

 

[wallyuwl]

It doesn't matter where you buy the car, it is about the car. Besides, many late model used vehicles on OEM lots are bought at OEM auctions and are not actually trade-ins.

Get a Car Fax and Auto Check (both - they don't always totally match). Get the service dept. of that make to run a report on the VIN to see all repair work that has been done. Take a good look at it yourself - outside, inside, underneath, in the engine bay.

The only circumstance where buying from an OEM dealer matters is if you get an extra manufacturer warranty with it from buying certified used, but typically these types of offers are only with luxury brands (like the Lexus example previously in this thread).

 

[Hall]

Originally Posted by KrisZ
Most used cars are bought on dealer auctions. Dealers hardly ever buy the cars they previously sold. Lease returns are not dealers...

That's not my experience - new car dealers take trade-ins when someone buys a new car and if the new enough, miles aren't too high, etc, they put them in their used-car section. I've bought (3) Hondas from the same dealer, my parents have bought Hondas from them, and my brother has bought Toyotas from the same place and I remember their used-car rule was it has to be under 100K or they send it off to auction.

On lease returns, most people return their cars to the same place they bought it from although it's clearly not required. It's my understanding that the dealer that takes possession of it gets first dibs. If it's a popular model, you can be sure they're keeping it to go on their used-car lot. My co-worker has leased a VW EOS w/hard-top convertible (company car - leased 3 different EOS over 9 years) and each time, around 2-1/2 years in, the dealer would start asking him to make sure to return it to them and a few times even offered an early lease end.

 

[WyrTwister]

Price , condition , miles , maintenance history .

 

[2heeldrive]

With used cars, it's all about condition. Carfax is an absolute must for any used car. I like to see a dealer maintained, one private owner (no rental cars, ever) with reasonable miles 12 K to 20K per year. Many dealers offer a free carfax on their used cars. I found my last used car on the 'net. And be sure to haggle. Dealers like to say that their cars are "market value" price. BS. Work them down. Used car pricing is available from Edmunds, Kelly Blue Book and NADA.

In my experience, Honda vehicles have such a strong resale value, it makes more sense to buy new.

 

[JeffKeryk]

I have bought (and helped buy) several cars from Hertz. All deals have been good.
Recently helped a friend get a 2007 Acura TSX from the local Mercedes dealer; $7,000 plus tax and license.
It was very clean, 130K. I noticed the starter dragged; also I am very familiar with these cars.
The dealership offered a 5 day, 250 mile no questions asked return policy.
Sure enough, the starter crapped out within a couple of days.
The dealership towed it in, replaced starter (these things are buried under the intake manifold).

I would watch Craigslist and see what you can find.
Heck, depending on your budget, a new car might make sense.
Call dealerships and ask for fleet sales. Good luck.