Would seeing Valvoline Instant on a carfax deter you from buying?

[walterjay]

I would not be deterred. At least there was an OC. Better than neglect.

 

[supton]

Those old Jettas from the 2.5L era have above average rust protection.

Yeah, my MkIV was pretty good--the tin worm still got to it in the end but it did well enough.

Every car that I ever bought with more than 100k miles I went into it knowing that I will be replacing all the fluids. Coolant, oil, brake fluid, ps fluid etc. I also replace all the coolant hoses and thermostat as well. Spark plugs and wires were also changed. Brakes were gone over and if needed replaced. It did not matter if the seller told me that this stuff has already been done. Did them anyway. Piece of mind is worth way more than a few dollars saved

Don

Yes, but I tend to just do a spill and fill on fluids. Here it might need more of a full flush. I have to pay to get rid of coolant.

 

[TimeFlies]

That wouldn't influence me to not buy it.

I don't use ford coolant in my ford
But instead use Peak.

 

[andrew_j]

2.5L is a tough engine and not finicky.

Pep boys maintained my daughter 2013 Acura ILX according to CarFaX for a few years and it’s fine.

 

[Exhaustgases]

Sometimes its get a car that has had many trips to "those" places, or some other multi wrecked, trashed mess. So which is the better option? The rare all dealer serviced ones are either not the options your looking for or priced out of this world. So? Decisions.

 

[Barkleymut]

Would you rather the Carfax show NO maintenance records at all? Even if it was done DIY?

Had a lady call me about a Town and country i had listed on Craigslist years ago. She asked if I had ever changed the transmission fluid, I replied yes I have done several pan drops and filter changes. She then talked to someone in the background and said she would be at my house in an hour. Her husband was anti social and didnt want to talk with me. When they arrived he asked me if I would take him for a ride. This T&c had about 125k miles and ran absolutely perfectly. Other than a small oil leak it was mechanically perfect. We started driving around and he said, wow this one actually drives and shifts perfectly, then he asks me, how many times I had changed trans fuluid, i told him 4 or 5 times since I had bought it with 30k miles. Told him my hobby is wrenching on cars. Then he asks me what atf I used and i told him atf+4 just like the manual recommends. He now is treating me like his best friend and tells me he is the lead mechanic at a Dodge dealership and has been looking for a van for his wife exactly like this one. I told him I still had 2 quarts of valvoline atf4 in my garage and i would never use it since all my other cars were Saturns or Fords. The reason I typed all this out is Carfax doesnt tell you that a low priced perfectly maintained car is the best value if you want a car that will really last. Buying from a private party that actually worked on the car will give you 10x the info that a carfax ever will. About a year later the wife emailed me to let me know that they loved the van and had driven it all over the east coast and thanks again for selling it to them since they had been looking "for months" for one that actually was in good driving shape.

 

[TimeFlies]

Just want to add that Valvoline also makes a VW approved coolant.

 

[supton]

No, but it seems overpriced at $6,300.

Seems that way.

Ironically I found the car I really want. Link. Oddly seems familiar to me... albeit still priced high. But oh so tempting!