2022 Sucks

[sandydandy]

2022 has been the worst year of my life when it comes to vehicles.

Some fuckers stole the catalytic converters off my work van last week. It's a 2005 Chevy Express cargo van. It happened last Wednesday overnight, and I discovered it Thursday afternoon when I was getting ready to do a delivery. I started up the van and it was explosively loud and vibrating hard. I called my mechanic in the next unit over and he told me it was the cats, and that one of my other neighbors in the complex also had his cut off. Fucking assholes. Next the long weekend came along so we couldn't do anything until yesterday and today.

Found out the cost for replacing them was going to be in excess of $1,000. Insurance said this vehicle did not have comprehensive coverage, so I (the company) would need to pay out of pocket. The other option was to put straight pipes - the legality of which was up in the air, but at least there was no further fear of cats being stolen again. Apparently this is happening everywhere and is like an epidemic now. So today the mechanic straight piped it and I drove it after and was almost suffocating because of the fumes. Holy shit it was bad. Came back from delivery and told the mechanic and he said just drive it for a few weeks and don't idle behind somebody's door. The smell was atrocious. If I can't tolerate it then I'm just going to absorb the extra cost and tell them to replace the cats. I can always park inside the shop every night to avoid having them stolen again.

Now my personal vehicles.

A couple of months ago my 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe needed to have its engine replaced. You read that right. Apparently this is a well known problem for 2013-2015 Santa Fe and related Kia SUVs. What an absolute disaster and embarrassment for Hyundai, as a company and as a brand. Car had only about 130K kms (81K miles) on it, but I had no warranty left. The engine didn't actually seize yet, but was well on it's way to that fate. Was knocking very hard. Something to do with a bearing fucking up inside. Engine block replacement was $7,000 which they didn't charge me for, and called it a "goodwill warranty" to keep me as a future customer. But I did have to pay about $1,600 for all the related components like pullies and belts and shit. Now I'm thinking of putting it on the market and taking what I can get for it.

My 2012 Acura TL has been a money pit since day one. I heavily regret buying this car, and it will be my last used car from a "mom and pop" type corner shop. If I do ever buy used again it will be from a dealer. Fucking thing has given me nothing but headaches since the very beginning (August of 2020). Early on I noticed it was eating gas like crazy. The fuel mileage was absolute shit - avg 14-15L/100kms, (translate that to about 15/16 mpg), which is terrible considering these cars are celebrated for their excellent fuel efficiency. Mechanic scanned it early on and said fuel was reading rich. I did everything and spent a fortune in less than two years trying to find the solution. Replaced everything from air filters to O2 sensors to the timing belt (which was normal scheduled maintenance), serpentine belt, cleaned MAF sensor, and to this day still can't figure it out. Recently the engine started making a whining/whistling sound, and my mechanic speculated it could be an air leak but was unable to trace it. Plus I'm starting to hear funny sounds from the transmission, and other generally weird noises. The two mechanics I mostly deal with locally have given up trying to figure this car out, and have been urging me for months to sell it while it still has value. In one final attempt at saving this car I decided to call up Acura and made an appointment to have them diagnose these issues. Conversation was going good via phone and email and they told me there would be a $160 diagnostic fee, which I agreed to. Appointment was all set for a few days away till they emailed me to clarify that it would be $160 PER issue. WTF??? That was the last straw for me as the costs had just gotten so absurd, and I cancelled the appointment.

I'm going to sell this fucking piece of shit in the next week or so. There's about 1.5 months of warranty left, (which is a huge selling point), and I can probably get a decent amount for it. With excessively rising fuel costs, (and having to put premium gas), it makes sense to get rid of this now. Maybe go back to a Honda Accord. I drove my old 2004 Accord for 16 years without any major incident. It never gulped gas like a greedy motherfucker and the engine never even once thought of quitting. I should've kept it. Oh well

I think I am going to get two new cars which will be strictly leases. That way when the problems start after 4/5 years, they will be someone else's problems.

I fucking hate 2022.

[dodint]

We're replacing the cats on our car for a different reason, it wasn't nearly that expensive. Ditch that Chevy and get something cheap, like our MINI. ;)

[sandydandy]

The Chevy is a work cargo van. The amounts are all in Canadian dollars so multiply by 0.75 or so.

[speedpimp]

Shit luck, me bruv. Sorry.

The one time I've had to have a cat replaced was on my '87 Toronado in '96. Fucker was so plugged it glowed red and melted the snow under the car. Cost was only $150 or so.

[dodint]

The Chevy is a work cargo van. The amounts are all in Canadian dollars so multiply by 0.75 or so.

Yes, was joke. The same one I use on Keith when something on his Chevy breaks.

This is coming from someone with a terminally ill Ford cargo van. ;)

[Cam]

Oof. :(

[George]

Wow. Rough times! I would have assumed an Acura would be as reliable as a Honda. Maybe all the extra high-tech stuff that Acura markets itself as having causes more trouble than it's worth.

[CudaMan]

Bad luck! Used cars can definitely be a crap shoot. With values for well used cars being higher now relative to new cars, it may make more sense to lease new in a case like yours (don't take my word though, I don't follow new car or leasing finances at all).

My parents had a car no mechanic could figure out. Traded it in on a new Camry and it has been relatively trouble free for 28 years. Except for the ECU that had to be replaced recently. And the axles that eat themselves regularly.

[MR2 Fan]

stupid question but are there generic cats that are cheaper and could fit?

[sandydandy]

Thanks guys for sharing in my grief. Looks like the mystery of the Acura whining problem has been solved. It was the alternator. Got much worse today during the drive home, (maybe as a response to this thread), as the warning came up saying “check charging system” and the whining turned to humming. I texted my mechanic when I got home and he confirmed. He’ll replace the alternator tomorrow at a cost of around $500. Luckily I believe this is covered under warranty. I’m almost 100% sure. Will check the policy in the morning.


stupid question but are there generic cats that are cheaper and could fit? I honestly wouldn’t know. My cousin recommended his mechanic who he absolutely trusts, so maybe I’ll ask him about the cats.

[Godson]

You should be able to get universal catalytic converters

[Crazed_Insanity]

Man, that sucks!

Anyway, yeah, get some cheap aftermarket converter. Should be better than straight pipe.

Heard a lot of stories about stolen CATs around my neighborhood too. Particularly on big trucks and hybrid cars.

Man, I also have a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe! However, US has 10yr/100k mile powertrain warranty though. I wonder why they don't do that for Canadians... Anyway, so far my engine is still good. Knock on wood. I think even if I do have the warranty, there's no guarantee Hyundai will have the parts if something goes down with my car... I also have a 2017 Kia as well with the same warranty. I'm hoping that my car will remain in good conditions before warranties expire in 2024 and 2027. Then I'll probably replace them and hope the car market will return to normal by then...

[neanderthal]

Hard luck chief.

I got... lucky. My 1995 E320 died when my Africa Twin refused to start. Same time that my wagon was aggressively marking its territory everywhere I parked. All this was back in February. So I bought a2013 BMW 535i. Love the car, hate the payment.


Today, decided Drive the wagon. Didnt give any grief or leave oil slicks everywhere. So I decided to try and start the bike. Again. It's refused to start since February. Darn thing started.

Rode it around just doing errands.


I'll be back on it tomorrow for my work commute. 50mpg with regular unleaded is better than 30 mpg with premium (BMW) or diesel (wagon.)

[TheBenior]

Yeah, I wouldn't get an OE catalytic converter for a vehicle that old, but we just have an OBD2 scan for emissions testing. I couldn't say how picky a sniffer test would be if using a cheaper ceramic cat.

Catalytic converter theft is big here; the thieves know that our policy doesn't let us chase them in their stolen cars with their stolen cats.

[sandydandy]

Ugh man. So I decided to cave and asked my other mechanic to install cats in the van. It'll be cheaper than the other guy - around $800. Been doing daily deliveries and the fumes are unbearable. I can even smell it while driving with the window open. I'm always afraid of getting pulled over. Plus my customer doesn't want me backing up to his door anymore so we have to load/unload the van in the lot, which is annoying. Mechanic has the parts but not the time yet. Hopefully he can get it done by the end of the week. I'll be parking the van inside the shop every night once it's done.

The Acura alternator situation was a shit-show from hell. When I last spoke about it the warning message was coming up. The next morning it started and I should've just taken my chances and driven it to work. Instead the mechanic told me to charge the battery first. So I boosted it with the other car and I think we shorted it out, so it was completely dead. Had to call a tow truck that morning. It took forever for the guy to come and when he did arrive it took forever for him to hook it up. Unbeknownst to me, an AWD car should be towed on a flatbed. This was a regular tow truck but he did have dollies to raise the rear wheels. He put the car in neutral and pulled the parking brake and attached the rear dollies. All was good and off we went. On the way another tow truck driver on the road started hailing him telling him that the car's rear wheels were touching the road. Apparently the dollies weren't tight enough and therefore my rear tires were only a couple of inches off the ground, and scraped the ground whenever the car bounced. After all was said and done this resulted in flat spots on the rear tires. Terrific. I can't even sue the tow truck company because I signed a waiver holding them harmless for any damage, prior to hooking it up. I knew something was off when it was taking the guy so long to hook it up (literally 45 minutes). I remember I asked him how long he was doing this job and he said "one month". So fuck they sent an inexperienced driver. I suppose I could complain to them and ask them to help contribute to buying new tires. At worst leave them a bad review.

Good news was the warranty covered the cost of the alternator but I had to pay for a new battery. Car definitely needs new tires though, it's a pretty rough drive. The front tires were already balding on the inside because I had neglected to do an alignment even once in my almost two years of ownership. I went to an alignment place and the guy was honest and told me don't waste money on this and get the tires changed first. The rear tires were good...until the tow, now they're fucked too.

Last week I put the car up for sale on Kijiji (our version of craigslist) and had a couple of inquiries but nobody serious yet. Might have to spend $40 or so to bump up the listing and get more visibility. I'll wait a little while and then start dropping the price. I was thinking if the tires are an issue for a prospective buyer then it can always be part of the negotiation. I'll put some cheap Chinese tires on there.

It's going to come down to what gives first - my desire for money, or my desire to get rid of this headache on wheels with a dark cloud over it. All I know is I want this car gone. :mad:

[Crazed_Insanity]

Hey hey hey, why you gotta dis chinese people like that? Why don't you put on some cheap indian tires! Or perhaps you have to be more PC and call it Covid tires or something. :p

Anyway, hope 2022 begins to blow for you soon...

[sandydandy]

I meant cheap as in cost. I had Chinese tires on my old Accord in its final few years and they were quality tires.

[Crazed_Insanity]

The more politically correct adjective would be better value or cost effective, not cheap! :p

Seriously, iphones are made in China. Can't really describe them as 'cheap'. ;)

Anyway, just messing with you. Hope you can get your sucky car issues under control soon...

[George]

I remember shopping for tires for my Accord as it got older, and older, and older. "I'll take four of your cheapest tires, my good man!

Tires from countries ending in stan seemed to last the longest. :cool:

[sandydandy]

Anyway, just messing with you. Hope you can get your sucky car issues under control soon... Thanks man, I hope so too. Hopefully this week. Been getting some offers on the TL but kinda low. I think they're used car dealers contacting me.


I remember shopping for tires for my Accord as it got older, and older, and older. "I'll take four of your cheapest tires, my good man!

Tires from countries ending in stan seemed to last the longest. :cool: My old Accord served me for 16 years, and in the first 8-10 years I would only get 'Genuine Honda" parts for everything from brakes to suspension components. Even tires were the expensive OE Michelins. Near the end of our time together I got more into the cheap aftermarket stuff, which I would have to replace every spring, (bushings, ball joints, control arms, etc), and eventually switched to Chinese tires.

[sandydandy]

Man it's so hard trying to sell a car. Too many people playing games. Too many lowball offers that keep getting lower after I agree to their first offer. Fuck's sake. Legit buyers make arrangements to come to see the car then don't show up. Got a guy coming tomorrow, hopefully he shows. Worst case I'll put new tires on for myself and just keep the car. Major problems appear to be dealt with, knock on wood.

Maybe I'll re-list it after a month or so. Such a pain in the arse. :mad:

[Crazed_Insanity]

I thought this would be a great time for selling cars…

[sandydandy]

So did I. :lol:

I made the mistake of negotiating with people online via the app's chat. Even my mechanic neighbor was telling me don't do that, it's a waste of time. Tell people what the price is and if they want to see the car then come by. That's it. Then negotiation can be done in person. It would weed out those who are jerking me around. Something I'll keep in mind when I list the Santa Fe, or if I re-list this one. Clearly some people are using multiple accounts to try to bid the price down. I have to avoid that trap.

Oh well, my first car selling experience. Gotta learn somehow.

[Leon]

Yep, don't start negotiating with people who haven't inspected the car.

[CudaMan]

I always like to have a phone call with prospective buyers (or a seller if I'm buying). And I hate talking on the phone. :lol: I just feel better being able to get some kind of impression of the individual I'm dealing with, plus if they're not willing to take a few minutes for a call they may not be someone I want to deal with anyways. Messaging is no substitute for real human conversation. [Cue rant about modern classified ad mediums that appeal to minimum effort and lowest common denominator]

[sandydandy]

Ugh man, this Acura TL is making my life a living hell.

Where did I last leave off? Oh yeah, trying to sell this car and dealing with people wasting my time. Nothing really eventful happened in the month of August. Was regularly getting inquiries which led to one guy showing up to test drive it. He passed on it. Fair enough.

September rolled around and more inquiries. Had one 20-year-old kid come by with a couple of his buddies last Monday the 5th. They took it for a drive and did extensive checks on it, inside and out. They liked it and made an offer that sounded reasonable. Might as well use some real numbers. I was first selling it for about $15K, hoping for an offer in the $12-13K range. Then I dropped the asking price to $14.5K, then 14K, and now recently as low as $13.8K. This offer was for $11.5K which, while not the greatest, was adequate enough for me to make a deal. So we agreed on the price and the kid said he needed me to sell it certified. I said no, it's selling as-is, but he insisted on certified for his peace of mind. During the week I spoke to both of my mechanics who flat out refused to do the safety on it. They told me the reality of the scams going around where a buyer demands you sell it certified, then after the sale they go to their own shady mechanic who then finds problems related to safety, and the certifying shop is liable and has to pay through the nose for like next six months. My mechanics had both been burned in the past and didn't want to engage in this type of thing again. I told the kid the reality of the situation and that the car needed to sell as-is, and that his own mechanic can do the safety and certify it after the sale. I told him I'll take the car to any mechanic of his choosing to get it certified, but only after he signs the bill of sale and I receive full money. He kept squirming and then tanked the price down to $10K, at which point I told him I wasn't interested anymore. Then he came up with a halfway solution. I take the car to his mechanic on Saturday so he can do an inspection, and if satisfied he'll buy the car as-is. I took it there yesterday afternoon, and the mechanic looked like a friend of his. The guy put it up on the hoist and gave it a detailed look. He found some minor issues, but nothing that would disqualify it from passing a safety test. I even asked him point blank: based on what he's seen, would this car pass safety? He said yes. I looked at the kid and said ok let's make the deal. Fucking kid kept squirming and STILL insisting that I sell it to him certified for his peace of mind. Uh hello, your own fucking mechanic just told you it would pass safety. If you can't trust your own mechanic then who are you going to trust? So I said ok let's do the safety now, since I was already there. Then the excuses came out, "oh he's busy for the rest of the evening, you find another mechanic to do the safety then I'll buy". I reiterated that that was not going to happen. I don't know 15 mechanics, and even if I did I guarantee none of them are going to do the safety. I asked him if he was still interested and he said no. I said let me know if you change your mind, and I left. Fucking waste of my afternoon yesterday. I had to drive across town to see his damn mechanic. Clearly his game was to go after my certifying shop after the deal, and get more repairs done for free. Just didn't want to do that to his own guy. Fucker.

So that leads to today. I had another buyer interested, a young 21-year-old girl. She came with her mother and they inspected the car and took it for a drive and loved it. They agreed on a price of $11K and had no issues with buying as-is, as they understood that they would take it to their own mechanic to get the safety done. I related the story of the previous guy to them, which perplexed them as much as it did me. They committed to the point of giving me $100 deposit in cash. I was happy. I gave her the maintenance history and a used vehicle information package from the government. All she wanted was the Carfax report, to which I said okay and absorbed the $45 or so cost for it. I went to my computer and bought the report and to my absolute horror saw THREE police reported accidents showing up. All in 2022, the last of which was August 24th. I was like what the fuck??? Plus it showed service records out of the state of Georgia in 2021. I haven't been to the US since 2014. This car hasn't been outside of Canada since I bought it, something seriously fucked up was going on. I shared this information with the girl and she was disappointed, as was her mother. I assured them that these incidents absolutely did not happen with this car under my ownership, and that I was going to get to the bottom of it. They had their father on speakerphone and he told me he believed me, but also that I needed to clear this up with Carfax before they bought the car. They gave me time to clear it up, and asked for a receipt for the $100 deposit. It was a conditional deposit, which would be returned if they didn't buy the car. I agreed to all that in writing. They left and I immediately emailed Carfax. Their automated email said it might take up to 7 days to get back to me. I'm going to look for their phone number and call them tomorrow to see if this can be investigated quickly. I did some digging around online and learned about VIN cloning, and I think my car is a victim of it.

So fucking close to selling and this happens. I swear this fucking car doesn't want to let me go. :mad: :mad: :mad:

[Cam]

Oof. :(

[FaultyMario]

VIN cloning

Man, oh man. WTH?

[sandydandy]

I am hoping this is a clerical error that can be removed quickly. FFS.

Found this online: What can you do when Carfax reports a crash that never happened on your car’s report? (https://ksltv.com/487878/what-can-you-do-when-carfax-reports-a-crash-in-your-cars-record-that-never-happened/)

[Crazed_Insanity]

I’m thankful for carmax so I never had to go thru what you went thru… they typically pay better than dealer trade in values… and I save a lot of hassles like that!

[sandydandy]

Still waiting on Carfax to get back to me. I called them on Wednesday and they assured me that their team was in contact with the data sources, and they should be getting back to me soon. I relayed this to the buyer and she is very patient. Said she's willing to wait until next week. So fingers crossed that everything works out.

So the Santa Fe is up next. I am not interested in the selling online game anymore, it's too exhausting. I think it's better to just trade it in. Made an appointment with a Hyundai dealership yesterday to get a value for it, and check out some 2022 Santa Fe or Palisade models to lease. They gave me a value for my car without even looking at it. Pretty much what I thought I would get if I sold it online. Then we wanted to test drive one of the new cars, and they literally had nothing on the lot. Nothing. They said it's a six month waiting period for most of their fleet, aside from the Tucson, which we don't like. The salesman told me about the inventory shortage issues related to the global supply chain issues, (which I still don't fully understand). I asked him how are you guys eating if you're not selling cars? He said it's tough but used car sales are keeping the lights on. Holy shit I didn't know it was that bad. That explains the generous value for my Santa Fe. So then we left and went down the street to Honda where I got an even higher valuation for the Santa Fe, (they actually looked at it). We were interested in the 2022 Pilot, and the salesman there reiterated what's going on in the auto industry with inventory shortages. He only had the Pilot Black edition on the lot, and let us test drive it. It was great. We came back in and crunched some numbers and he did the usual salesman pressure tactics and we left.

Inventory shortage notwithstanding, I think these people make the situation sound worse than it actually is. Maybe we'll go back this weekend to Honda to make the deal. If the vehicle is sold then it's our loss I guess. Not the end of the world. I'm sure the shortage problem will end soon, and we'll find a replacement for the Santa Fe eventually.

[Crazed_Insanity]

If you can sell extra cars that you don't really need to make some profit, great. However, best to hold off buying a car for as long as possible at this stage. Hopefully market will return to normal soon as the pandemic slowly goes away...

Maybe you should take the TL to the dealer and see how much they'd pay for it. ;)

When I took my Kia to service year ago, I could see their lot completely empty with nothing to sell. However, I do believe things are improving this year... the lot is probably quarter to almost half full. Prices are likely still elevated...

With rising interest rates, housing prices are going down, I'm sure auto prices will probably drop soon too?

[sandydandy]

I have checked the trade-in value for the TL and it's way lower than what this buyer is offering. It's two years older than the Santa Fe and has higher mileage.


aside from the Tucson, which we don't like. I should clarify that I do actually like the Tucson, but wife and kids don't. They want something bigger than the Santa Fe and the Tucson, while bigger than previous models, is about the same size as the Santa Fe so I am overruled. I love the Palisade but they hate it. They love the Pilot, and honestly I do too.

[Crazed_Insanity]

Pilot should be a solid vehicle. I don't like the Palisade too. Just looks too weird to me. Tuscon is kinda weird too, but somehow looks nice to me...

Anyway, have you guys looked at Kia Telluride? Same as the Palisade, but looks nicer I think. At least comparing sticker price, Kia is cheaper and has way more features compared to the Honda. However, everything is above sticker price nowadays. After all the markups, not sure how the price differences will pan out... Even ignoring comparing prices, I think Kia does look the best. In US, Kia has 10yr powertrain warranty, but I heard that's not the case in Canada? Anyway, it's these warranties that the Koreans have stolen my business away from Honda. ;)

Good luck car shopping... actually good luck with carfax... hope you can get rid of your TL successfully. :p

[neanderthal]

Still waiting on Carfax to get back to me. I called them on Wednesday and they assured me that their team was in contact with the data sources, and they should be getting back to me soon. I relayed this to the buyer and she is very patient. Said she's willing to wait until next week. So fingers crossed that everything works out.

So the Santa Fe is up next. I am not interested in the selling online game anymore, it's too exhausting. I think it's better to just trade it in. Made an appointment with a Hyundai dealership yesterday to get a value for it, and check out some 2022 Santa Fe or Palisade models to lease. They gave me a value for my car without even looking at it. Pretty much what I thought I would get if I sold it online. Then we wanted to test drive one of the new cars, and they literally had nothing on the lot. Nothing. They said it's a six month waiting period for most of their fleet, aside from the Tucson, which we don't like. The salesman told me about the inventory shortage issues related to the global supply chain issues, (which I still don't fully understand). I asked him how are you guys eating if you're not selling cars? He said it's tough but used car sales are keeping the lights on. Holy shit I didn't know it was that bad. That explains the generous value for my Santa Fe. So then we left and went down the street to Honda where I got an even higher valuation for the Santa Fe, (they actually looked at it). We were interested in the 2022 Pilot, and the salesman there reiterated what's going on in the auto industry with inventory shortages. He only had the Pilot Black edition on the lot, and let us test drive it. It was great. We came back in and crunched some numbers and he did the usual salesman pressure tactics and we left.

Inventory shortage notwithstanding, I think these people make the situation sound worse than it actually is. Maybe we'll go back this weekend to Honda to make the deal. If the vehicle is sold then it's our loss I guess. Not the end of the world. I'm sure the shortage problem will end soon, and we'll find a replacement for the Santa Fe eventually.

All of this, is true.

I had a customer who wanted a (Tesla) and had to buy his car at the end of the lease because they couldn't get him his car on time. He'd just come in to get the tires replaced, and got the notification that his car was coming up on the production schedule, 18 months after putting in the order.
I drive past several large dealerships on my way to and from work. Most of them have about 1/ 10th the inventory they had two or three years ago. Subaru. Honda. Ford. Chevy. Mazda. Audi. Chrysler/ Jeep. Even the Porsche dealership that is less than a year old is stocked mostly with used cars.

[sandydandy]

Yup the shortages are crazy. I went to another Honda dealership today and the salesman told me the situation is grim. They're not expecting things to return to normal until at least Q1 of 2024. Cars are assembled and ready at the plants, but are mostly waiting on specific computer chips from overseas.

I tried to make a deal for another Pilot today, and the wait time will only be a few weeks. But can't come to terms with the price yet. My grasp on the leasing formula is incomplete still. I used to know this stuff. Was actually a master of it. I relied heavily on this skill when I got my 2004 Accord, which was initially leased. That being said, I'll reacquaint myself with the formula this weekend and go back to that other Honda dealership I mentioned the other day and get that Pilot Black Edition. They actually have the car on the lot, which is rare. Great color too, Sonic Gray Pearl. We called them today to see if it was still available, and it was.

[Crazed_Insanity]

Unless it’s a special promo lease, chances are it will be more expensive than buying, regardless of which formula you use!

Even with those special deals, I still think it’d be better and cheaper to buy than lease.

Also, you have to remember, if China attacks Taiwan like Russia attacked Ukraine, you can rest assured that dealer lots will continue to remain empty for a while! So after your lease is up, you’re back to square one to either end up buying this car to praying you’ll be able to find another car to buy…

[sandydandy]

I'll be writing off the lease payments through my company, plus recouping the sales tax in the process, so leasing makes sense for me. Leasing in general makes as much sense as buying if you like switching cars every 4-5 years, whether you have a business or not. Your lease payments can be looked at as the depreciation of the vehicle, and your residual buyback value would be your selling price after x number of years. The longer the lease then the more it makes sense.

For example: you lease a $50,000 vehicle for five years with a residual value of say $20,000. If you bought it and sold it after five years, you'd probably still get close to $20,000. Of course leasing is slightly more expensive overall because of the "money factor" calculation, where you're paying interest on the value of the entire vehicle, and not just the lease portion. That's because you're using the whole vehicle. The annual miles/kms restrictions can be cumbersome to certain folks, but I'm more than comfortable with 20,000 kms a year, because we have two cars and our driving is split. That restriction could be looked at as a negative, but on the flipside after 4-5 years if the vehicle starts giving you trouble with excessive maintenance, then it's not your problem anymore.

Anyway, I was going to go to Honda tonight to make a deal on the Pilot, but I'm exhausted from work. I'll go tomorrow. Heard back from Carfax on Saturday telling me they are in touch with their data source and will contact me as soon as they hear back. I told the buyer that day and she's okay with waiting. Heard back from her again today and I think she's getting antsy. I really hope she doesn't pull the plug on our deal. That'll suck, big time. I thanked her for her patience and urged her to hang on for a few more days. She agreed. Fingers crossed I hear back from these fuckers sooner rather than later.

[Crazed_Insanity]

Oh yeah, didn’t think of tax write offs… I’d probably lease too if it can help reduce my taxes! :p

Anyway, hope things work out for you man!

[Crazed_Insanity]

Car market may be trending downward. Just received an email from the CA kia dealership where I bought my car informing me that now, we can actually 'pre-order' @ MSRP without markups!!! Wow! What a great deal!

Oh the good old days of PP(Pre-Pandemic) life, we use to think getting a car @ MSRP meant you were getting ripped off by the dealers! :p

[sandydandy]

Car market may be trending downward. Just received an email from the CA kia dealership where I bought my car informing me that now, we can actually 'pre-order' @ MSRP without markups!!! Wow! What a great deal!

Oh the good old days of PP(Pre-Pandemic) life, we use to think getting a car @ MSRP meant you were getting ripped off by the dealers! :p Yeah here the salesman said MSRP is the best price I can get. No negotiations. Basic supply and demand. Demand is high and supply is low. The days of low lease/finance rates are also gone for now.

[Phil_SS]

The good thing is that you get to order the exact car that you want with the options you want and color etc.

[Godson]

When I worked at the ford dealership, you could order the vehicle, and unless it was damaged in transit, it was your's in 8 weeks

[sandydandy]

Well things are finally turning around for the better. Last week I made a deal for the 2022 Honda Pilot Black Edition. Came to terms with the price, which was largely nonnegotiable, but it is what it is. Cleaning out the Santa Fe this weekend and getting it ready for trade-in. Will take delivery of the new car on Monday.

Carfax situation had a breakthrough on Friday. They emailed me back stating that a police department in Gwinnett County GA issued the collision reports, and that I needed to contact them to get those police reports and show that it was not my vehicle involved. I was like oh great, I have to do Carfax's job for them. I emailed them yesterday morning and they were quick to respond. An officer told me that my VIN was copied and used on a stolen car in their county, and that in a couple of days I can get the actual police report. I forwarded that email to Carfax, which I'm thinking should be sufficient enough to get them to remove those bogus accidents off my car's record. So far it hasn't been done, but they did remove two service records from GA, so this should follow. They'll really be dicks if they insist on getting the actual police reports, which could take an extra few days. I was really grateful to the police department in Gwinnett County, they were very fast and accommodating.

I relayed all of this to the buyer and she was happy. She said she was still interested, and I was relieved. Now just waiting on Carfax to do the right thing and issue me a clean report. Then I can finally proceed with the sale of this car.

[samoht]

Great !

I had a bit of an issue selling the RX-7 when I found out just how rusty it was, but my buyer hung on and came and bought it as agreed a few days after it came back from the bodyshop. Hopefully your buyer will be similar :)

[Crazed_Insanity]

Sounds like everything’s gonna be okay! Fingers crossed! ;)

I’d still try to cut a deal with the dealer to see if you can help curb inflation a bit by lowering the price! :D sounds like that black edition has been sitting around for a while…

[neanderthal]

Continuing saga with my back.
Had a procedure (discogram) done to it a few weeks ago. It's a diagnostic tool for determining exactly where is the source of your pain. (quick recap. Rear ended on my motorcycle while waiting at a red light in Feb 2019. No gruesome injuries, but L4 and L5 in my lower spine were ruptured and have no fluid.)

What ever they did (they put you under, but, while under, you're somehow lucid enough to answer questions about your pain level as they inject whatever it is into your discs. Next level witchcraftery in my opinion. How am I simultaneously unconscious, but lucid?!?!?!?!) it gave me a reprieve for the first time in this entire debacle. First time I wasn't feeling like I had a weight pushing down on my back!

I resumed, carefully, my physical therapy, walking my apartment complex at night, and doing stairs before breakfast. Lost 5lbs. Observed my blood pressure go from bloody high to high but in the range of the high side of normal.

Then, it started again. Short sharp pains in my back today. Thought it was because I was upright, I was watching rugby. Went to bed and no pains. OK. It only happens when you're ... nope. Even lying down I got short sharp pains in my back.

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!! :sadbanana:

I'm trying hard not to let it get to me or get me depressed but it's ... not working. I was supposed to go hang out and be actively social- no, i've been home crying.

You'll excuse me if i'm not online much going forward.
Thanks

[Crazed_Insanity]

Dude, I know we disagree much, but when we pray, if 2 or 3 agrees, then God shall let it be done! So hope you, or anyone else, will agree with me of the following:

May Heavenly Father bless you and keep you.
May Lord Jesus turn his face toward you and give gracious healing to you.
May Holy Spirit fill your heart and give you mo faith, mo hope, mo love and mo peace.

I pray I’m Jesus’ name.

[sandydandy]

Sounds like everything’s gonna be okay! Fingers crossed! ;)

I’d still try to cut a deal with the dealer to see if you can help curb inflation a bit by lowering the price! :D sounds like that black edition has been sitting around for a while… The Pilot Black was actually sitting on the lot for a while. The salesman said they had to cancel the previous deal because the buyer's credit was fucked.

Sorry Mo for your pain and troubles. :(

I really hope you get well soon.

[Godson]

Continuing saga with my back.
Had a procedure (discogram) done to it a few weeks ago. It's a diagnostic tool for determining exactly where is the source of your pain. (quick recap. Rear ended on my motorcycle while waiting at a red light in Feb 2019. No gruesome injuries, but L4 and L5 in my lower spine were ruptured and have no fluid.)

What ever they did (they put you under, but, while under, you're somehow lucid enough to answer questions about your pain level as they inject whatever it is into your discs. Next level witchcraftery in my opinion. How am I simultaneously unconscious, but lucid?!?!?!?!) it gave me a reprieve for the first time in this entire debacle. First time I wasn't feeling like I had a weight pushing down on my back!

I resumed, carefully, my physical therapy, walking my apartment complex at night, and doing stairs before breakfast. Lost 5lbs. Observed my blood pressure go from bloody high to high but in the range of the high side of normal.

Then, it started again. Short sharp pains in my back today. Thought it was because I was upright, I was watching rugby. Went to bed and no pains. OK. It only happens when you're ... nope. Even lying down I got short sharp pains in my back.

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!! :sadbanana:

I'm trying hard not to let it get to me or get me depressed but it's ... not working. I was supposed to go hang out and be actively social- no, i've been home crying.

You'll excuse me if i'm not online much going forward.
Thanks

It's called conscious sedation.

It's pretty cool stuff to see in person.

[Phil_SS]

Is that the same thing they use during sedation dentistry?

[George]

Best wishes, Mo.

[Godson]

Nope. Well... Not exactly.

[sandydandy]

Got the Pilot. Love it! Will take some pictures when the sun actually comes out. It's been rainy and gloomy here since Monday.

Carfax situation continues to crawl along. Still no update to my report. I'm going to ask the buyer to just buy and trust that the report will be fixed, because I have no clue when these idiots are going to do it. They have all the information they need from me. If she doesn't agree then I'm going to sell it to another buyer. I have another guy offering $1,000 more but putting him on hold because this girl gave me a deposit. I'm thinking of asking her to match his offer.

[Crazed_Insanity]

She put a deposit on it! You can't just jack up the price on her now?!?!?!? :p

If she insists on waiting for carfax, then you can refund her deposit and sell it for $1000 more! :)

Congrats and we'll see your Black Pilot later!

[Phil_SS]

I agree with Billi. You took a deposit for an agreed price. But she wanted the carfax to be updated. You should go back to her and agree to give her the information and contacts for the carfax update. And that you have been fortunate to find a new car and that you need to move on. If she is unsure and is hesitant to still buy without the carfax update. Then I would tell her that you are going to refund her deposit and put the car back on the market.

[sandydandy]

Ok fine you guys are right. I'm going to talk to her this weekend and ask her to complete the transaction, trusting that the Carfax stuff will be resolved. If she doesn't want to do that then I'll refund her deposit. I spoke with Carfax yesterday and they said it's still ongoing, and that it may take another week or so. They have certain guidelines and procedures that they're not allowed to deviate from. It's not as easy as looking at the obvious (which I've shown them) and then striking the accidents off my report. They have to do their due diligence and follow their procedure, then in the end they'll clear the report. It's all a bunch of horseshit.

[Crazed_Insanity]

I can understand people's identities got stolen and misrepresented in credit reports, but carfax doesn't do its due diligence when it comes to adding stuff in their reports? I really don't understand how that can happen. Each car has a specific owner, how can a report be made without owners knowing about it? Perhaps your insurance knows too? That you crashed your car and secretly jack up your rate?

Makes me wonder that a clean carfax report probably means nothing if a seller knows how to fake this kinda things?

I hope they'll figure out exactly who input this bogus data and do better job in the future.

[JoshInKC]

Car market may be trending downward. Just received an email from the CA kia dealership where I bought my car informing me that now, we can actually 'pre-order' @ MSRP without markups!!! Wow! What a great deal!

Oh the good old days of PP(Pre-Pandemic) life, we use to think getting a car @ MSRP meant you were getting ripped off by the dealers! :p

Yeah, when Melissa and I bought our outback early last spring it was apparently the last possible moment to pay < MSRP and have pretty decent supply and selection at dealerships. Glad we did it then.

[JoshInKC]

Continuing saga with my back.
Had a procedure (discogram) done to it a few weeks ago. It's a diagnostic tool for determining exactly where is the source of your pain. (quick recap. Rear ended on my motorcycle while waiting at a red light in Feb 2019. No gruesome injuries, but L4 and L5 in my lower spine were ruptured and have no fluid.)

What ever they did (they put you under, but, while under, you're somehow lucid enough to answer questions about your pain level as they inject whatever it is into your discs. Next level witchcraftery in my opinion. How am I simultaneously unconscious, but lucid?!?!?!?!)
My wife had those drugs for an outpatient procedure a couple of years ago. When they wheeled her out of the operating theater the nurses told me that she had been very funny for the entire time under the knife. The downside was that when I went to get the car from the parking garage, they gave her all of the post-op instructions and prescriptions. When I got back I asked if there was anything I needed to know and the nurse said "Nope, you should be all good - here's the sheet of instructions." Not mentioning the fact that there were 3 prescriptions and 2 more sheets of instructions in her purse. We didn't figure it out until the next morning - Apparently they'd told her all this and told her the instructions while she was lucid, but the drugs wiped her memory out and they didn't think to tell the un-zonked one of us(me).


[...]
FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!! :sadbanana:

I'm trying hard not to let it get to me or get me depressed but it's ... not working. I was supposed to go hang out and be actively social- no, i've been home crying.

You'll excuse me if i'm not online much going forward.
Thanks
That's fucking rough - I did something stupid to my neck/shoulder (sleeping or something equally dangerous like that for those of us past our 20s) about 2.5 weeks ago - it's been bugging me and varying levels of pain since - But I had a full day of it being utterly excruciating every time I moved any part of my body or even when I was laying still. I wish you the best of luck in dealing with that horrible bullshit.

[sandydandy]

I am running out of patience with Carfax. The whole week passed by and we haven't moved an inch towards resolving the issue. I gave them a verbal lashing in my latest email response to them. They are completely useless. I reached out to the buyer and asked her to buy this week or I have to pull the plug on the deal. I have several other people contacting me for this car. I'm waiting for her response, and hope she buys this week.

BTW, I uploaded pics of my new 2022 Pilot in the Garage. Check it out.

[sandydandy]

Finally.

TL Carfax report is clear. It was such a stressful situation that was driving me insane. I contacted the police department in GA for the police report and just like before they were very accommodating. I have nothing but good things to say about them. They emailed me a very detailed report indicating that my VIN was printed on a piece of paper and glued onto the car that was actually involved in these accidents. Apparently the officer had to go to a salvage yard in the Atlanta area to find the vehicle, as it was totaled. Its true VIN was revealed underneath, and this was a 2009 TL. Mine is a 2012.

I sent the report to Carfax yesterday and today they sent me the link for the new clean report. I contacted the buyer and just waiting for her to give me her email address so I can send her the report. Next we'll talk about making arrangements to complete the sale. This is a long weekend for us (Thanksgiving on Monday) so it'll be hard to do it. Plus there's a new delay now, my mechanic removed one of the tire pressure sensors because it was leaking air and temporarily replaced it with a regular valve. He was supposed to install a new one today but the guy was unreachable. This has caused a warning light to show up, as the other sensors have gone offline. Hopefully he gets this done by Tuesday so I can complete this sale by Wed/Thurs. Will slowly begin cleaning out the car this weekend.

Such a relief that this Carfax shit is over.

[Crazed_Insanity]

The situation is just weird. Why would they glue your vin on their car? Possibly because that TL was already a salvage vehicle? Plus making the car instantly newer by a few years could increase its value?

However, DMV cannot tell that there are 2 vehicles with the same vin? Or I guess US and CAN don’t really talk to each other? Cars with the same vin could exist in every country around the world and owners wouldn’t know it? Wish carfax could do a better job monitoring these vehicles…

Anyway, glad the nightmare is over.

[Godson]

It's not hard to do if the person checking the vin for an inspection isnt diligent on certain aspects.

[sandydandy]

Well it’s finally done, TL is sold. I delivered it to the girl’s mechanic this morning and she met me there. The plan was to take it there so she could get the safety test done and then go register the car. My plan was to get paid first before any mechanic touched it, and was rehearsing this line all the way there. I was afraid her father would be with her and insisting on getting the safety done first before completing the deal. My anxiety was unnecessary as she was alone in the parking lot and met me right away and immediately pulled out the bank draft from her purse. I was relieved. I took the payment, filled out the bill of sale and we both signed it, gave her the ownership slip and took my plates off. She sat in the driver’s seat fiddling around with the car as she waited for mechanic to open. I waited for my son to pick me up, and when he did we said our final thanks and goodbyes and good lucks. We went straight to the bank and I deposited the draft. Then on the way to work I dreaded receiving a text from her saying the vehicle didn’t pass safety and that she wanted her money back. Had to wait anxiously for a few hours. Around 1:00 she texted me elated that everything went well and thanked me wholeheartedly. I wished her well and good enjoyment with the car.

Now in the evening I’m feeling a little sad. I don’t miss the car per se, well maybe a little bit. The headache and heartache it brought me far outweighed any enjoyment I got out of it in two years, but I generally really enjoyed driving it when it was healthy. I’m more sad that I never could figure out its problem. The underlying issue I mentioned way back in the first post of this thread about how it was just eating too much gas and fuel was reading rich. I wish it didn’t have to come to this, you know to selling it to get away from its problems. I really wanted this car to work and to keep it for at least 5-7 years, but I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.

Life goes on, I’ll get over it. :|

[speedpimp]

Sorry, bruv. Maybe a nice Camry or Avalon?

[Crazed_Insanity]

Yep, life goes on, you’ll get over it with you’re newly leased cars… :p

[sandydandy]

Sorry, bruv. Maybe a nice Camry or Avalon? Nah bruv, we're thinking a TLX. Looking at 2019s that are coming back from lease. Why Acura again after this brutal experience with the TL? Because I believe my car was an anomaly, and still trust the Honda/Acura name. Plus mine was an 8-year-old car when I got it back in 2020, ten years old at the time of selling. A 2019 TLX is only a few years old, and (hopefully) many years away from serious maintenance issues.

Targeting primarily the A-Spec models, hopefully we can get something in white.

So you may think I'm some super-rich guy who can get a brand new top of the line Pilot, plus a newer TLX. Actually my dad will be buying it as a gift for my son. A few months ago he started bugging my son about buying him a car, and we never really took him seriously. I had originally planned to get another Accord a few years old, and just put it on my line of credit. Turns out my dad is serious...and no complaints here. It'll save me a lot of money, which is something I really need. My dad's retired and has money to spare, and even wanted to look at BMW's and Mercedes models. We told him it's not necessary to go that high. Insurance will be hefty and those cars need premium fuel. The TL also required premium, and it hurt like hell at the pump. Newer Acura models don't require premium anymore, 87 octane is sufficient, (aside from the NSX and probably the new TLX Type S).

So in September they started going to dealerships to find 2018/2019/2020 TLX's, and we missed out on a lot of good ones because the TL's sale was being held up due to the Carfax shit. But no problem, it's not like they're all going to disappear. We'll find one eventually. They went to a dealership yesterday and took one out for a drive that they really liked, but upon returning the salesman told them it was sold. That sucked, but they'll go again to another place on Monday.

In the meantime I'm driving the beat up old van home every day since Wednesday when the TL was sold. I don't mind it in the interim. On Friday my mechanic finally installed the catalytic converters, which was a huge relief.

So all the elements of 2022 suckage have been resolved:

Santa Fe - check.
TL - check.
Van's cats - check.

It's probably about time to start winding down this thread, I guess. Once we get the TLX I'll post it in the Garage.

[Crazed_Insanity]

2019 should be a safe year for TLX. 2018 may be riskier... So it might be good to miss out on the 2018 TLX! :p
https://www.copilotsearch.com/posts/acura-tlx-years-to-avoid/

Anyway, you definitely had the worst luck earlier... Stolen cat... my 2014 Santa Fe still works just fine... :p

Better luck next time man!

[Phil_SS]

Nice to hear your Carfax escapade is resolved. :up:

[George]

:up:

[sandydandy]

Finally got a replacement for the TL. A white 2019 TLX A-spec with very low kms. Got it a couple of weeks ago actually, but haven't had a chance to take pictures because it's been dark and gloomy here as it's getting colder. Will snap a few pics and post in the Garage this weekend. 290hp which is 15 less than the TL but the car feels faster and much more solid. I've driven it only a handful of times. My son is mostly driving it to and from university, and then out with his friends and girlfriend.

The car is in my name for insurance purposes, but once my son turns 25 then I'll put it in his name so it really feels like it's his. I'm paying the insurance on it, of course. He said he feels spoiled, but he's his grandpa's only grandson. Plus he said he wants to start chipping in for his share of the insurance once he gets a job, (he's currently a 3rd year student). No complaints here. Broker told me to absolutely NOT put the car in his name until he's 25, because they discriminate heavily against young males. Despite my 2018 DUI, my insurance has dropped significantly, and I'm told it'll drop even more after January when the license suspension finally falls off my record. I can finally go back to standard rates, which is great.

[Crazed_Insanity]

What a great dad! I remember the days I was before 25… Could only afford insurance of low HP subcompacts… that’s why I drove my 70HP Civic for a long long time… of course my dad still paid for me while I was in college, but wish I had a dad like you who’d get be a better car! ;) But then again, for sure you’d spoil me! :p