Do old cars KNOW that they’re about to be traded in?
I will present some strong evidence that they do. (The brand name has been omitted to protect an investigation!)
This summer, we decided it was time to trade in our nine-year-old sedan, which had provided excellent service, but was running out of time.
We looked for a small SUV among a number of dealers, and had two criteria: Could we easily store my folded walker in the trunk, leaving room for luggage? and, Could we easily enter and exit the vehicle?
Surprisingly, some models could not accept the walker at all, others only with great effort. Two small SUV models had plenty of room for the walker and for us drivers.
We made our decision, arranged the financing, but strange events started to happen: the old sedan suddenly had a dead battery, which had to be replaced for $140. Then, the very day we returned from visiting the winning dealer, we lost our brakes! (Thank you, AAA, for your rescues.) Repairs, and a three-day car rental: $800. (By the way, the dealer was allowing a trading value of ... $500!)
I’d be interested in hearing similar stories about old cars about to be traded.
We are now enjoying our new Honda CR-V.
Colin, I could write a book about some "weird things happening to older vehicles that were on the verge of being traded in. Alternators, batteries, brakes, exhaust systems, suspension parts (ball joints, sway bar links, etc.) ready to go just when trade in time arrives. Had someone I know have there battery & alternator go the day they were finalizing the price on a new car, and were on their way home with the negotiated price - very strange?!?!
ReplyDeleteHope you are enjoying the new ride, sorry I never had the chance to see you before you drove off. It's that darn work thing that always seems to get in the way.