Selling a “lemon” honestly

[Ranger850]

That's the problem with "Carfox". If no one reports it, it never happened. lol

 

[racsan]

Ive seen crap on carfox that was wrong too, my dads ‘96 big bronco had a few things listed that never happened. He bought it new , never took it to any repair places, did all his own oil changes & brake work.

 

[Ranger850]

I got in a fender bender on my '08 Corolla. Smashed the hood, PS fender, radiator and top Radiator support. No airbags deployed and steering didn't even need aligned. I fixed/replaced all the the bent/broken pieces and kept it moving. Never been into a shop, so it never got reported. I have no plans on getting rid of it, but IF I did, I'd have to paint the hood and Fender, besides that, ... they're not gonna know. I even replaced the hood and fender with color matching parts from the JY, but they were more faded than mine.

 

[09fx4guy]

Chapap- I know a relative of mine had a problem with a Volvo very similar to that.

If I remember correctly, the problem was fixed by the dealer as part of a repair campaign from a class action suit or something. There was some sort of manufacturing defect that the company agreed to fix. I would look into that on google or somewhere, especially if they are the original owner of the car. If you can get it fixed for free by the dealer, why not? Then you can sell it with a clear conscience.

 

[RonD]

Sell it AS IS
Include "engine uses oil, cause undetermined" because it IS undetermined, its not a weasel word

Even the mechanic couldn't say why its using oil, just guessing
Valve guide seals, would be my guess
Rings would be a stretch in my opinion, just leave dipstick out and start engine, if there is alot of blow-by out the dipstick tube that would point to ring issues
Turbo, should be a smell in the engine bay, I would think

As for the car flippers, that's not up to you
If you buy a used car/truck without an inspection then that's on you, the buyer
"There is a sucker born every minute, and two to con him"
"A fool and his money are soon parted"
"A fool and his money were lucky enough to get together in the first place"

These quotes are remember because they ring true

caveat emptor, latin for "let the buyer beware" this was first seen in print in 1600's but has been around alot longer
In my opinion it originated when people first started selling and buying, or trading
And its a Legal term, AS IS in a sales contract means there is no implied warranty, caveat emptor
Anything said verbally is off the table once a written contract is made

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I got in a fender bender on my '08 Corolla. Smashed the hood, PS fender, radiator and top Radiator support. No airbags deployed and steering didn't even need aligned. I fixed/replaced all the the bent/broken pieces and kept it moving. Never been into a shop, so it never got reported. I have no plans on getting rid of it, but IF I did, I'd have to paint the hood and Fender, besides that, ... they're not gonna know. I even replaced the hood and fender with color matching parts from the JY, but they were more faded than mine.

I would likely know, but it’s my job to notice things most people wouldn’t. I did watch a video where a guy took I think it was an RX-7 that was totaled, front and rear, he went through the trouble to do things right, to the point of replacing any wrinkled panel and spot welding it back in and painting like the factory. That is the sort of nightmare for those in my line of work because done right, there is no indications to tell you that any work has been done because everything looks factory. Literally. For better or worse, almost nobody goes through that sort of trouble though. The good news is that done that way, it’s likely as good as or better than factory.

 

[dvdswan]

Damn swedes...

 

[19Walt93]

This specific instance is a friends car, but the question is in general. I’d just feel bad if I sold a pos to a lot, then saw a top dollar sticker on it.

2015 volvo that’s consuming a quart every 1.5 months. No other symptoms. Mechanic determined warn piston ring and possible failing turbo compressor. Current plan is to keep feeding it oil.

Get a second opinion. It shouldn't be hard to determine what is actually causing the oil consumption and guessing a ring or "failing turbo compressor" makes no sense. To begin with, the turbo is the "compressor" and if it's "A" ring, the oil will only be burning in one cylinder and fouling one plug. It sounds like he's either guessing or incompetent.
By the way, a lemon is a vehicle that can not be fixed and every vehicle can be fixed by a qualified tech who doesn't give up.

 

[Chapap]

Get a second opinion. It shouldn't be hard to determine what is actually causing the oil consumption and guessing a ring or "failing turbo compressor" makes no sense. To begin with, the turbo is the "compressor" and if it's "A" ring, the oil will only be burning in one cylinder and fouling one plug. It sounds like he's either guessing or incompetent.
By the way, a lemon is a vehicle that can not be fixed and every vehicle can be fixed by a qualified tech who doesn't give up.

I have no idea about the problem, shop, or what was said. I just have the diagnosis as understood by the owner. It was communicated as follows: a bad ring is causing the oil consumption and something about a compressor (I then mentioned ac or turbo compressor and he said he thinks it was turbo related).

this was supposed to be a philosophical question but yall just couldn’t keep yourselves out of the example scenario lol

 

[19Walt93]

It would be simple to disclose an oil consumption problem to a buyer but it would shoot the value in the butt. Before I'd sell a car for 1/2 what it was worth, I'd want to know exactly what was wrong with it so I could make an intelligent decision. Shortly after high school, I bought a 66 Comet with a knock in the engine for peanuts, thinking I'd fix the engine and use it for a winter beater. Once I pulled the dent out of the oil pan the engine was fine and the seller thought I should give him more money because "his mechanic" had misdiagnosed it. I recommended he try to get some cash form "his mechanic".

 

[G8orFord]

+1 on getting a better idea of what exactly is wrong. A compression test would be a fairly cheap way to check the rings. My bet is the majority of the oil is paying through the turbo. A rebuild kit or replacement turbo may solve the whole problem. Just a guess though.

 

[09fx4guy]

If you guys want to jump down a rabbit hole, look up about the Volvo's burning oil online. (Spent 20 mins reading about it). It is a widespread problem that has been going on for Volvo owners of cars from about 2013-2017 I think. There was some design change that apparently was complete garbage.

At this point, I would just sell the car to a dealer / carvana / whatever. See what they offer, and if it's fair, take the money.

 

[ronclark]

This specific instance is a friends car, but the question is in general. I’d just feel bad if I sold a pos to a lot, then saw a top dollar sticker on it.

2015 volvo that’s consuming a quart every 1.5 months. No other symptoms. Mechanic determined warn piston ring and possible failing turbo compressor. Current plan is to keep feeding it oil.

How many miles on the car?
How many miles are they driving in that 1.5 months?

There is a lot going in a turbo car, and I have seen turbo dump lots of oil down the tailpipe.
My 740T wagon turbo when out and you know the old cartoons the cars blow donuts out the tailpipe. I wished I had a video of it, but on idle it would blow out donuts and lots of them. a trip to the junkyard for a turbo and it went away?

 

[broncc]

I sold my rotten 07 honestly. I listed it for $800 and got asking in this horrible covid market. The ad was honest. I had all the receipts for everything I did and I said it had rust. When asked about the rust, I pointed to the floor where it was soft and the holes in the exhaust. Really just point out the reason why you are selling it cheap in the ad and then answer any question the buyer asks in person honestly. Don't go on a tangent and reveal every little issue unprovoked.