GREAT NEWS...Right after filming this video (before it was released), the customer took our findings to the seller. They were unaware of the QX60's condition. They graciously refunded the buyer the FULL purchase price! There are good people in the world today!!!
Wow, not going to question how they did not know the condition, but good on them for doing the right thing, the customer should learn a good lesson from this, and hopefully the video will also teach that lesson to thousands more.
@@midend sadly the case more than likely, i find it hard to believe that THEY bought it without an inspection, unless perhaps they got it at some auction. But got to give it to them, its not free to process all that financing and refund the customer, good on them, but hopefully this QX60 is junked.
I can understand why the other shop came up with the highball 20k$ estimate, it was a get this nightmare out of my shop quote, they didn't want to deal with this POS.
Yes I agree. I'd estimate it for a new transmission, new engine wiring harness and assume THE WORST on anything else that looks odd. It's the labor time that costs the shop, not the parts and I'd certainly want to avoid this vehicle.
Yep, then they return the car to the customer and something else breaks and "Well YOU had it last!" Best not to touch such things with a 39.5 foot pole.
I work at a reputable Japanese brand dealership in the southwest and we’re completely okay with pre-purchase inspections on our used inventory. Do your homework, people.
@SolamenteVees man I wish I wasn't in NY, here you're lucky if anyone allows a ppi. 9/10 times you mention it they straight up will not sell to you anymore.
@ianriggs they just don't want to be bothered, no shop will do one even same week. The moment you mention one you're now a pain in the ass and someone else will buy the car without one.
I don't know if everyone caught that. Wizard says service your CVT trans every 30-50,000 miles regardless of what the dealer of manufacturer says. That is 100% correct and that goes for all vehicles. Thanks Wizard for sharing your wisdom.
On this particular SUV it's 30,000 mi on the dot. At 37,000 miles you feel a decline in power delivery do not recommend going to 50,000 without a flush
Any time a manufacturer says fluid is “lifetime” or you only need to change oil every 10,000 miles, they are trying to make sure the car doesn’t last more than 5 years or 60,000 miles/100,000 km.
I have a CVT in my mitsubishi outlander sport SE. Mitsubishi has me change mine every year regardless of miles so I change mine every 10k miles. My CVT has 88,000 miles on it got new no issues.
I did a before purchase inspection when buying my current car, the shop told me the car was well maintained, so i bought it. I'm still rocking this car 7 years later, never had issues. A year after this, i bought another used car as a second car. Didn't inspect it before buying. 2 months later the engine blew up, and when I took it to the shop, they discovered that the frame was rusted beyond repairs. ALWAYS take the car to a shop for an inspection before buying, if they refuse, walk away.
I usually only buy cars that have the service history and replaced items listed in the ad. I've always had luck buying cars that way. The only times I've gotten burned on cars is when I bought them from ads with little to no information other than "runs and drives".
How did the rusted frame cause the engine to blow up? Or are they unrelated? Why did the engine blow up? How could the internal condition of the engine been noticed during a pre-purchase inspection?
@@MikeKayK It's unrelated but it may show the level of maintenance (or lack of..) that was done by the previous owners.You can infact check the condition of the engine via compression tests or even going as far as taking a bore scope to inspect the internals,by the way.
@@chazzcoolidge2654 Dude, if the engine seems to run fine, no one is going to do a compression test or sticks bore scope down the cylinders during a pre-purchase inspection. And if the engine doesn't run fine, you walk away, you don't keep throwing money at someone else's car to diagnose the issue for them.
As a person who has done a LOT of bodywork I can tell you without a doubt, 4 minutes in, that everything B pillar forward has been painted. This is a job for vehcor.
I don't have a trained eye, and before he even got close enough to see the gaps it was clear the light reflections from the B pillar forward were different than the rest of the vehicle. I would guess that's a pre-painted aftermarket bumper cover too? I know a few people who got one to save some money and they never look right, the color is always noticeably off.
That vehicle should have gone to Vehcor, he would have made it right and disclosed it was damaged goods but will get you from Point A to Point B, for awhile before it ended up at the Pull and save yard !
i bought a 2016 versa note, hail damaged car with 15k miles. i did the cvt transfluid change every 40,000 miles like you said, and the car now has 160,000 miles going strong and my niece now owns it.
a mechanical inspection is always worth the dollars, even if there is nothing wrong with the car, so you know as a fact. If you cant afford that, you cant afford the car, and if they don't let you take it to a mechanic that is the biggest red flag to run.
Exactly this. I have paid to have every car used I've purchased inspected prior. If the seller objects, that's a red flag. Walk away. And I have had major issues found on cars during these inspections. You can either walk away or use it to negotiate. I'm not a fan of issues, so I usually walk. Far better to spend a few hundred dollars on the inspection than many thousands on unexpected repairs.
About a year ago I purchased a 2012 4runner from a new car dealer. I absolutely insisted that I be permitted to take it to an independent shop nearby to get it checked out. They said, no but you can have your mechanic check it out and use our lift. I insisted and actually started to get up to leave, and they reneged. Tuned out the vehicle checked out fine. But then a few months later, the knock sensor code came on and I decided to sell it because of the cost to repair and for other reasons. But I got my inspection!
@@universalassociates6857 I would have told them to take the car and shove it. I'm not to popular around used car dealerships. I buy my cars from private sellers and if they're afraid of a pre-purchase inspection, I walk away into the sunset. I've done that on some BS temp assignments too.. You really need to do more than a scan tool tool. Do a leak-down compression test and pull out all the spark plugs. If they say no, than I say see ya. Also check oil in the exhaust tailpipe.
I used to sell cars way back in the 80s. I remember the used car manager could spend five minutes inspecting the car abd tell if it had been in an accident. Today CarFax will usually tell you if the car has been in a wreck. I think that Infinity was a salvage title and the woman who bought it didn't know.
The key with CarFax is “usually”. My partner rear ended someone at a stop sign, the car was fixed all above board with insurance involved etc, but it never showed up on CarFax.
Yeah Carfax can help, but don't totally rely on it. A close visual is imperative. I do my own inspections I have a two page checklist and I crawl all over and under for an hour before even turning the key.
I only had a FEW customers come in for me to inspect a car BEFORE they bought it. And I was more than happy to do so because that is absolutely how you buy a used car.
I’m glad the seller did the honorable thing by refunding the customer’s money but I have a hard time believing they didn’t know about the car history, especially with just water in the radiator.
Having car dealerships is actually not the greatest business in the world. They barely look at these cars sometimes. Dealerships frequently get lemons, but they can usually return them. We, however usually can't. That's why it's stressed so much on Good TH-cam channels like Scotty kilmer to not buy a car at a dealership. You are paying a premium there for absolutely nothing, and sometimes it's for garbage
@@gnomiefirst9201 Saying sod as-is doesn't make anyone a scammer. If your selling a car that doesn't have a factory warranty why the hell would the seller warranty it? It doesn't work that way. My 2017 civic's warranty just ended, if I go to sell it it's sold as is (then again I have the entire history of the vehicle and all service records)
Probably got bought at auction to resell and sellers didnt know. I’m sure after refunded the buyers money, this car is back at some auction to be resold to another unsuspecting buyer.
@@Hubjeep I'm thinking the car was a private dealership with astronomical interest rates, not a regular branded dealership. One of those "buy here, pay here" types. That said, you can get a loan from your bank to then take to the private seller for purchase.
I bought my 2 latest cars MX- (or Miata in the US) & CX-5 both completely unseen from a trusted mechanic. With the latter one I had 2 warranty issues, fixed without any discussion. And for free. Repeat customers, repeat business & stand for your reputation and integrity as a mechanic shop. Where people work like in a shop, things can go wrong & errors will be made of course BUT if it does, help your customers out & they will come back. And spread the word, best marketing tool ever.
We’ve never bought a used car without having it inspected first. If the seller balked we immediately walked (good rhyme to remember! 🙂) and we had our longtime mechanic do the inspections 👍
I've never gotten a pre purchase inspection because I know how to use my eyes and look at things and to do the most basic of checking on fluids and things. Of course I also don't buy garbage like Nissan's or Dodge.
This is a great warning to people not omly buying used cars but aftermarket parts on eBay and Amazon!! If the price is too good to be true it probably is!! No it definitely is!! You can no longer trust anyone selling something at way below market value!! Great video
Under most circumstances I agree, a before purchase inspection is wise. In Decrmber I was forced to replace my old Volvo 240. My late mother's next door neighbour was forced to stop driving at the age of 95. I bought her 20 year old, always dealer serviced Toyota Corolla. When i agreed to buy it, she had her son take it to the dealer for its mandatory safety inspection. It failed because they claimed it had 2 rust holes. Her son went to 2 body shops. One said scrap it. The other said they would buy it. I took it to a fruend who does body work. He could not find holes anywhere. I took it to a shop I know is very famous for finding problems that really should be overlooked. They found nothing at all wrong, not even a warning about surface rust! The car drives like new despite 20 years and 100,000 miles. Even before purchase inspections can be seriously misleading.
Very smart, a lot of the issue is people’s pride. They want to look impressive to others. They want to have a bunch of bells and whistles, so they purchase a high mileage vehicle, when, if they were smart and humble, they could have spent that same money on a basic Toyota Corolla that would serve them perfectly for decades. Pride goes before a fall.
@@ozarkliving7263The 20 year old Toyota had just on 100,000 miles (158,000 km) showing. The neighbour bought it when she was 75. It has all the bells and whistles I need. The a/c will make it uncomfortably cold when it is 95+ degrees, the heater makes the car toasty warm when it is -40 degrees. Power windows and locks work flawlessly. Does not burn or leak oil or anything else. Even the factory stereo is acceptable and works, right down to the CD player. I did have to replace the cat and the front wheel bearings, but that's been it. At 40 or so miles to the US gallon, fuel consumption, even with the air on, is more than acceptable. I bit more space for my 6'2" body would be nice, but the car works. With the good tires it is even acceptably entertaining to drive on the back roads.
I looked at a car once because it looked like a good deal online. When I checked it out in person I popped the hood and it had a replaced engine from the junkyard. They definitely didn’t mention that online and I basically had to interrogate the salesman and manager to get them to admit the engine wasn’t original.
Why bother interrogating the salesman and the manager? If I saw that the engine in a car I was interested in was a junkyard swap, I would have just thanked the dealership for their time and left. There's no arguing nor negotiating with them for anything if the car for sale was presented in bad faith in the first place.
@@georgejames6376It's not that the engine was replaced by itself, but that such a fact about the car was not disclosed without prodding. If the seller isn't forthright about what's being sold, then that's a red flag with regard to who you're dealing with. If an engine was replaced, why? If it was due to neglect, well then what other parts of the car could have been neglected? Also, if the engine was replaced with a salvaged one, what's the condition of the replacement and is there a warranty? Adding to the uncertainty is not knowing the quality of the work that was done; was it done by someone who really knows what he's doing? Plus, the fact that the engine is not original to the car can negatively impact the residual value since the engine will not be numbers-matching. As a buyer, you have a right to know what it is that you're buying into, especially as many used vehicles are sold as is. If something goes wrong with the engine after you buy the car, you will be the one who has to deal with it. _Caveat Emptor_
Based. A coworker once asked me if I wanted to buy his 01 chrysler minivan. We took it to the mechanic together and it went on the lift....the entire undercarrage was rotted out. He had no idea it was so rusty and said he wouldnt sell it to me he was gonna junk it cuz it was obviously unsafe to be on the road.
"No one ever sells a car because it runs too good" I went with one of my troops to a local buy here, pay here lot to look at an RX7 he was in love with. Shiny and clean inside and out, looked great. The car pulled to the right really bad. I noticed when we parked it, it was impossible to line the wheels up with the parking stripes. When I looked under the car, we discovered this car was actually 2 cars that had been welded together just behind the B pillar!
The painted letters/numbers on the front subframe prove that the original subframe was replaced by one from a wrecking yard. That Infiniti was in a substantial front end accident that damaged the original subframe. Look at the subframe at the 7:30 point and following.
There is a guy in my neighborhood who has been trying to sell this exact same car for like 6 months now. I always wondered why nobody jumped on that beauty at first glance. Very clean, shiny, clean interior and everything. And now I know why. Everything that glitters ain't gold.
Just had a pre-purchase inspection on a used Toyota van from a BMW dealer. Indicated repairs were 2/3 the asking price. No sale. Car Wizard deserves his million plus subscribers.
Yep. I bought a car and the owner only had liability insurance. His daughter wrecked it. Knocked off the front end. Bought it for pennies on the dollar. Nothing showed up on carfax since it was never turned into insurance. Put a new front end on. Sold it. Went on a cruise. Car is still running good 5 years later.
It's usually a 1 1/2 week wait at the shop I use. That could cause a problem on a private sale if the seller gers multiple offers or phone calls. Why wait if you don't have to.
I heard that expensive sound the second You started that thing. Classic drying JENCO crapmission…. That sound at one point cost me 3500$ thanks NIssian….lol😊
"They should be all identical". Reminds me of my 1983 Olds Cutlass that had both metric and American standard. I needed three wrenches with both measurement systems to change the alternator. Yes, it did come that way from the factory.
Car dealers sometimes get caught out themselves. I used to work with a girl in the UK who bought a Suzuki Vitara from an independent dealer. At some point in the future she took it in for some work, and they loaned her an identical Vitara which they had taken in as a part-exchange. When she went back to collect her car, she parked the loaner next to her own car. It was only when one of the staff went out with her to give her car back, they noticed that both cars had the same licence plates on them. Turned out some low lifes had seen her car when it was for sale at the dealership, gone and stolen an identical car, and cloned her car's identity, including false VIN plates. Then they were cheeky enough to trade the stolen car in at the same dealership. Her car was legitimate, but the dealer had inadvertently accepted the stolen car as a trade-in.
That look under the hood is very informative. Your trained eye spotted things that the untrained eye would miss. That wiring harness is definitely alarming.
Yep avoid the older JX35/QX60 and first couple years of newer Pathfinders (mid-20teens). CVT was not good. Late 20teens of QX60 and Pathfinder is much better and then the '22 up went to a regular 9 speed trans.
@@robertrussell4035 Yes from everything I've seen I believe above '16 is better for the CVT years. Still need to service them every 30-50k miles though.
@@ozarkliving7263 Q50s with the 3.7 are bulletproof just like the prior G37. Q50 and Q60 with the 3.0T are awesome (besides the 7-speed transmission being slow), but turbos can go and waterpump is a PITA. The QX60s are pretty good because of the 3.5, though be religious about the CVT. Even then I'd avoid QX60, just not worth what you're paying for a "luxury SUV". New QX60 uses almost exact same 3.5, but with ZF 9-speed and a much much more updated interior, I'd def get that if you're looking for a nice luxury SUV. QX50 and QX55, just avoid them. Not unreliable, but just another crappy crossover SUV with a CVT, unlike the prior QX70 and FX35/FX45. QX80, that thing will just go and go forever. I just serviced one with 350k miles last month. I wouldn't say to avoid Infiniti, but to find the right car, which rn is the Q50, QX60, and QX80 (Q60 was discontinued and Q50 is getting the axe at the end of this year ☹ )
I’m an autobody technician and speaking from my perspective the front bumper cover sometimes they just don’t match You have to remember when bumpers are painted for a car usually do them a bunch at a time They don’t paint two bumper covers every car rear bumper covers at a time So that paint might not particularly match because the bumper might’ve gotten shot with a different batch of paint. It might be the same paint code, but it could be slightly off variant.
True and bumpers are usually plastics and paint looks different on plastics compared to metal like the hood and fenders, especially noticeable with multi stage paints and pearls. Obviously body work is not the Car Wizards specialty.
The comment I was looking for. You can go to a brand new car on a lot and if you walk around and look, the bumpers won't be a perfect match to the rest of the car. This is obviously very common and the nature of how plastic and metal differ when it comes to paint.
I felt pretty lucky with the Mechanic that my father knew for decades as my old 01 Merc started rusting out at the wheel arches. Really went beyond the value of the car to fix, Hooked me up with an audi estate diesel for a great price, no rust issues and took the merc off my hands for trade, It only had some worn badges with the age/UV wearing them down and needed a few replacements. Mechanically great for 110k with the full service history. About $100 later and an afternoon with a heat gun the things looking absolutely fantastic and the saving going from premium octane petrol into a diesel has saved me some crazy cash. If you've a family mechanic i'd always ask what kind of stock they've got if they do keep some cars in stock or know any customers trying to sell. He's no Wizard but the man knows what's reliable and hasn't let either of us down in all these years. 4 months in and so far so good. Videos like these make me so darn thankful to have someone like that. Couldn't imagine buying a car, nevermind taking a loan out and then finding out it's been in a wreck. That's just terrible for everyone involved. Last news you'd wanna give a customer at the shop too i'd imagine. So glad the buyer managed to get a refund on the thing! Not often you see a happy ending to this, That's the Wizard way!
There are only 2 cases in which paying for a BEFORE purchase inspection is not necessary. 1. The car is brand new 2. You're handy and knowledgeable enough to do so yourself.
@@Ray-dv1md I know. I work at a Honda dealership myself. We've been getting issues with the new Civics, Pilots, and Odysseys a lot. But there isn't anything there that's gonna be able to be remedied by an independent mechanic yet, so there's no point. If it's bad enough, you can always have it lemon lawed (I'm not sure what the Australian equivalent is)
@@Ray-dv1md You have piqued my interest. Assuming you are refering to the Campbellfield Ford plant - i.e. not Geelong - then the closest dealer could possibly be Bayford located in Coburg North or possibly Epping. In any case it's not surprising the dealer arranged for a 'cheap repair' to the new Escort - sad really.
@@carycoller3140 You are correct. However, Hoovie is handsomely funded by his YT channel - which 'encourages' him to continue to purchase 'money-pit cars sight unseen' in order to broaden his appeal and thus subscription/'click' numbers.
I have a friend who years ago bought a brand new Dodge caravan. Things started going wrong and turns out it fell off the truck and they fixed it. He raised hell in the dealership showroom and they gave him a new car to replace it.
Good tire shops have a tire lathe - so if you have 3 tires that say have 70% tread - you can get the "replacement" tire milled down by a few 32nds to maintain the same outside diameter (or maintain the same revolutions per mile for a less rounding prone measurement).
what on earth. once i have spend the money to lace all the 3 tires i can almost buy 3 additional tires. america is just wierd. here in europe no one would do that. tires are cheap and most import part for your safety.
@@amduser86on vehicles with full-time AWD, you could damage the transmission and other parts if all four tires aren't the exact same size. If only one tire gets damaged and the rest still have most of its tread, it doesn't make sense to replace all of them.
@amduser86 it's OK that you don't know what you are talking about from whatever country you are from. The fact you would replace 3 good tires instead of milling one shows that.
@@Nick-ue7iw Please read before you spout off - I was making a suggetion that did not apply to the 30% situation that the Car Wizard spoke of. I agree - you have to do the math before you do this. But if you are keeping 3 tires that have 10/32nds and the tires came with 12/32nds new, it would be the only smart move.
Thanks Wizard. This is why I always advise a private seller that I am going to take a car guy (me) to go over the car before I buy a used vehicle. If the seller says no then I pass cause that is a warning sign. If they allow it, I still proceed with caution. I once had a car that had the ECM bring up another VIN when I scanned it. Seller denied anything being done, I walked away. With all the shady people out there, just never know who to trust.. Tip: Always go with 1 or 2 additional individuals when meeting and have one stay in the back seat with phone ready in case something pops up. Never know nowadays.
With all of these scamming shops and stealerships around, I'm curious what The Car Wizard would do to find a shop that isn't a scam. I think it would be a great video for those of us who wish we could be your customer. Personally, I would love if there was an "Omega Certified" or "Car Wizard Certified" award that shops could earn so that we know what shops around the country are trustworthy.
You could do what the tv news people and pull a sensor connection causing a trouble code. See how many shops try to tell you its something major. Might cost you an hour of shop time but you'd know if you can trust them. If they try to charge you for doing nothing essentially, have the charge taken off your card or cancell the check. If theyre crooks who cares?
Mismatched tires will destroy the transaxle in a Subaru. I learned that the hard way before knowing this is an issue. Now I am religious about keeping them matching.
@@beauthestdane for me having a FWD with a solid set of winter tires is more than enough. I rarely get stuck unless I get caught in a major snow storm and even then I just stay indoors those days.
Great advice! I was helping my daughter search for a nice, used Honda Civic. Found one locally, took it to my independent Honda/Acura mechanic for a before-purchase inspection. The phone call I received was an emphatic "NO, don't recommend". There were so many items of deferred maintenance. It needed a timing belt, water pump, tires, alignment, struts. It even had the wrong spark plugs! We passed. A month later we found another Civic up in San Francisco. Took it to a great mechanic we found up there. The report was just the opposite. The car was in great shape -- the mechanic was very enthusiastic and said and I quote "don't let this one get away"! We took his advice. In 1999 that inspection cost me $125. Best money I ever spent. And that car? Still on the road today.
You aren't kidding people get pissed when you find damage and flaws. I just looked at a Solstice that, to me, was obviously rear ended and poorly fixed. I got kicked off the car lot. Not asked to leave, ordered off for a simple "thats kind of a big gap" comment.
Bumpers are hard to tell paint wise, my bumper on my brand new highlander is a shade darker than the body. Almost every single gen 4 blizzard white pearl I've seen has the same problem, very noticeable. Same with my wifes rav, it's the maroon-ish color and it's a shade darker than the body, again brand new purchaced Friends shop does alot of work for someone who sells to the low credit scalpers like Byrider. The amount of work they do that will NEVER get reported is astounding.
bumpers are not painted on the same line as the car body they are normally just a bit off. I don't know why the wizard was giving that advice it's not correct.
My 2010 highlander has the same problem, bumpers front and rear of the pearl white don't match. I talked to a body shop guy and he said that pearl white is a bitch to match.
The problem is more due to the material differences, as the bumper is plastic and the rest of the body is metal they reflect the light differently and therefore make a difference in color even using the same paint, the worst offenders in this topic are the Peugeot from the 2000's especially the yellows or light greens, where you can see the difference between the bumper and the rest of the body from a mile away
@@col888881Also a resprayed bumper doesnt equal a horrible wreck ive talk to picky perfectionst car owners that have their bumpers resprayed due to minor scratches from parking.
I also wouldn't let just a bumper cover deter me. If they are even tapped they break or fall off. It's a red flag but not a deal breaker. Do a closer inspection. Also don't be surprised if the windshield has been replaced. Where I am, non-cracked windshields are the exception. But all the other glass should match.
FYI even brand new cars on the dealer lot can appear to have different colors for the bumpers and the body. The reason is because plastic and metal reflect light differently. So don't judge just by that. Otherwise great video. Thanks
this is definitely false. infiniti has some great cars in the 2000s and 2010s. they are sedans tho, and everyone wants suv. buy a q70 with 3.7L v6 and non-cvt. they are awesome cars
So quick to blame the manufacturer instead of the methhead owners this thing has had. Outside of the trash Xtronic CVT, Nissan has actually been pretty solid.
PPI is a good idea but even there you have to be careful. I took a car to my mechanic for an inspection and he missed the fact that the AC didn’t work. Fortunately, the selling dealer stepped up and fixed it for free but I wonder, what was I paying my guy for?
Infiniti tech here, one thing I'd check is the lower A-arm bushings. We're starting to see the bushings crack and tear on the JX35/QX60s, causing a clunking when stoping while turning. You'll have to go aftermarket, as the OE either isn't available or is back ordered to hell. We use aftermarket at our dealer since it arrives next-day.
I’ve got a 2016 3.7 AWD Q70 with 65K miles, needed to replace front upper control arms, and I’ve been told the steering rack is a little loose (can’t align the car perfectly) but it’s never been in an accident. Anything I need to watch for?
@@Sashazur I haven't heard of much with them, especially with the 3.7 I'd say you're good. Just do 5k oil changes and it'll keep chugging. Sunroof on the older M35/M45 had problems where the motor would just stop working, but haven't heard of it happening on the Q70s. It is a heavy car so makes sense the bushings will crack earlier, but other than that it should last you awhile. Oh and tranny and diff (AWD) fluid every 60k miles. If you never service the tranny fluid, the transmission will be horrible at 120k+ miles, so follow 60k.
@@grouchosays If its the a pre-2021 (the previous generation) then no. 1 out of every 10 QX60s I scan have a CVT judder code, which depending on if its an F0 or F1 code, is either replacing the valvebody or replacing the entire transmission, both of which are expensive. With the pre-2021 models, they were just out of date as a "luxury SUV" compared to what the competition was selling at the time. Prior to 2016, it MIGHT have been a contender in the luxury SUV space (and even then that's stretching it), after 2016 literally any other car in the luxury SUV market was miles better than the QX60. I'd never recommend it to anyone. The 2021 and up, they are nice! They switched to a true 9-speed automatic from ZF (A very reputable and well-trusted transmission manufacturer for MANY other car brands) instead of keeping the CVT, the interior and infotainment were updated, and all-around just nice. The only thing is that rear brakes need to be replaced around every 20k to 30k miles because of how the stability control is programmed on them (its stupid). Other than that, the new ones are pretty nice, but still worth checking out the competition.
@@Sashazur No major problems that I can think of. The 3.7 is a tank of an engine that just doesn't really die. Do 3,750 oil change interavls if your using conventional and 5,000 if you're using synthetic, do your spark plugs every 105,000 miles (that's the interval given by Infiniti), and your AWD service every 60k miles and it'll keep going and going. Same with transmission fluid (every 60k or 70k miles). Only thing I can think is a heater core hose connection that starts to go bad and leaks coolant in the rear passenger side of the engine. Not too bad of a job to do but a little pain in the rear because of space.
I can't imagine actually taking out a loan for a used full-size luxury SUV. If you need something that big (doubtful, honestly), and don't have the money for it, you really shouldn't be buying something like that. There are much better options out there that will be easier on the wallet.
Yes there is, such as a light pickup truck. I have one and I love it more than the over sized SUV I had. It's nice having a truck...even if it's not a full sized one. They're nice. i love the one I bought...a 2024 Ranger and i use it like it's a mid sized SUV. I love it.
From the first car I ever bought, my father taught me to ALWAYS have it inspected. Every car I’ve bought (say for one) was used. Yes: when you find a couple of rejects - maybe more (like in today’s car economy): I felt like I spent a whole lot on numerous auto inspections. But the headaches, or deals on the negotiation, has saved me surprises and headaches later. My auto tech is in NJ, but he’s worth every cent. His honesty is worth his price. Never had a bad diagnostic procedure. Never paid for work I didn’t need. Thank you for reminding us the value of a BPI!
When I worked at a major German car dealer in the Seattle area, we had numerous customers bring in late model expensive cars with a "Clean" Carfax, yet had obvious major previous crash damage. Apparently, these cars were (usually poorly) repaired out of the customer's pocket, and no report went to the insurance Co. A lot of them were lease cars previously. Beware!
I had a car inspected recently before even test driving it. I found out that the seller was trying to hide many issues like oil leaks by pressure washing under the hood, he somehow passed a smog check even though the scanner picked up an engine issue and the light engine was not on. I also found out the air bags did not work. The seller never mentioned any of it and was definitely trying to hide the issues in order to sell the car at a higher price. I turned down the car and left. Pre purchase inspections are a must.
My practice has been to buy vehicles new and then drive them till the vehicle wears completely out(to recover as much of the depreciation as possible). With the exception of one that was totaled by a rear end collision(the other guys fault), I have gotten over 200,000 miles each out of each one. I even got 170,000 miles out of the totaled one. With this, there is no worry about previous wrecks, etc. Now my 2017 white Nissan Frontier has the paint issue you mentioned. A deer ran in front of it last fall causing over $3000 in damage.
It’s difficult to have any sympathy for people who buy vehicles without any inspection. Most of the time you don’t get what you pay for. The Car Wizard is one in a thousand repair facility and people are very fortunate to have him in their community. I live in a small town and wished we had a facility like his.
Car wizard and Scotty k have taught me so much about cars. I have a car on its last leg, but I am doing due diligence on buying another car. Thank you for your time and effort making these videos.
Im with you on those charcoal canisters, my Outback has one that's clogged, everything is so rusty that there's no way to get it off without breaking all the bolts off and they're so expensive (and the car is 25 years old) that I just disconnected it so that the fuel filler works properly again.
Great video Mr. Wizard. Many clues tell us the story of a car, just like evidence at a crime scene. It takes exposure to spot the clues. A PPI can help the novice from making a big mistake. But many don't want to pay $200 to be told the car they were going to buy is fine; or pay $200 to be told to reject the car. Both are a waste of money in the eyes of most buyers.
I had a friend that worked at a Nissan dealership and said that they would recommend a cvt service every 40k miles but the customers would always decline them. The best one was when a customer said he was an engineer and said that he was trying to rip him off, 2 months later he is in for transmission issues and was clearly butthurt.
Another option for the transmission and the missing/mismatched bolts. The pan was crushed in the accident and was replaced. I had a drunk hit my Corolla in 1999 and after it rolled it hit the ground hard enough to flatten the pans.
@@unhandled12345 i know you're being snarky. Plenty of pans have been flattened/punctured by running over parking islands, medians, road debris, etc. the roll over was my personal experience with it.
I’m happy to hear that things worked out for the buyer but as a suggestion and especially if you’re taking out alone on a used car and I say this from personal experience, always get a pre-purchase inspection. Number one it’s a nine-year-old car and anything can go wrong with it. I say that from personal experience I had a 2014 CRV that I bought a couple years back after my previous 2014 CRV got totaled and make a long story short and had Warren piston rings and was going to need a complete engine rebuild, however just before I got done paying off the car this one got totaled as well after an oncoming vehicle failed to yield the right of way to me at a busy intersection when they were making a left turn. Thankfully, nobody was hurting both cases except my pride and the cars themselves. And I was able to recuperate all the money I had invested into getting the car repaired throughout my ownership, plus the residual value of the car minus the remaining balance on the loan after insurance paid it off, but back to my point if you take out a loan on a car like this and you find out that it’s mechanically totaled that can get very messyfor you and the seller even if they did reimburse the buyer if they decide that they want to fix up the car and then sell it for a profit that can get very complicated to deal with if there’s any outstanding issues or liens on the title
Years ago, when I was young and dumb, I purchased a car from a well know Toyota dealership in Northern California. I test drove the car and fell in love with it. Big big mistake. The weasel dealership salesman would not let me take the car for a prepurchase inspection. Like a dummy I purchased anyway. Months later I started to have problems with the car. Turns out the car came from another state. It had been in a rear end collision. Which did not show up on the Carfax report. I learned some valuable lessons from my inexperience. Do not trust any car salesperson. Do not 100% trust a Carfax report. Do not purchase an out of state car. ALWAYS pay for a prepurchase INSPECTION. And never ever fall in love with a car. I gave the car away after the computer started to have problems. Thank God I had it for several years. Lesson learned. Now I am an ass when I buy a used car.
Pre-purchase inspection by a trusted mechanic. ALWAYS. If they won't let you do a pre-purchase inspection, run away as fast as you can. Btw, the difference in the bumper color doesn't really show up on camera well except in the close-up. I'm sure it's much easier to see in person.
Just had a customer get screwed on a 2013 Ford Explorer Sport with the 3.5 Ecoboost. 2 weeks after purchase it started pouring smoke out of the exhaust. 2 turbos, 2 front lower control arm assemblies, pass front CV shaft, PTU shaft seals, and front pads & rotors later it seams good for now.
I had a 2015 3.5 ecoboom that blew up. I swapped the engine and after a bit it started to make cam phaser rattle on start up, sold it for 15 thousand :D. Luckily the PTU was still going without a fluid swap and transmission was good as I changed oil in it every 30k.
The Explorer Sport is back. Timing chain set, 4x Cam Phasers, 4x VVT solenoids, and a water pump. Did a fluid exchange on the PTU and that was some of the nastiest fluid I have ever seen and smelled
Yep. I bought a car and the owner only had liability insurance. His daughter wrecked it. Knocked off the front end. Bought it for pennies on the dollar. Nothing showed up on carfax since it was never turned into insurance. Put a new front end on. Sold it. Went on a cruise. Car is still running good 5 years later.
Lots of people talk trash about the JATCO CVT, but heck, this one drives and shifts great without fluid, AND after being wrecked, with an ill-fitting pan? Imagine how well it would work had it actually been taken care of? Which almost no one does (take care of them, that is) they just talk crap when they fail.
Be aware relying on a Carfax report. If major damage repair is done by a shop that doesn't belong or report to Carfax, it won't appear on a Carfax report. I bought a used RAV4 that had a "clean" report, only to find 5 years later that it had been wrecked. The shop that did the repair had recently started working with Carfax. I had no recourse for this unreported repair. Be careful!
I hear you ,I bought 2007 CXS lucerne 2weeks later Transmission went out replaced with one with 36,000 miles 4000.00 ..then catch converter went another 500.00 now it says check suspension system? 1000.00 to 5000.00 depending on issue ..had catic converter fixed.engine light went off ...3 days later came back on .and has small oil.leak in main cylinder...what's next.??......But bought from a mechanic said she's in top running condition...145.000 miles now owed 2 yrs
Thank you, I seen a video about "Omega" it bought a tear to my eyes. When I bought my ZR1 in 2005 I did a PPL before purchase. I had ppl's done on 4 ZR1's and was told don't buy. One seller refuse to let their ZR1 get PPL. I don't care what anybody say, get a ppl it will save thousands of dollars. Mr.Wizard is right on. Nice video.
What wizard said is 100% correct, I have a 2014 pathfinder and replaced transmission, shortly thereafter (within 1000 miles) the next one caused problems, thankfully it was under warranty, just past 30,000 on the most recent one and got it serviced out of sheer paranoia
Car bumpers are often different colors because the bumper is typically made of plastic, while the rest of the car is made of metal. Paint applied to different materials will create a slight color variation because of the different surfaces. Plastic also expands differently than metal, so the paint on the bumper has to flex more, resulting in chemically different paint.
Problem is once I find a car I like my mechanic is usually scheduling 2 weeks out, sellers are not going to wait for u, and by then someone else will buy the car.
I retailed cars for many years. I totally agree with your before purchase inspection. Dealers often don't know what problems exist. I will say this: Nobody inspected one of our cars off our lot. On our lot, nobody put a wrench to our cars without one of our mechanics in attendance. We rarely bought cars at auctions. Hoovies' experiences is a good example of why auctions are referred to as "dog shows". Private party sales? Never without a before purchase inspection. With few exceptions, private sellers know or suspect something is bad. Few people willingly sell a good vehicle.
My seasonal neighbor and great friend is buying a car to take to Vermont. The selling dealer brought it here yesterday and I was ready to give a top to bottom inspection. Cheap tires, cheap battery, cheap wipers, cheap filters.... Oh boy, not a great start. Only 73K miles and very, very clean (because detailers can hid a LOT!). The inspection ended when I removed the oil cap and it levitated on the blowby exiting the cam cover. This would have been a money pit.
Yep! I agree. 👀 over that vehicle before you buy it. And! Because i used to work at 3 dealerships long ago. Ask your salesman if you can get a technician there to raise the vehicle in the air so you can get a GOOD L.E.D. white light and look over the underneath the vehicle. Yes! The dealership is obligated to do so. Its the law.
Hi from 🇬🇧. I bought a MK1 focus RS some years ago, it pulled awfully under hard acceleration, had it tracked, reset nothing fixed it. Changed front tyres it was fine. Had mismatched front tyres. Must do on performance cars.
The transmission shifter cable came on earlier JX35. Later on QX60 from 2016 came with shift solenoid not the transmission shifter cable. It is totaly different desing.
The car wizard is very knowledgeable. It’s always smart idea to get a pre purchase inspection so you don’t end up with a vehicle that may have a lot of issues. It’s well worth doing the pre purchase inspection first. Just because something looks good doesn’t mean it is . In this day and age can’t afford to lose money on a vehicle that may have some issues ect
Buying a used car is just buying someone else's problems as my father reminded me. Even so-called "certified used vehicles" can have serious problems.... not everything gets reported to Carfax.... people get wrecked cars fixed and never report it to insurance.
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GREAT NEWS...Right after filming this video (before it was released), the customer took our findings to the seller. They were unaware of the QX60's condition. They graciously refunded the buyer the FULL purchase price! There are good people in the world today!!!
Wow, not going to question how they did not know the condition, but good on them for doing the right thing, the customer should learn a good lesson from this, and hopefully the video will also teach that lesson to thousands more.
Love to hear of folks doing the right thing! Thanks for telling us Wizard
They will probably dump it on another poor soul
@@midend sadly the case more than likely, i find it hard to believe that THEY bought it without an inspection, unless perhaps they got it at some auction. But got to give it to them, its not free to process all that financing and refund the customer, good on them, but hopefully this QX60 is junked.
Your customer DODGED a bullet.
I can understand why the other shop came up with the highball 20k$ estimate, it was a get this nightmare out of my shop quote, they didn't want to deal with this POS.
Exactly!😆😅🤣🥵😵
Yes I agree. I'd estimate it for a new transmission, new engine wiring harness and assume THE WORST on anything else that looks odd. It's the labor time that costs the shop, not the parts and I'd certainly want to avoid this vehicle.
Sounds like a hackshop, yes?
@@efil4kizum- not necessarily. Just people who didn't want this job.
Yep, then they return the car to the customer and something else breaks and "Well YOU had it last!" Best not to touch such things with a 39.5 foot pole.
I work at a reputable Japanese brand dealership in the southwest and we’re completely okay with pre-purchase inspections on our used inventory. Do your homework, people.
By a third party I presume
@@james2042 Of course. They choose a shop to do the inspection.
@SolamenteVees man I wish I wasn't in NY, here you're lucky if anyone allows a ppi. 9/10 times you mention it they straight up will not sell to you anymore.
@@james2042 that's just weird. And sketchy
@ianriggs they just don't want to be bothered, no shop will do one even same week. The moment you mention one you're now a pain in the ass and someone else will buy the car without one.
I don't know if everyone caught that. Wizard says service your CVT trans every 30-50,000 miles regardless of what the dealer of manufacturer says. That is 100% correct and that goes for all vehicles. Thanks Wizard for sharing your wisdom.
On this particular SUV it's 30,000 mi on the dot. At 37,000 miles you feel a decline in power delivery do not recommend going to 50,000 without a flush
Any time a manufacturer says fluid is “lifetime” or you only need to change oil every 10,000 miles, they are trying to make sure the car doesn’t last more than 5 years or 60,000 miles/100,000 km.
I have a CVT in my mitsubishi outlander sport SE. Mitsubishi has me change mine every year regardless of miles so I change mine every 10k miles. My CVT has 88,000 miles on it got new no issues.
Best way to avoid CVT problems is to not buy a car with one in the first place.
@@paulparoma Sometimes that is unavoidable and will be for everyone in the future. CVTs are more effient at getting good gas mileage and performance.
Don't buy vehicles like Hoovie does unless you want to start your own TH-cam channel.
Unless you all ready have sucessful YT channel
Weee-zird!
Even Hoovie wouldn't buy one with a welded transmission link
And unless you have a car wizard | car ninja and huge wallet
@@uncleremus3211 never underestimate Hoovies ability to make poor decisions.
I did a before purchase inspection when buying my current car, the shop told me the car was well maintained, so i bought it. I'm still rocking this car 7 years later, never had issues. A year after this, i bought another used car as a second car. Didn't inspect it before buying. 2 months later the engine blew up, and when I took it to the shop, they discovered that the frame was rusted beyond repairs. ALWAYS take the car to a shop for an inspection before buying, if they refuse, walk away.
I usually only buy cars that have the service history and replaced items listed in the ad. I've always had luck buying cars that way. The only times I've gotten burned on cars is when I bought them from ads with little to no information other than "runs and drives".
How did the rusted frame cause the engine to blow up? Or are they unrelated? Why did the engine blow up? How could the internal condition of the engine been noticed during a pre-purchase inspection?
@@MikeKayK It's unrelated but it may show the level of maintenance (or lack of..) that was done by the previous owners.You can infact check the condition of the engine via compression tests or even going as far as taking a bore scope to inspect the internals,by the way.
Or like, look under a car before you buy it. . .
@@chazzcoolidge2654 Dude, if the engine seems to run fine, no one is going to do a compression test or sticks bore scope down the cylinders during a pre-purchase inspection. And if the engine doesn't run fine, you walk away, you don't keep throwing money at someone else's car to diagnose the issue for them.
As a person who has done a LOT of bodywork I can tell you without a doubt, 4 minutes in, that everything B pillar forward has been painted. This is a job for vehcor.
I don't have a trained eye, and before he even got close enough to see the gaps it was clear the light reflections from the B pillar forward were different than the rest of the vehicle. I would guess that's a pre-painted aftermarket bumper cover too? I know a few people who got one to save some money and they never look right, the color is always noticeably off.
That vehicle should have gone to Vehcor, he would have made it right and disclosed it was damaged goods but will get you from Point A to Point B, for awhile before it ended up at the Pull and save yard !
Does vehcor peddle Nissan?
just because a car was in an accident or has been painted doesnt mean its junk or unsafe
@@cantwealljustgetalong2 correct but this car is
i bought a 2016 versa note, hail damaged car with 15k miles. i did the cvt transfluid change every 40,000 miles like you said, and the car now has 160,000 miles going strong and my niece now owns it.
Those are known to go 300k well maintained, even with cvt
Nissan Versas are very forgiving. You definitely can't neglect the scheduled maintenance, but when you get it done the car instantly thanks you.
a mechanical inspection is always worth the dollars, even if there is nothing wrong with the car, so you know as a fact. If you cant afford that, you cant afford the car, and if they don't let you take it to a mechanic that is the biggest red flag to run.
Exactly this. I have paid to have every car used I've purchased inspected prior. If the seller objects, that's a red flag. Walk away. And I have had major issues found on cars during these inspections. You can either walk away or use it to negotiate. I'm not a fan of issues, so I usually walk. Far better to spend a few hundred dollars on the inspection than many thousands on unexpected repairs.
100% this. I just called a shop last week, because I saw a 40-year old convertible, and they quoted $65 for a PPI. That's cheap insurance.
Absolutely unless it’s a $1000 car and you have some knowledge and a scan tool and are prepared to fix it!
About a year ago I purchased a 2012 4runner from a new car dealer. I absolutely insisted that I be permitted to take it to an independent shop nearby to get it checked out. They said, no but you can have your mechanic check it out and use our lift. I insisted and actually started to get up to leave, and they reneged. Tuned out the vehicle checked out fine. But then a few months later, the knock sensor code came on and I decided to sell it because of the cost to repair and for other reasons. But I got my inspection!
@@universalassociates6857 I would have told them to take the car and shove it. I'm not to popular around used car dealerships. I buy my cars from private sellers and if they're afraid of a pre-purchase inspection, I walk away into the sunset. I've done that on some BS temp assignments too.. You really need to do more than a scan tool tool. Do a leak-down compression test and pull out all the spark plugs. If they say no, than I say see ya. Also check oil in the exhaust tailpipe.
I used to sell cars way back in the 80s. I remember the used car manager could spend five minutes inspecting the car abd tell if it had been in an accident. Today CarFax will usually tell you if the car has been in a wreck. I think that Infinity was a salvage title and the woman who bought it didn't know.
The key with CarFax is “usually”. My partner rear ended someone at a stop sign, the car was fixed all above board with insurance involved etc, but it never showed up on CarFax.
Yeah Carfax can help, but don't totally rely on it. A close visual is imperative. I do my own inspections I have a two page checklist and I crawl all over and under for an hour before even turning the key.
I only had a FEW customers come in for me to inspect a car BEFORE they bought it. And I was more than happy to do so because that is absolutely how you buy a used car.
I’m glad the seller did the honorable thing by refunding the customer’s money but I have a hard time believing they didn’t know about the car history, especially with just water in the radiator.
IDK, sounds like a flip by someone honest .
Having car dealerships is actually not the greatest business in the world. They barely look at these cars sometimes. Dealerships frequently get lemons, but they can usually return them. We, however usually can't. That's why it's stressed so much on Good TH-cam channels like Scotty kilmer to not buy a car at a dealership. You are paying a premium there for absolutely nothing, and sometimes it's for garbage
@@gnomiefirst9201 Saying sod as-is doesn't make anyone a scammer. If your selling a car that doesn't have a factory warranty why the hell would the seller warranty it? It doesn't work that way. My 2017 civic's warranty just ended, if I go to sell it it's sold as is (then again I have the entire history of the vehicle and all service records)
Probably got bought at auction to resell and sellers didnt know. I’m sure after refunded the buyers money, this car is back at some auction to be resold to another unsuspecting buyer.
@@Eyem1337 I stand corrected and edited it.
A loan on a 9 year old car.1st mistake,2nd mistake buying a nissan.
I didn't know leans were available on private-party car sales.
@@Hubjeep I'm thinking the car was a private dealership with astronomical interest rates, not a regular branded dealership. One of those "buy here, pay here" types. That said, you can get a loan from your bank to then take to the private seller for purchase.
@@eleyasbtseamlak9102Look up who makes Infiniti
@@eleyasbtseamlak9102yes it is. Infiniti is just rebadged nissan. Like acura to honda and lexus to toyota
@@eleyasbtseamlak9102 Glorified Nissan/Datsun
Thank you so much for looking out for the the people my dude. We are blessed to have a teacher with knowledge. 🙏🏼
Odds are this was an auction buy (most likely salvage auction) patched up just enough to sell.
Clash of klans?
I bought my 2 latest cars MX- (or Miata in the US) & CX-5 both completely unseen from a trusted mechanic. With the latter one I had 2 warranty issues, fixed without any discussion. And for free. Repeat customers, repeat business & stand for your reputation and integrity as a mechanic shop.
Where people work like in a shop, things can go wrong & errors will be made of course BUT if it does, help your customers out & they will come back. And spread the word, best marketing tool ever.
We’ve never bought a used car without having it inspected first. If the seller balked we immediately walked (good rhyme to remember! 🙂) and we had our longtime mechanic do the inspections 👍
I've never gotten a pre purchase inspection because I know how to use my eyes and look at things and to do the most basic of checking on fluids and things. Of course I also don't buy garbage like Nissan's or Dodge.
It's very good you put these vids out for people.
This is a great warning to people not omly buying used cars but aftermarket parts on eBay and Amazon!! If the price is too good to be true it probably is!! No it definitely is!! You can no longer trust anyone selling something at way below market value!! Great video
Under most circumstances I agree, a before purchase inspection is wise. In Decrmber I was forced to replace my old Volvo 240. My late mother's next door neighbour was forced to stop driving at the age of 95. I bought her 20 year old, always dealer serviced Toyota Corolla. When i agreed to buy it, she had her son take it to the dealer for its mandatory safety inspection. It failed because they claimed it had 2 rust holes. Her son went to 2 body shops. One said scrap it. The other said they would buy it. I took it to a fruend who does body work. He could not find holes anywhere. I took it to a shop I know is very famous for finding problems that really should be overlooked. They found nothing at all wrong, not even a warning about surface rust! The car drives like new despite 20 years and 100,000 miles. Even before purchase inspections can be seriously misleading.
Very smart, a lot of the issue is people’s pride. They want to look impressive to others. They want to have a bunch of bells and whistles, so they purchase a high mileage vehicle, when, if they were smart and humble, they could have spent that same money on a basic Toyota Corolla that would serve them perfectly for decades. Pride goes before a fall.
@@ozarkliving7263The 20 year old Toyota had just on 100,000 miles (158,000 km) showing. The neighbour bought it when she was 75. It has all the bells and whistles I need. The a/c will make it uncomfortably cold when it is 95+ degrees, the heater makes the car toasty warm when it is -40 degrees. Power windows and locks work flawlessly. Does not burn or leak oil or anything else. Even the factory stereo is acceptable and works, right down to the CD player. I did have to replace the cat and the front wheel bearings, but that's been it. At 40 or so miles to the US gallon, fuel consumption, even with the air on, is more than acceptable. I bit more space for my 6'2" body would be nice, but the car works. With the good tires it is even acceptably entertaining to drive on the back roads.
I looked at a car once because it looked like a good deal online. When I checked it out in person I popped the hood and it had a replaced engine from the junkyard. They definitely didn’t mention that online and I basically had to interrogate the salesman and manager to get them to admit the engine wasn’t original.
Why bother interrogating the salesman and the manager?
If I saw that the engine in a car I was interested in was a junkyard swap, I would have just thanked the dealership for their time and left. There's no arguing nor negotiating with them for anything if the car for sale was presented in bad faith in the first place.
What's wrong with a replacement engine, they fail and you replace them
@@georgejames6376It's not that the engine was replaced by itself, but that such a fact about the car was not disclosed without prodding. If the seller isn't forthright about what's being sold, then that's a red flag with regard to who you're dealing with.
If an engine was replaced, why? If it was due to neglect, well then what other parts of the car could have been neglected?
Also, if the engine was replaced with a salvaged one, what's the condition of the replacement and is there a warranty? Adding to the uncertainty is not knowing the quality of the work that was done; was it done by someone who really knows what he's doing? Plus, the fact that the engine is not original to the car can negatively impact the residual value since the engine will not be numbers-matching.
As a buyer, you have a right to know what it is that you're buying into, especially as many used vehicles are sold as is. If something goes wrong with the engine after you buy the car, you will be the one who has to deal with it.
_Caveat Emptor_
Based. A coworker once asked me if I wanted to buy his 01 chrysler minivan. We took it to the mechanic together and it went on the lift....the entire undercarrage was rotted out. He had no idea it was so rusty and said he wouldnt sell it to me he was gonna junk it cuz it was obviously unsafe to be on the road.
"No one ever sells a car because it runs too good"
I went with one of my troops to a local buy here, pay here lot to look at an RX7 he was in love with. Shiny and clean inside and out, looked great. The car pulled to the right really bad. I noticed when we parked it, it was impossible to line the wheels up with the parking stripes. When I looked under the car, we discovered this car was actually 2 cars that had been welded together just behind the B pillar!
Omg thats crazy
Thats a not true people sell good cars all the time. Its foolish to think people dont sell good cars
The painted letters/numbers on the front subframe prove that the original subframe was replaced by one from a wrecking yard. That Infiniti was in a substantial front end accident that damaged the original subframe. Look at the subframe at the 7:30 point and following.
Yep, noticed that too
There is a guy in my neighborhood who has been trying to sell this exact same car for like 6 months now. I always wondered why nobody jumped on that beauty at first glance. Very clean, shiny, clean interior and everything. And now I know why. Everything that glitters ain't gold.
Even CarFax is not always complete - a pre-buying inspection is absolutely essential.
Before buying inspection
Just had a pre-purchase inspection on a used Toyota van from a BMW dealer. Indicated repairs were 2/3 the asking price. No sale.
Car Wizard deserves his million plus subscribers.
Yep. I bought a car and the owner only had liability insurance.
His daughter wrecked it.
Knocked off the front end.
Bought it for pennies on the dollar.
Nothing showed up on carfax since it was never turned into insurance.
Put a new front end on.
Sold it.
Went on a cruise.
Car is still running good 5 years later.
Why don't do people a BEFORE-PURCHASE inspection instead of a POST-PURCHASE inspection?
Yes indeed
Either the seller is pushing for a quick sale or the purchasor is naive-
Because the sellers don't allow it.
It's usually a 1 1/2 week wait at the shop I use.
That could cause a problem on a private sale if the seller gers multiple offers or phone calls. Why wait if you don't have to.
@@Derek8487 yeah that happened to me trying to get an inspection from somebody who knows the brand I bought a car with 'issues'
I heard that expensive sound the second You started that thing. Classic drying JENCO crapmission…. That sound at one point cost me 3500$ thanks NIssian….lol😊
Jatco is the manufacturer of Nissan CVT’s, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nissan.
Thank you for your blatant honesty. There aren't a lot of automotive technicians and shops that can give a reliable assessment.
"They should be all identical". Reminds me of my 1983 Olds Cutlass that had both metric and American standard. I needed three wrenches with both measurement systems to change the alternator. Yes, it did come that way from the factory.
Car dealers sometimes get caught out themselves. I used to work with a girl in the UK who bought a Suzuki Vitara from an independent dealer.
At some point in the future she took it in for some work, and they loaned her an identical Vitara which they had taken in as a part-exchange. When she went back to collect her car, she parked the loaner next to her own car. It was only when one of the staff went out with her to give her car back, they noticed that both cars had the same licence plates on them.
Turned out some low lifes had seen her car when it was for sale at the dealership, gone and stolen an identical car, and cloned her car's identity, including false VIN plates.
Then they were cheeky enough to trade the stolen car in at the same dealership.
Her car was legitimate, but the dealer had inadvertently accepted the stolen car as a trade-in.
That look under the hood is very informative. Your trained eye spotted things that the untrained eye would miss. That wiring harness is definitely alarming.
That’s all good but with today’s car you have to take all the plastic off to see anything and you would have plastic laying everywhere?
Yep avoid the older JX35/QX60 and first couple years of newer Pathfinders (mid-20teens). CVT was not good. Late 20teens of QX60 and Pathfinder is much better and then the '22 up went to a regular 9 speed trans.
Avoid Nissan/Infiniti altogether
So 2019 nissan pathfinder is the better years for them.
@@robertrussell4035 Yes from everything I've seen I believe above '16 is better for the CVT years. Still need to service them every 30-50k miles though.
@@ozarkliving7263 Some of us are addicted to them but you have to know which ones to get. I avoid anything with CVT to start.
@@ozarkliving7263 Q50s with the 3.7 are bulletproof just like the prior G37. Q50 and Q60 with the 3.0T are awesome (besides the 7-speed transmission being slow), but turbos can go and waterpump is a PITA. The QX60s are pretty good because of the 3.5, though be religious about the CVT. Even then I'd avoid QX60, just not worth what you're paying for a "luxury SUV". New QX60 uses almost exact same 3.5, but with ZF 9-speed and a much much more updated interior, I'd def get that if you're looking for a nice luxury SUV. QX50 and QX55, just avoid them. Not unreliable, but just another crappy crossover SUV with a CVT, unlike the prior QX70 and FX35/FX45. QX80, that thing will just go and go forever. I just serviced one with 350k miles last month.
I wouldn't say to avoid Infiniti, but to find the right car, which rn is the Q50, QX60, and QX80 (Q60 was discontinued and Q50 is getting the axe at the end of this year ☹ )
I’m an autobody technician and speaking from my perspective the front bumper cover sometimes they just don’t match
You have to remember when bumpers are painted for a car usually do them a bunch at a time
They don’t paint two bumper covers every car rear bumper covers at a time
So that paint might not particularly match because the bumper might’ve gotten shot with a different batch of paint. It might be the same paint code, but it could be slightly off variant.
True and bumpers are usually plastics and paint looks different on plastics compared to metal like the hood and fenders, especially noticeable with multi stage paints and pearls. Obviously body work is not the Car Wizards specialty.
The comment I was looking for. You can go to a brand new car on a lot and if you walk around and look, the bumpers won't be a perfect match to the rest of the car. This is obviously very common and the nature of how plastic and metal differ when it comes to paint.
Also, pearl color is very hard to match
I felt pretty lucky with the Mechanic that my father knew for decades as my old 01 Merc started rusting out at the wheel arches. Really went beyond the value of the car to fix, Hooked me up with an audi estate diesel for a great price, no rust issues and took the merc off my hands for trade, It only had some worn badges with the age/UV wearing them down and needed a few replacements. Mechanically great for 110k with the full service history. About $100 later and an afternoon with a heat gun the things looking absolutely fantastic and the saving going from premium octane petrol into a diesel has saved me some crazy cash. If you've a family mechanic i'd always ask what kind of stock they've got if they do keep some cars in stock or know any customers trying to sell. He's no Wizard but the man knows what's reliable and hasn't let either of us down in all these years. 4 months in and so far so good.
Videos like these make me so darn thankful to have someone like that. Couldn't imagine buying a car, nevermind taking a loan out and then finding out it's been in a wreck. That's just terrible for everyone involved. Last news you'd wanna give a customer at the shop too i'd imagine. So glad the buyer managed to get a refund on the thing! Not often you see a happy ending to this, That's the Wizard way!
There are only 2 cases in which paying for a BEFORE purchase inspection is not necessary.
1. The car is brand new
2. You're handy and knowledgeable enough to do so yourself.
@@Ray-dv1md I know. I work at a Honda dealership myself. We've been getting issues with the new Civics, Pilots, and Odysseys a lot. But there isn't anything there that's gonna be able to be remedied by an independent mechanic yet, so there's no point. If it's bad enough, you can always have it lemon lawed (I'm not sure what the Australian equivalent is)
@@Ray-dv1md You have piqued my interest. Assuming you are refering to the Campbellfield Ford plant - i.e. not Geelong - then the closest dealer could possibly be Bayford located in Coburg North or possibly Epping. In any case it's not surprising the dealer arranged for a 'cheap repair' to the new Escort - sad really.
Or you're Hoovie.
@@carycoller3140 You are correct. However, Hoovie is handsomely funded by his YT channel - which 'encourages' him to continue to purchase 'money-pit cars sight unseen' in order to broaden his appeal and thus subscription/'click' numbers.
I have a friend who years ago bought a brand new Dodge caravan. Things started going wrong and turns out it fell off the truck and they fixed it. He raised hell in the dealership showroom and they gave him a new car to replace it.
Good tire shops have a tire lathe - so if you have 3 tires that say have 70% tread - you can get the "replacement" tire milled down by a few 32nds to maintain the same outside diameter (or maintain the same revolutions per mile for a less rounding prone measurement).
what on earth. once i have spend the money to lace all the 3 tires i can almost buy 3 additional tires. america is just wierd. here in europe no one would do that. tires are cheap and most import part for your safety.
@@amduser86on vehicles with full-time AWD, you could damage the transmission and other parts if all four tires aren't the exact same size. If only one tire gets damaged and the rest still have most of its tread, it doesn't make sense to replace all of them.
@amduser86 it's OK that you don't know what you are talking about from whatever country you are from. The fact you would replace 3 good tires instead of milling one shows that.
30 percent tread tires are far from "good" and shaving a new tire to 30 percent is just LMFAO stupid.
@@Nick-ue7iw Please read before you spout off - I was making a suggetion that did not apply to the 30% situation that the Car Wizard spoke of. I agree - you have to do the math before you do this. But if you are keeping 3 tires that have 10/32nds and the tires came with 12/32nds new, it would be the only smart move.
Thanks Wizard. This is why I always advise a private seller that I am going to take a car guy (me) to go over the car before I buy a used vehicle. If the seller says no then I pass cause that is a warning sign. If they allow it, I still proceed with caution. I once had a car that had the ECM bring up another VIN when I scanned it. Seller denied anything being done, I walked away. With all the shady people out there, just never know who to trust.. Tip: Always go with 1 or 2 additional individuals when meeting and have one stay in the back seat with phone ready in case something pops up. Never know nowadays.
Thanks a lot for your blatant honesty 😊
With all of these scamming shops and stealerships around, I'm curious what The Car Wizard would do to find a shop that isn't a scam. I think it would be a great video for those of us who wish we could be your customer. Personally, I would love if there was an "Omega Certified" or "Car Wizard Certified" award that shops could earn so that we know what shops around the country are trustworthy.
Wouldn't really be ethical, would it?
You could do what the tv news people and pull a sensor connection causing a trouble code. See how many shops try to tell you its something major.
Might cost you an hour of shop time but you'd know if you can trust them. If they try to charge you for doing nothing essentially, have the charge taken off your card or cancell the check. If theyre crooks who cares?
Refreshing upisode ! NO COMMERCIAL ! Bless your heart !
Mismatched tires will destroy the transaxle in a Subaru. I learned that the hard way before knowing this is an issue. Now I am religious about keeping them matching.
Or ditch having an AWD vehicle lol.
@@kimblem.w9952 Where I currently live it is more practical for winter driving. I also drive a rear wheel drive vehicle when the weather permits.
@@beauthestdane for me having a FWD with a solid set of winter tires is more than enough. I rarely get stuck unless I get caught in a major snow storm and even then I just stay indoors those days.
@@kimblem.w9952 Yep, and I managed for years driving a RWD Miata, but AWD is safer in those conditions.
just take the awd fuse out and run on fwd,
Great advice! I was helping my daughter search for a nice, used Honda Civic. Found one locally, took it to my independent Honda/Acura mechanic for a before-purchase inspection. The phone call I received was an emphatic "NO, don't recommend". There were so many items of deferred maintenance. It needed a timing belt, water pump, tires, alignment, struts. It even had the wrong spark plugs! We passed. A month later we found another Civic up in San Francisco. Took it to a great mechanic we found up there. The report was just the opposite. The car was in great shape -- the mechanic was very enthusiastic and said and I quote "don't let this one get away"! We took his advice. In 1999 that inspection cost me $125. Best money I ever spent. And that car? Still on the road today.
Thank you Car Wizard for sharing your wisdom! 🙏
You aren't kidding people get pissed when you find damage and flaws. I just looked at a Solstice that, to me, was obviously rear ended and poorly fixed. I got kicked off the car lot. Not asked to leave, ordered off for a simple "thats kind of a big gap" comment.
Bumpers are hard to tell paint wise, my bumper on my brand new highlander is a shade darker than the body. Almost every single gen 4 blizzard white pearl I've seen has the same problem, very noticeable. Same with my wifes rav, it's the maroon-ish color and it's a shade darker than the body, again brand new purchaced
Friends shop does alot of work for someone who sells to the low credit scalpers like Byrider. The amount of work they do that will NEVER get reported is astounding.
bumpers are not painted on the same line as the car body they are normally just a bit off. I don't know why the wizard was giving that advice it's not correct.
My 2010 highlander has the same problem, bumpers front and rear of the pearl white don't match. I talked to a body shop guy and he said that pearl white is a bitch to match.
The problem is more due to the material differences, as the bumper is plastic and the rest of the body is metal they reflect the light differently and therefore make a difference in color even using the same paint, the worst offenders in this topic are the Peugeot from the 2000's especially the yellows or light greens, where you can see the difference between the bumper and the rest of the body from a mile away
@@col888881Also a resprayed bumper doesnt equal a horrible wreck ive talk to picky perfectionst car owners that have their bumpers resprayed due to minor scratches from parking.
I also wouldn't let just a bumper cover deter me. If they are even tapped they break or fall off. It's a red flag but not a deal breaker. Do a closer inspection. Also don't be surprised if the windshield has been replaced. Where I am, non-cracked windshields are the exception. But all the other glass should match.
FYI even brand new cars on the dealer lot can appear to have different colors for the bumpers and the body. The reason is because plastic and metal reflect light differently. So don't judge just by that. Otherwise great video. Thanks
Whoa!!! 1 million subscribers….you’re a legend, Mr. Wizard!
“You better have time for it! You better have the money, too!” 💯💯💯 pre-purchase inspection!!!
Unfortunately, Infinity is just a fancy Nissan and recent Nissans are JUNK...🤬
this is definitely false.
infiniti has some great cars in the 2000s and 2010s. they are sedans tho, and everyone wants suv. buy a q70 with 3.7L v6 and non-cvt. they are awesome cars
So quick to blame the manufacturer instead of the methhead owners this thing has had. Outside of the trash Xtronic CVT, Nissan has actually been pretty solid.
@@demri123 The 7 speed auto in the G37 ain’t so hot. Still a great car besides the transmission, and it was worth replacing it. But it was not cheap.
Nissan is really not a good car company any longer. When a car depreciates as fast as they do, there’s always a reason.
@@demri123that’s why the op said recent
It never ceases to amaze me the fools who don’t do a Pre Purchase Inspection. Absolutely amazing. My old saying, you can’t fix stupid!
PPI is a good idea but even there you have to be careful. I took a car to my mechanic for an inspection and he missed the fact that the AC didn’t work. Fortunately, the selling dealer stepped up and fixed it for free but I wonder, what was I paying my guy for?
Infiniti tech here, one thing I'd check is the lower A-arm bushings. We're starting to see the bushings crack and tear on the JX35/QX60s, causing a clunking when stoping while turning. You'll have to go aftermarket, as the OE either isn't available or is back ordered to hell. We use aftermarket at our dealer since it arrives next-day.
I’ve got a 2016 3.7 AWD Q70 with 65K miles, needed to replace front upper control arms, and I’ve been told the steering rack is a little loose (can’t align the car perfectly) but it’s never been in an accident. Anything I need to watch for?
@@Sashazur I haven't heard of much with them, especially with the 3.7 I'd say you're good. Just do 5k oil changes and it'll keep chugging. Sunroof on the older M35/M45 had problems where the motor would just stop working, but haven't heard of it happening on the Q70s. It is a heavy car so makes sense the bushings will crack earlier, but other than that it should last you awhile.
Oh and tranny and diff (AWD) fluid every 60k miles. If you never service the tranny fluid, the transmission will be horrible at 120k+ miles, so follow 60k.
You don’t recommend the QX 60? I was just going to buy one.
@@grouchosays If its the a pre-2021 (the previous generation) then no. 1 out of every 10 QX60s I scan have a CVT judder code, which depending on if its an F0 or F1 code, is either replacing the valvebody or replacing the entire transmission, both of which are expensive.
With the pre-2021 models, they were just out of date as a "luxury SUV" compared to what the competition was selling at the time. Prior to 2016, it MIGHT have been a contender in the luxury SUV space (and even then that's stretching it), after 2016 literally any other car in the luxury SUV market was miles better than the QX60.
I'd never recommend it to anyone. The 2021 and up, they are nice! They switched to a true 9-speed automatic from ZF (A very reputable and well-trusted transmission manufacturer for MANY other car brands) instead of keeping the CVT, the interior and infotainment were updated, and all-around just nice. The only thing is that rear brakes need to be replaced around every 20k to 30k miles because of how the stability control is programmed on them (its stupid). Other than that, the new ones are pretty nice, but still worth checking out the competition.
@@Sashazur No major problems that I can think of. The 3.7 is a tank of an engine that just doesn't really die. Do 3,750 oil change interavls if your using conventional and 5,000 if you're using synthetic, do your spark plugs every 105,000 miles (that's the interval given by Infiniti), and your AWD service every 60k miles and it'll keep going and going. Same with transmission fluid (every 60k or 70k miles).
Only thing I can think is a heater core hose connection that starts to go bad and leaks coolant in the rear passenger side of the engine. Not too bad of a job to do but a little pain in the rear because of space.
I can't imagine actually taking out a loan for a used full-size luxury SUV. If you need something that big (doubtful, honestly), and don't have the money for it, you really shouldn't be buying something like that. There are much better options out there that will be easier on the wallet.
Good advice when you consider the terrible fuel economy on these beasts you almost need a loan just to keep gas in these things 😂
Yes there is, such as a light pickup truck. I have one and I love it more than the over sized SUV I had. It's nice having a truck...even if it's not a full sized one. They're nice. i love the one I bought...a 2024 Ranger and i use it like it's a mid sized SUV. I love it.
From the first car I ever bought, my father taught me to ALWAYS have it inspected. Every car I’ve bought (say for one) was used. Yes: when you find a couple of rejects - maybe more (like in today’s car economy): I felt like I spent a whole lot on numerous auto inspections. But the headaches, or deals on the negotiation, has saved me surprises and headaches later.
My auto tech is in NJ, but he’s worth every cent. His honesty is worth his price. Never had a bad diagnostic procedure. Never paid for work I didn’t need. Thank you for reminding us the value of a BPI!
When I worked at a major German car dealer in the Seattle area, we had numerous customers bring in late model expensive cars with a "Clean" Carfax, yet had obvious major previous crash damage. Apparently, these cars were (usually poorly) repaired out of the customer's pocket, and no report went to the insurance Co. A lot of them were lease cars previously. Beware!
I had a car inspected recently before even test driving it. I found out that the seller was trying to hide many issues like oil leaks by pressure washing under the hood, he somehow passed a smog check even though the scanner picked up an engine issue and the light engine was not on. I also found out the air bags did not work. The seller never mentioned any of it and was definitely trying to hide the issues in order to sell the car at a higher price. I turned down the car and left. Pre purchase inspections are a must.
My practice has been to buy vehicles new and then drive them till the vehicle wears completely out(to recover as much of the depreciation as possible). With the exception of one that was totaled by a rear end collision(the other guys fault), I have gotten over 200,000 miles each out of each one. I even got 170,000 miles out of the totaled one. With this, there is no worry about previous wrecks, etc. Now my 2017 white Nissan Frontier has the paint issue you mentioned. A deer ran in front of it last fall causing over $3000 in damage.
It’s difficult to have any sympathy for people who buy vehicles without any inspection. Most of the time you don’t get what you pay for. The Car Wizard is one in a thousand repair facility and people are very fortunate to have him in their community. I live in a small town and wished we had a facility like his.
Car wizard and Scotty k have taught me so much about cars. I have a car on its last leg, but I am doing due diligence on buying another car. Thank you for your time and effort making these videos.
Im with you on those charcoal canisters, my Outback has one that's clogged, everything is so rusty that there's no way to get it off without breaking all the bolts off and they're so expensive (and the car is 25 years old) that I just disconnected it so that the fuel filler works properly again.
Great video Mr. Wizard. Many clues tell us the story of a car, just like evidence at a crime scene. It takes exposure to spot the clues. A PPI can help the novice from making a big mistake. But many don't want to pay $200 to be told the car they were going to buy is fine; or pay $200 to be told to reject the car. Both are a waste of money in the eyes of most buyers.
And then if car is rejected you need to do that again with the next candidate
I had a friend that worked at a Nissan dealership and said that they would recommend a cvt service every 40k miles but the customers would always decline them. The best one was when a customer said he was an engineer and said that he was trying to rip him off, 2 months later he is in for transmission issues and was clearly butthurt.
Another option for the transmission and the missing/mismatched bolts. The pan was crushed in the accident and was replaced. I had a drunk hit my Corolla in 1999 and after it rolled it hit the ground hard enough to flatten the pans.
Or punctured, which could also be the source of the trans problem
I bet you could see if this car had rolled ;)
@@unhandled12345 i know you're being snarky. Plenty of pans have been flattened/punctured by running over parking islands, medians, road debris, etc. the roll over was my personal experience with it.
I’m happy to hear that things worked out for the buyer but as a suggestion and especially if you’re taking out alone on a used car and I say this from personal experience, always get a pre-purchase inspection. Number one it’s a nine-year-old car and anything can go wrong with it. I say that from personal experience I had a 2014 CRV that I bought a couple years back after my previous 2014 CRV got totaled and make a long story short and had Warren piston rings and was going to need a complete engine rebuild, however just before I got done paying off the car this one got totaled as well after an oncoming vehicle failed to yield the right of way to me at a busy intersection when they were making a left turn. Thankfully, nobody was hurting both cases except my pride and the cars themselves. And I was able to recuperate all the money I had invested into getting the car repaired throughout my ownership, plus the residual value of the car minus the remaining balance on the loan after insurance paid it off, but back to my point if you take out a loan on a car like this and you find out that it’s mechanically totaled that can get very messyfor you and the seller even if they did reimburse the buyer if they decide that they want to fix up the car and then sell it for a profit that can get very complicated to deal with if there’s any outstanding issues or liens on the title
Years ago, when I was young and dumb, I purchased a car from a well know Toyota dealership in Northern California. I test drove the car and fell in love with it. Big big mistake. The weasel dealership salesman would not let me take the car for a prepurchase inspection. Like a dummy I purchased anyway. Months later I started to have problems with the car. Turns out the car came from another state. It had been in a rear end collision. Which did not show up on the Carfax report. I learned some valuable lessons from my inexperience. Do not trust any car salesperson. Do not 100% trust a Carfax report. Do not purchase an out of state car. ALWAYS pay for a prepurchase INSPECTION. And never ever fall in love with a car. I gave the car away after the computer started to have problems. Thank God I had it for several years. Lesson learned. Now I am an ass when I buy a used car.
Pre-purchase inspection by a trusted mechanic. ALWAYS. If they won't let you do a pre-purchase inspection, run away as fast as you can.
Btw, the difference in the bumper color doesn't really show up on camera well except in the close-up. I'm sure it's much easier to see in person.
Now where do you get the trusted mechanic .....
Just had a customer get screwed on a 2013 Ford Explorer Sport with the 3.5 Ecoboost. 2 weeks after purchase it started pouring smoke out of the exhaust. 2 turbos, 2 front lower control arm assemblies, pass front CV shaft, PTU shaft seals, and front pads & rotors later it seams good for now.
I had a 2015 3.5 ecoboom that blew up. I swapped the engine and after a bit it started to make cam phaser rattle on start up, sold it for 15 thousand :D. Luckily the PTU was still going without a fluid swap and transmission was good as I changed oil in it every 30k.
@@RSProduction18 Those PTUs are as bad as the LS4 transmissions. Ticking time bomb
Someone tried to sell me a car with no oil in it, when I poured oil in it it smoked like hell
The Explorer Sport is back. Timing chain set, 4x Cam Phasers, 4x VVT solenoids, and a water pump. Did a fluid exchange on the PTU and that was some of the nastiest fluid I have ever seen and smelled
Yep. I bought a car and the owner only had liability insurance.
His daughter wrecked it.
Knocked off the front end.
Bought it for pennies on the dollar.
Nothing showed up on carfax since it was never turned into insurance.
Put a new front end on.
Sold it.
Went on a cruise.
Car is still running good 5 years later.
a 10 year old Nissan? not no, but "hell no!"
Depends on the model, xterras, frontiers are decent
my 2011 xterra still runds drives excellent with no issues but Cam sensors brakes and tires and oil - of counrse no crappy cvt
riikerman anything without cvt is usually good-
@@bikeman1x11Loved the look of the Xterra.
I still see a ton of Nissans from the 2000s all over Canada.
Lots of people talk trash about the JATCO CVT, but heck, this one drives and shifts great without fluid, AND after being wrecked, with an ill-fitting pan? Imagine how well it would work had it actually been taken care of? Which almost no one does (take care of them, that is) they just talk crap when they fail.
Be aware relying on a Carfax report. If major damage repair is done by a shop that doesn't belong or report to Carfax, it won't appear on a Carfax report. I bought a used RAV4 that had a "clean" report, only to find 5 years later that it had been wrecked. The shop that did the repair had recently started working with Carfax. I had no recourse for this unreported repair. Be careful!
Carfax is a scam
What "recourse" were you expecting on the purchase of a used vehicle made 5 years prior?
I hear you ,I bought 2007 CXS lucerne 2weeks later Transmission went out replaced with one with 36,000 miles 4000.00 ..then catch converter went another 500.00 now it says check suspension system? 1000.00 to 5000.00 depending on issue ..had catic converter fixed.engine light went off ...3 days later came back on .and has small oil.leak in main cylinder...what's next.??......But bought from a mechanic said she's in top running condition...145.000 miles now owed 2 yrs
@carwizard I thought sure you were going to say Buyer Protection Inspection!!!
Thank you, I seen a video about "Omega" it bought a tear to my eyes. When I bought my ZR1 in 2005 I did a PPL before purchase. I had ppl's done on 4 ZR1's and was told don't buy. One seller refuse to let their ZR1 get PPL. I don't care what anybody say, get a ppl it will save thousands of dollars. Mr.Wizard is right on. Nice video.
WOW, GREAT VIDEO WIZARD 😊
What wizard said is 100% correct, I have a 2014 pathfinder and replaced transmission, shortly thereafter (within 1000 miles) the next one caused problems, thankfully it was under warranty, just past 30,000 on the most recent one and got it serviced out of sheer paranoia
Car bumpers are often different colors because the bumper is typically made of plastic, while the rest of the car is made of metal. Paint applied to different materials will create a slight color variation because of the different surfaces. Plastic also expands differently than metal, so the paint on the bumper has to flex more, resulting in chemically different paint.
Thanks for these videos Wizard.
Great video for people who aren't 'car-folks' to explain just how complicated it is for a shop to price fixing a scam car.
Thanks for the info and helping the poor buyer out, she got her money back!! I was eyeing the NSX (95?) the whole time 😂
People think they are car experts because they drive one every day. 🤦♂️
Usually if you google the VIN and it was at a salvage auction it will show up- first easy and free step
Yup! 100%
I really love the acronym "BPI", it really makes it clear that the inspection is for BEFORE the purchase, I'm going to start using that
Problem is once I find a car I like my mechanic is usually scheduling 2 weeks out, sellers are not going to wait for u, and by then someone else will buy the car.
There are dozens of mechanics, check reviews. Find any reputable shop to check it out. I found like 5 in my area after looking for 2 minutes...
I retailed cars for many years. I totally agree with your before purchase inspection. Dealers often don't know what problems exist. I will say this: Nobody inspected one of our cars off our lot. On our lot, nobody put a wrench to our cars without one of our mechanics in attendance. We rarely bought cars at auctions. Hoovies' experiences is a good example of why auctions are referred to as "dog shows". Private party sales? Never without a before purchase inspection. With few exceptions, private sellers know or suspect something is bad. Few people willingly sell a good vehicle.
Want to learn what happens when you don't properly inspect a vehicle before purchasing, watch a couple Hoovie videos and learn from him.
When looking for a deal, you have to compete with other buyers. Someone else will buy it before you could even get an inspection.
@@jimmyboyles2868 That's fair.
My seasonal neighbor and great friend is buying a car to take to Vermont. The selling dealer brought it here yesterday and I was ready to give a top to bottom inspection. Cheap tires, cheap battery, cheap wipers, cheap filters.... Oh boy, not a great start. Only 73K miles and very, very clean (because detailers can hid a LOT!). The inspection ended when I removed the oil cap and it levitated on the blowby exiting the cam cover. This would have been a money pit.
Love to see more of that NSX!
Yep! I agree. 👀 over that vehicle before you buy it. And! Because i used to work at 3 dealerships long ago. Ask your salesman if you can get a technician there to raise the vehicle in the air so you can get a GOOD L.E.D. white light and look over the underneath the vehicle. Yes! The dealership is obligated to do so. Its the law.
Any chance you could do a video review of an eclipse 4g. Really would like to hear your take on those cars.
I haven't seen one of those since April 8th
Hi from 🇬🇧. I bought a MK1 focus RS some years ago, it pulled awfully under hard acceleration, had it tracked, reset nothing fixed it. Changed front tyres it was fine. Had mismatched front tyres. Must do on performance cars.
Buying an Infiniti is like buying a Nissan, dont.
Not “like” buying a Nissan… it is buying a Nissan
My son is always buying late model used cars but for sure he pays to have a 'BPI' done. That way no surprises! Great video Wizard!
The transmission shifter cable came on earlier JX35. Later on QX60 from 2016 came with shift solenoid not the transmission shifter cable. It is totaly different desing.
The car wizard is very knowledgeable. It’s always smart idea to get a pre purchase inspection so you don’t end up with a vehicle that may have a lot of issues. It’s well worth doing the pre purchase inspection first. Just because something looks good doesn’t mean it is . In this day and age can’t afford to lose money on a vehicle that may have some issues ect
100% truth preach it brother.
It's somewhat counterintuitive, but white is a very difficult color to match after collision damage. So many shades of white.
Hey wizard for Kenya 🇰🇪👍👍
Buying a used car is just buying someone else's problems as my father reminded me. Even so-called "certified used vehicles" can have serious problems.... not everything gets reported to Carfax.... people get wrecked cars fixed and never report it to insurance.