Manufacturer Buyback, I need some advice.. Options

[Jen]

I have been driving my mother's Avalon for the past 5 months. She now wants it back, and I am forced to trade in the Z. =(

However, the car I am very interested in purchasing is a manufacturer buyback. Which is in short, a car that was bought back from the consumer because there was something wrong with it that could not be fixed after 3 times. The problem on this car was a mechanical problem.. in which they ended up replacing the entire engine. It has a 12 month, 12k mile factory warranty on it. I have the option of buying an extended warranty if I choose to.

I've been doing some research and some people are saying stay away, as others are saying it's an excellent deal. But I could run into problems if I were to trade this car in further down the road.

I'd really like some input on this.

It is a very good deal from a prestigious dealership that only sells exotic and luxury cars. According to them most of their lot is manufacturer buybacks.

This is the best price I could find for this type of vehicle with low miles. Most of the ones in my price range have very high mileage.

Advice, comments, questions? Help? I didn't know where else I could turn. =)

Edit: This has all been documented, and the carfax is completely clean except for this.

This post has been edited by Jen: Mar 29, 2010 - 8:56 PM

[CAMAricer]

NVM, saw the note about the warranty....

Can't tell if it's a deal without knowing the price, but let's put it this way...

How much is peace of mind worth to you? Do you have a back up car if something does go wrong with this one? Are you the least bit mechanically inclined?

Prices for cars will always drop, a good deal will always come along. You're in a bind because you need a car soon so that affects this situation, but if that weren't the case, I'd pass and find a private seller. And possibly selling the Z to a private buyer (you'll get more $$ that way too).

Personally I wouldn't have a problem buying this car if it truly was an exceptional deal. Heck, I just bought a salvaged car. But I'm the type not spooked by problems that may arise. Also, if you are worried about the future trade-in value of this car, then I'd skip it. Looks like you already have that notion in your head, and selling any car with any sort of problem is a headache.

If you are having doubts about buying this car, what would a dealer say to you when you try to sell/trade it in later? Just shows you how hard it is to sell a car with "baggage."

This post has been edited by CAMAricer: Mar 30, 2010 - 2:19 AM

[saleeka]

selling any car with any sort of problem is a headache.

/\ Agreed. Any amount of money you save initially on this purchase will likely turn into a sizeable loss if/when you try to sell the car again. Do you plan on owning the thing until you drive it into the ground?