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I'm looking to buy a second car on a budget (preferably a Prius C or V), and I found a really nice little Prius C for $9,100 at CarLotz, which allegedly sells privately owned vehicles on consignment. Mileage is 90,500 which is good.
Here's the problem. The Carfax report shows that the oil wasn't changed until 30,000 miles, and not again until 49,000 and then again when CarLotz got it (at 91,000). Three oil changes in 90,000 miles.
I even called the dealer where the service was done, gave them the VIN and they said that the car was brought in at 10,000 mile intervals, but no oil change was done until 30,000 miles.
I understand that if the guy did it in his backyard, it's not going to show on CarFax, but most dealerships offer free oil changes.
Is CarFax accurate when it comes to maintenance on new cars? I had a CarFax done on my older Camry and every detail was right there.
This worries me too: The ownership chain (on CarFax) shows that the Prius was recently purchased at auction, and then taken up to CarLotz. So is this some POS auction car?
Pop the oil fill cap and shine a flashlight inside. You should be able to see the valves lifters can area. Is it clean or full of stuff that looks like mud?
Auctions aren't a red flag generally. Dealers will often move cars that don't fit their profile or were lease returned, or that they just want to move, and they're dealer auctions, not insurance recovery auctions.
Carfax is worth what the dealer puts into in as far as information. Don't forget too, it's a hybrid. 30K miles isn't really 30K miles, since 1/3 to 1/2 of that will have been electric.
All that aside, 9100 for a Prius with nearly 100K miles is nuts. Heck I bought my 2017 C-Max Hybrid brand new for under 17K.
Im no expert, but I do know that many independent shops do not report to Carfax. (I go to the local independent shops for oil changes, since the dealer is a much longer drive). Of course owners who change their oil will not show up either. Also, auctions don’t necessarily mean the car isn’t a good car. I would definitely have a mechanic check the car out. Priuses tend to be at the top of the reliability lists.
Probably 30% of the maintenance and repairs I've had done on my 4Runner were apparently not submitted to Carfax. Keeping receipts for work done still has a purpose I guess.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Originally Posted by SullyinOhio
Im no expert, but I do know that many independent shops do not report to Carfax. (I go to the local independent shops for oil changes, since the dealer is a much longer drive). Of course owners who change their oil will not show up either. Also, auctions don’t necessarily mean the car isn’t a good car. I would definitely have a mechanic check the car out. Priuses tend to be at the top of the reliability lists.
That’s right, they may have gone to Jiffy Lube, Walmart, a tire or muffler shop or a gas station, and usually only dealers report. Without documentation there is no way to know, so it’s a gamble. As for the auction, that is very common for a dealer when they get an older high mileage car, and have no room with all of the lease returns. It means nothing. Did you check KBb, NADA and other sites for what they are selling for? Looking up KBB values, a 2012 in good condition is at about $7,500 and average is 85,000 miles on it.
I've decided to go with a different car. Found a 2016 Prius C "Two" at a local dealership with 22,000 miles and a good price (although about $3,500 more than the high mileage 2012).
Still, for an extra $3,500, I get a car with remaining manufacturer's warranty, low miles, lots of life, excellent condition (like new) all all of that has a lot of value.
And the 2016 (which I am picking up on Tuesday) has a clean CarFax.
I rarely use Carfax anymore because it is inaccurate. My Ram shows no oil changes according to Carfax, but it has been changed religiously. Carfax also reports my truck with structural damage (because I had a gooseneck hitch installed to the frame) which is grossly inaccurate. I'd prefer an independent inspection myself.
Im no expert, but I do know that many independent shops do not report to Carfax. (I go to the local independent shops for oil changes, since the dealer is a much longer drive). Of course owners who change their oil will not show up either. Also, auctions don’t necessarily mean the car isn’t a good car. I would definitely have a mechanic check the car out. Priuses tend to be at the top of the reliability lists.
Not all dealerships report to Carfax either.
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