Serious problems found by the CAR WIZARD on customer's 'perfect' new purchase '08 VW Jetta!

[@keithbrookshire]

How likely is it the client busted the intercooler after they purchased the car? Surely they would have noticed it not building boost and running poorly on the test drive.

[@ingresswizard9044]

Exactly, It looked like the damage underneath was fairly recently. No way this car didn't have codes if it was already damaged.

[@connor3288]

Yes people lie to mechanics all the time. Who knows the whole story... "It just started doing it yesterday!"

[@andreoliveira9318]

It's true, there's no way, they don't notice these problems, it's impossible for these fans not to be vibrating hard.

[@dbh1cibai]

Maybe they didn't even test drive it

[@volvo09]

Yeah, unless that hole in the intercooler closed up pretty well, that would even idle like shit. All that air getting pushed out, which the maf sensor is seeing breathed in that isn't actually going into running the engine. Sorta looks like they slid off the road? Maybe in snow or ice? But I don't know for sure. It is a bit of an odd story.

[@18t4motion]

I'm leaning toward the customer having run over something, after purchase, to cause that damage. The bumper is visibly damaged. It wouldn't have run right from the get go on the lot with that hole in the intercooler.. and that interior door card is very standard for a mk5. I'm more surprised the headliner isn't sagging. That missing rear muffler and tip is the only thing that might be attributable to the dealer..

[@pope406]

maybe that´s why he didn´t bring it to the dealer

[@johnnicol8598]

Entirely possible. Honest people are few and far these days.

[@AlwaysBeSmart674]

Right I agree the wizard is being dramatic about this the rad fans and intercool would like 300 for the parts and are easy to put in. An exhaust shop could weld on a muffler for $100 and then the car is in perfect condition mechanically. And if you didn’t take 5 mins to look under the thing you’re about to spend 1000s on to see if a quarter of the front bumper is missing that’s just dumb and lazy.

[@georgevavoulis4758]

Maybe somebody tried to steel the catalytic converter for the platinum

[@automotivetv9861]

@@AlwaysBeSmart674 Yea the wizard is allways over reacting

[@thomasdemooka4341]

I have a good friend that's been in your business for 27 years Wizard. ANY vehicle I consider buying goes to him first without exception. Needless to say, I've never has an issue with one single vehicle I purchased, and yes, I've given an absolute NO WAY on several vehicles that had hidden/undisclosed issues. I trust NO ONE but my personal mechanic.

[@1983dmd]

What I still can't understand is how many cars are bought on Bring A Trailer without any inspection !!!! This baffles me....

[@Mortonbmx]

You're extremely lucky. Even the best mechanics cant forsee a problem that hasn't arisen yet, and many can as soon as you buy the car. Problem is some cars sit for a long time and as soon as you start using them regularly issues can appear that no one could have predicted.

[@georgevavoulis4758]

I agree 100% . If I am going to buy ANY car I am going with somebody like Mr.Car Wizard or else I am staying home

[@hirolla2927]

By a Toyota or a honda

[@vw5056]

@@hirolla2927 Toyota and Honda never need a pre-purchase inspection. You're guaranteed to get an absolutely perfect car that will require nothing but oil changes and brake pads for twenty years.

[@jamiespinks3657]

I strongly suspect the bumper & intercooler damage was done by the new owners or someone they lent the car to, as they would have surely noticed it driving poorly from the moment they left the dealership if it already had a punctured intercooler. This would likely explain why they didn't complain to the dealer and insist that they fix it.

[@jwalster9412]

Or you know, the dealer looked at it, found the hole on the intercooler, and added just enough duct tape for it not to be noticed, until the car was up to temp. Also from the outside, if the car was lower than the average price, you probably wouldn't think to much of the missing "trim" price. The exhaust one, you think would be obvious though.

[@clifbradley]

@@jwalster9412 I agree. That intercooler was taped up. Surprised it was covered in rtv, then taped. The muffler and interior I don't know how you miss. If the dealership refuses to give you the opportunity to do a price or they try that 'Well I got a buyer that saw it yesterday and had his mechanic do the ppf and he's talking about coming to get it today. So if you can get your mechanic here or get it in like now, I can let you do it, otherwise I got to get it to detailing so they can get it fully ready for the guy to pick up in a few hours. I mean his mechanic had it, he knows us well, he looked at it and said it was all good. And you know this guy is buying it for his son who just had a baby. So I really can't tell him to wait, but I can tell him he waited too long to decide, must like you are doing!' I've seen all variations of that play out. And that's what they do. Or they claim some 172 point inspection and 12 of those were the AC/ Heat worked in all blower settings along with vents.

[@cars4life458]

I don’t know about that

[@cars4life458]

I don’t think the owner could do anything if the car is barely running 🤔🤔

[@dintyshideaway9505]

The cabin map light being abnormally worn like that is a sure sign that this was used as a delivery or service vehicle. Adnormally worn bolsters are also a sign of this.

[@georgevavoulis4758]

Thanks for the tip . I can't figure out why the car had those 2 interior issues?

[@riccochet704]

Or the person used some of petroleum based hand lotion. I've seen where people that use a lot of lotion whatever is in it will wear down switches, steering wheel, door pulls, arm rests.

[@xavierramirez330]

Nah. This is normal wear for volkdwagen. Everything in interior is normal vw shitty wear

[@agenericaccount3935]

@@xavierramirez330 ok

[@ianmontgomery7534]

@@riccochet704 Yeah I managed to ruin a small panel because I hadn't wiped my hand after reconnecting a battery and I must have had a slight amount of battery acid on my finger. I have no idea what may have caused the damage to the passenger door trim though.

[@DragPakMerc]

As someone who lived 30 years in Oklahoma, the front end impact damage looks like the result of hitting an armadillo. As for the rest of the underside damage, it could be from someone playing "Dukes of Hazzard," but its just as likely to be normal wear and tear associated with living on a rural Oklahoma road, most of which are maintained horribly. A small car is going to drag and scrape along many of them no matter how carefully its driven.

[@thomasallen6980]

Some of us live in a perfect world of fixing decorative junk plastic shielding on a walmart grocery getter. Repairmen should not be pushing a bunch of decorative junk on people who are better off buying new clothes and groceries.

[@X_theOracle]

Considering how filthy, dirty the car is presented in the workshop, perhaps some of the damage underneath the car was done by the new owner driving on a dirt/muddy road with potholes and hiting underneath the vehicle. Only the new owner knows if that happened or not.

[@potatomongrel]

Wrong car for the area. Buy something with better ground clearance.

[@terranceaddison4599]

Armadillos are Kinda cute...

[@erwinrommel1963]

I agree it hit a small animal. Armadillo is a good guess. It's likely it wasn't purchased in that condition, anyone would notice the poor state of tune.

[@smal1393]

We purchased a used Lexus LS from the local Lexus dealer, carfax showed a minor accident to the rear end. We later found the rear bumper was loose. Took it back to the dealer (who was not the shop that did the body repairs) and the dealer made it 100% correct at zero cost to us. We later purchased a used Lexus GX from the same dealer. In less that 2,000 miles, there was a part failure with emissions system that cost $2,500 to repair. There was no way to diagnose the issue in advance, but the dealer picked up 50% of the repair bill. Not all dealers are bad (just most of them!)

[@radzer0966]

Your lucky there. I had a situation where I bought a 10 month old mustang ford certified. Carfax was clean and the car was nice without anything showing on the outside. few months later water was leaking into the car and apparently they did work inside the cowel that was damaged wrong. Carfax than showed a major accident that happened before my purchase but was reported almost a month after my purchase. Dealership owned body shop. Never could do anything. Ford wouldnt fix it. Dealership wouldnt fix it since ford wouldnt pay for it. Ford wouldnt even try to help with the dealership being the car was certified and had a clean no wreaks title at time of purchase.

[@AustinsCoins]

@@radzer0966 It's not being lucky considering its a lexus dealership. They care about their customers.

[@radzer0966]

@@AustinsCoins not the Lexus dealer here. In your case it wasn’t a major cost to fix tho and they prob had a good bit of profit in the deal they were happy to deal with. If it was certified Toyota used to keep on them about it tho. That has all changed in the last 6 months with Covid tho and I doubt they will even go back to being the top dog on customer satisfaction.

[@AustinsCoins]

@@radzer0966 I guess you're right. That wasn't my experience though, that's someone else's. Mine was I bought a used Lexus from a private party, not from their dealership or any dealership. Anyway, I bought it and took it in to get looked at. The door panel had a spot where it was deteriorating. A common issue with the Lexus Is lineup, also known as "sticky dashes". But they replaced all 4 door panels and my front dash completely free. I had to wait awhile for parts but that's a common problem with everything nowadays. When I talk with other IS owners, they said their dealer wouldn't help them at all. I usually hear great things from Lexus dealerships generally. I think you'd have better luck if it was purchased at a Lexus dealership than any other dealership.

[@ckm-mkc]

FYI, emissions equipment has a 10 year warranty (it's a federal law). If the car was less than 10 years old, you were ripped off.

[@MyerShift7]

There's no way the customer bought the car like that- it would have been running poorly from the get-go

[@jwalster9412]

My best guess is that they bought the car without test driving it first, they probably just thought nothing of the bumper damage, somehow missed the missing muffler, the dealer probably found to hole before hand and just covered it with tape or something,they drove a block down the road and the car started to miss fire.

[@jordanturner97]

@@jwalster9412 I think it's simple. The customer did it. He recently bought the car and the car is that dirty already?

[@jwalster9412]

@@jordanturner97 I think the bumper and muffler were done before. The intercooler was probably patched by the dealer, who were expecting it to be a normal commuter car, so it was just patched with tape or something.

[@TheSlipperyBrick]

I think we as car people overestimate people's ability to recognize what we see as "obvious" issues. My significant other, who knows nothing about cars, would likely not pick up on any of these issues. Especially since she would be assured by the dealer that the car is "perfect".

[@jordanturner97]

@@jwalster9412 The muffler looks like the only thing that may have been there before. and I dont think that intercooler would have lasted any amount of time with tape. I think the customer ran something over and doesn't want to admit it. And just look at the car, he presumably just bought it and it' doesn't look like he's cleaned it at all.

[@Srteclipse]

That damage looks shiny. Shiny=fresh. Highly suspect that they drove around 200 miles from Oklahoma to your shop with a hole in the side of the intercooler and no boost. I’d say your customer is the shady one and trying to lay blame on the dealer for something they did after the purchase

[@jonathanj.4800]

Wondered that myself .

[@jsun3117]

Intelligent observation.

[@houseofno]

If you weren't personally there to prove it, I call b.s. on that. It's easier to prove a dealer deceiving a buyer than THAT much damage occuring on a 200 mile drive. The burden is on YOU to prove that CWs customer caused the damage. Good luck with that.

[@Srteclipse]

@@houseofno then prove how they drove 200 miles with a hole in their intercooler no boost to the turbo and a check engine light without turning around in the first 10 miles and going back to the dealer 👌🏻

[@georgevavoulis4758]

I wonder about that too 🤔

[@circeseye1]

i bought a 2011 pathfinder..i watched its price drop every month for 6 mo. once it got way below bluebook i went and looked at it...it was clean in and out. ran perfect BUT the reason it didnt sell is because when you test drove it and hit a bump you really had to hold the wheel because it went all over the place...the front struts were shot......dealer was convinced the tires were out of balance lmao...so got a nice pathfinder way under bluebook and only cost me the cost of front struts which i did the work some small dealers are like this. they have no clue about the vehicles.

[@ckm-mkc]

Yup, went to look at a car the other day and the timing chain cover was leaking - the sales guy said they just had it replaced (saw the receipt, so it wasn't BS) and had not noticed. He seemed pretty clueless, although it could have been an act.

[@AnabolicAsylum]

In 2020, I was car shopping and every local car dealership refused to allow a pre-purchase inspection or test drive. I told them to go screw and bought a new Toyota so I don’t have to deal with sketchy dealers for the next 10 years.

[@hinken24]

What.? You were not allowed to test drive the car?

[@daves4202]

No test drive?? I hope those swindlers are out of business now.

[@dil6969]

A lot of frugal folks rag on new car purchasers, but buying a used car is like walking through a minefield. The odds are staggeringly high you will end up with a POS if you aren't rigorous in your research and you don't pay for PPIs. Sometimes, that extra cost is worth the peace of mind. Further, in the USA, not having a dependable car functionally handicaps your ability to accomplish the most basic daily tasks.

[@ckm-mkc]

Going through that right now - dealer 500 miles from me, sent a list of questions, no answer....

[@Funlu]

Any car dealership like this is 99% sourcing their cars from the lower end of auctions… think salvage titles, repos, and abandoned property. There’s a reason they don’t want you to actually see the car. I prefer used inventory from new car dealerships, or my favorite, local listings and mechanics who sell cars from their garage. You made the right move.

[@dealsfromvirginia1773]

Seems to me that the buyer likely ran over something that caused the loss of turbo boost as I think they would have noticed a problem when test driving prior to purchase.

[@coniccinoc]

MY AUNT tried to get my sister to buy her end of lease car that we found has not only been in a collision but has been very poorly repaired. She feigned ignorance. Trust no one.

[@BertReno]

The fact she tried to rip off her own blood speaks volumes of her shit character. I wouldn't even accept a sandwich from her if I were you.

[@coniccinoc]

@@BertReno Ruined our relationship. She is financially very well off and my sister not so much. She was acting like she was doing her a favor but did not want to risk having the dealer do a turn in inspection. All over a couple of grand. Terrible.

[@dirtfarmer7472]

Money talks & the Brown Stuff walks

[@nsxt290]

Sorry to hear that. Your aunt out of all people!

[@TM_Stone]

More than a decade ago, my friend bought a BMW from a high end BMW dealership. He sold it to someone not too long after and the guy had it inspected. It was ruled a totaled vehicle due to all the body repairs that had not been reported. The dealership actually hid what was on the title.

[@georgevavoulis4758]

A high end BMW dealership hid car damage !!!! As if poor reliability and high maintenance costs aren't bad enough against BMW but covering up serious damage is serious

[@auntbarbara5576]

@@georgevavoulis4758 Geo you nailed it brother!

[@slasher9883]

@@georgevavoulis4758 Haha love that BMW has a such a terrible (but well deserved) reputation for being POS's. And I own one!

[@slasher9883]

@@Brian-jv8iy BMW more reliable than Toyota! HAHAHAHA. Put down the crack pipe and slowly back away dude.

[@slasher9883]

@@Brian-jv8iy Yeah dude, for every so called "reliable" BMW I will show you 10 absolutely unreliable buckets of crap. Don't think because you got lucky with yours that all the rest are the same. I used to be a BMW mechanic, worked on them every day, have owned plenty and still own one. Reliable it ain't, even with impecable maintenance. It is fun to drive though, which is why I keep it. But please don't try tell me that these cars are reliable when experience tells me they are not. In fact the only less reliable car I worked on was Audi/VW, and that's not saying much. If you don't believe me, just ask the car wizard.

[@BERFINSPICKLE]

It almost sounds like the customer did it themselves and just didnt wanna admit it. Or if they did they had to have gotten it sight unseen no way they wouldn't have noticed all that.

[@dexfriday5524]

Word, there is absolutely no way this wasn’t noticeable on the test drive, loud exhaust and runs like shit. The only person here that got bamboozled was the wizard for eating up this story the customer told him. 🤣

[@triver7593]

Did the client wreck it after purchase? Looks like they drove over something.

[@TeKaMOTO]

I'm thinking someone drove it over a dirt bump or hole way too fast which caused the front and rear to slam on the ground.

[@stuartpickles6907]

Being a 2008 it would of needed an inspection and would of been noticed then. I think they are trying to scam the dealer.

[@TeKaMOTO]

@@stuartpickles6907 It's "would have*", not "would of".

[@niuhuskieguy]

I have a hard time believing they did not notice that visible damage when they bought the car. They probably liked the car so much they decided to ignore what their eyes were seeing.

[@ckm-mkc]

There's a lot stuff on this car that even an inexperienced novice buyer should notice with even a casual look over, like the missing muffler, interior wear and broken spoiler. Even the fan blades missing should have been obvious.

[@pope406]

or they had an accident after buying it

[@chrisvig123]

They trusted the Douchebag dealership 😠

[@mgkleym]

Given the used car market right now they probably thought it was too good a deal to turn down.

[@CouchMan88]

I think some of the damage (the interior maybe some mechanical) was there before but the new owner was doing the off-roading and damaged things. The dirt is still on the car. The sidewalls of the tires are dusty. There is dust on the rims and all over the body of the car. there is fresh caked on dirt behind the rear wheels. A used car dealer would hide or ignore mechanical issues but will always clean the car to make it look nice before selling. There might have been some mechanical issues but if the new owner was doing the off-roading as I suspect it is hard to say what damage is new and what was already done when sold.

[@JimmyMakingitwork]

Strike 1: 14 year old European car Strike 2: No warranty Strike 3: No pre purchase inspection Strike 4 is too many strikes, but depends on if they over paid to add insult to injury.

[@absolutelynonameslef]

If this person had so little sense as to buy this car, they most likely financed at 10% for 72 months.

[@yalantyr25]

The shop I work for doesn't charge for a pre purchase inspection, 99.99% of the time we usually find major things wrong with the cars the people are both selling and purchasing, and when we find major things wrong they almost take the car back immediately and never go back to that lot ever again

[@coniccinoc]

I once went to a neighborhood shop to asked them about doing a PPI. When I told them the car I was interested in, an older Cadillac with a Northstar, they laughed and told me to save my money, both on the inspection and purchase. They listed some of the most common very expensive items and told me how much they hate working on them.. Shops like this are a blessing.

[@aaronbenton7]

How do I get a pre purchase inspection? Can I get them from a dealer i trust?

[@jsun3117]

@@coniccinoc The infamous north star POS. They know their way around POS.

[@marcg.3830]

@@aaronbenton7 go to a small reputable auto shop and have them do it. If a dealer/person has nothing to hide they won’t mind you having the car looked at before you purchase. That’s what I always did when I bought a used vehicle.

[@yalantyr25]

@@coniccinoc Definitely a blessing in disguise, that's the kinda shop I work for

[@909cool-oagents4]

I bought my daughter a 2014 Jetta this diesel a year ago -so far cars been awesome

[@antti4125]

Buying that from the dealership advertised as perfect condition car in Finland would lead straight to consumer disputes board and eventually the dealership would need to pay the required repairs or redeem the car back

[@chrisjie2127]

But that would still take a lot of time and it's easier to just get a pre-purchase inspection.

[@uasparts]

This is the United States, though- everything is a scam and the laws are written to protect the wealthy scammers,

[@saablazer]

In the USA, cars are sold as-is and once you sign all the documents you’re out of luck.

[@darkiee69]

@@saablazer In Sweden you can only sell cars "as is" to registered dealers. They can't sell them on to a consumer without fixing any problem.

[@saablazer]

@@darkiee69 that’s a good policy

[@linuxsux41]

Hey Car Wizard! Thank you for letting people know the dangers of not getting a pre-purchase inspection. I think most people's hesitancy to get one is they can cost in the ballpark of $75-$150 depending on the age and make of the vehicle and where you go to get it inspected. Most people shopping in the used Jetta price range don't have the ability to get multiple cars inspected in their quest for something their family needs ASAP. Can you please do a video on how to do your own pre-purchase inspection? Show people how they can check body lines for damage that might be covered up or how to make sure they haven't done a quick band-aid fix that only lasts the first 100 miles. Thank you so much for all you teach me about maintaining my own car!

[@jorgechenvalle2363]

I would not be surprised if the odometer was rolled back

[@ItzMaxton]

Yes this is what I was looking for. My 160k mile Jetta is in better condition.

[@dil6969]

You'd be surprised. A careless owner will age a car like milk. I had a 2019 accord in the other day with 13K on the clock and the front tires were absolutely trashed and the underside was beat to shit. That said, odometer tampering is a possibility.

[@jackwood8307]

👍

[@rysterstech]

There a scan tool that can check the mileage on most German cats called Carly, it represents complex engine codes is a way normal people can understand, it can check mileage because German cars have so many modules tracking the mileage aside from the gauge cluster.

[@sheiladawg1664]

I looked through the service history on the used car I was viewing and asked the sales person why a service was performed at higher mileage than what currently showed on the odometer. They were ready for me, they had a fake change odometer document that made it legal for them. Fuckers.

[@jaybeemhardscrote7466]

I mean, I get buying a used car without getting an inspection done, but how do you not notice there's no tailpipe!?

[@lucgagnon1941]

Sold as an electric car!

[@darkiee69]

Selling that car without telling the buyer about the problems would be a criminal offence in Sweden.

[@dbh1cibai]

In Spain the law is quite similar. If the seller hid or matipulated information (and that includes rolling back the odometer), it's a crime. And if the seller didn't know about the defects present at the time of the sell and those were hidden (the buyer couldn't detect them, unless it was a proffesional) it's not a crime, but the seller has the right to be compensated.

[@knocksensor3203]

Thank you for pointing that out, in the U.S the consumer is the criminal,and businesses like these rats (dealers) are the angels 😇

[@fonziebulldog5786]

Yes, in Sweden there should be a checklist by law on how the car is and if it have any faults you should know about.

[@ckm-mkc]

It is a criminal offense in some parts of the US, but good luck getting any enforcement.

[@Jo-uh1mw]

in Germany as well;. The dealer has to give 1-vear-warranty, It is law here.

[@Fusionawdecoboost2016]

Who buys a car with out looking it over or having a pre purchase inspection. When spending a lot money on a new used car. People have to much trust in dealerships. Some dealerships only care about the money and not being honest. Car wizard I like how honest you are. No wonder people come from far away to get their cars fixed.

[@stuartpickles6907]

Sounds to me like the person bought the car and hit something the first drive and wants to blame the dealer.

[@auntbarbara5576]

Amen. You are correct. Me think Mr W is being a bit gullable here with the story of these current owners.

[@stuartpickles6907]

@@auntbarbara5576 yeah kinda surprised me W believed this bs story.

[@jewelz6647]

The rest of the under carriage co signed their story

[@myshots101]

Sure and your whole muffler just falls off after a front hit. I'm not saying his right or wrong but come on.

[@NotShowingOff]

Maybe. But when you buy the car, the miles are listed on. So it would depend on how many miles are on the odometer before they brought it in.

[@neil2905]

one owner. grandma's pride and joy. only driven back and fourth to church.

[@Paul_Wetor]

The last two used cars I bought, I also bought the extended warranty. Both times repairs were needed that were about equal to the cost of the warranty. Pay up front or plan to pay later.

[@ckm-mkc]

@Tony1500 It used to be true, but these days I am not so sure. An extended warranty is $2k - $3k and with a AC compressor job costing upwards of $1500, just a few major repairs will cover the cost. On some cars with chronic issues, an extended warranty will pay for itself many times over. Doug Demuro basically started his YT career with an extended warranty from CarMax that eventually paid out $15k IRC.

[@Paul_Wetor]

I paid $2000 because I was afraid of a bigger repair. I broke even both times. But either way, a used car has no track record. When I get my car fixed, I know how many parts have been replaced. A used car comes with a big ? mark.

[@rdargenio]

In this case, an extended warranty would not cover parts that were broken due to collision damage. They would tell you to call your car insurance company.

[@paolobuccino8197]

@@ckm-mkc I paid for an extended warranty on a used (but newer and low miles) VW. The car my parents had bought me shat it’s transmission out and was gonna be 7k in repairs. I remember thinking to myself, I don’t think I’ll have any major problems any time soon but as a regular ass 24 year old something like this on a car I’m still paying for would financially devastate me. The extended warranty offered a lot for what amounted to an extra 45 dollars a month on my car payment. The math was simple to me. 2 years and 15k dollars later I think it’s safe to say I won that bet.. and on that note.. fuck VW. I’ll never buy another one unless I can afford it as a weekend toy. I never imagined it was possible to develop a fear of ones own car. Das Auto 🥴

[@300DBenz]

A low boost code on a VW that wasn’t a wastegate?!? That’s amazing.

[@Melanie16040]

Those turbos do not have wastegates.

[@mylt1z28]

@@Melanie16040 Yes they do. You can google the turbo along with any factory replacement and see the waste-gate on them.

[@HellaNooBs]

@@Melanie16040 uh lmfao 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@dumbeezy5480]

@@Melanie16040 but they do

[@Melanie16040]

@@dumbeezy5480 Damnit! Ok, I'm an idiot. I had an A5 Jetta TDI and knew VW was using variable geometry turbos on them. I had not realized VW was still using wastegates on the gas engines. I knew the turbos on the TSI's were spooled and making peak torque before 2000rpm and figured they had to be using variable geometry turbine housings to be able to spool so quickly. That's what I get lol Thank you for correcting me.

[@levigato125]

My 06 Acura TL has peeling door cards also, pretty common issue. VW’s soft touch switch gear looks like crap 5 years after purchase. The MK4, MK5, and MK6 all have this problem.

[@dudndadn12212]

I feel like the Mk5 we're the worst, I had a GTI with 38k miles and it had the radio buttons gone. I've got a mk6 with 150k miles and nothing has peeled.

[@davidjacobs8558]

I have 2007 Mercedes GL450 with many buttons with thin rubber coating, which all deteriorated and became sticky and peeling off after about 8 years. I bought After market Chinese made replacement buttons with no rubber coating, just black plastic surface, and they are doing fine so far. Also, those window switch plastic started to crack and broke off around 10 year mark. also replaced them with Chinese made knock offs.

[@kowalski5599]

@@dudndadn12212 Mk5 with the black buttons were horrible for bubbling and peeling. Later years with silver buttons seem to resolve it.

[@yudhveersewparsadh8085]

I am In South Africa. Bought a brand new mk5 2.0tfsi. Had zero problems for 1r years. Except from a sagging roof liner, interior was still in superb condition. I am a meticulous owner though.

[@yudhveersewparsadh8085]

Meant 14 years

[@markjohnson289]

I had a similar experience shopping for a car last year. Found what I thought was a nice 2012 Golf at a no-haggle dealership. Test drove great, but I noticed the belly pan was missing. Took it for a pre-purchase inspection and they found all the lower trim was broken and the radiator support was cracked. My guess is the previous owner ran over something on the freeway. Estimate was ~$1200 to fix. Took it back and said I was still interested if they fixed the issues… Nope. They blew it off like it wasn’t even a problem. It sat on their lot for over another month, and then disappeared. Probably found their sucker.

[@kevinshort3943]

Over here the dealer very often, has a pre purchase inspection done by an independent third party company, and uses it as a selling point.

[@jonathanj.4800]

I believe someone ran over something hard at highway speed, and drove completely over it. Damage going from front to back is all relatively in the same location front to back.

[@greathornedowl3644]

Thank you, Wizard and Mrs. Great encouragement for pre-purchase inspection - even if you think you know. Thought the red dirt was rust. Seeing the underside reminded me of the skid plate on my 84 Audi 4000 saved me many repairs

[@jayhom5385]

Does that mean Ed Bolian is there every other week?

[@michaeltutty1540]

Great advice, Wizard. I would add, though, that if a person does not know cars, take a friend who does before the pre-purchase inspection. The number of times I have told friends to walk away from a car is scary. The friends that don't ask my advice often end up with cars like that poor Volkswagen. It is only in certain specific and particular cases I have told friends to buy right now, without an inspection. Those cases where the car in question I precisely what they want and need, is in good looking shape on top and underneath, drives as it should, and is an unusual spec. My brother's 86 Colony Park was one. 2 owner car, private estate sale, came with every piece of paper back to the original purchase invoice, original paint with no rust, receipts from Krown Rustproofing. All of that in the good column. What made it a buy it now was the factory 351W and factory Trailer Tow III Package. Combine that with reasonable mileage, and the car was worth every penny of the asking price. Worked out well, since he put another 400,000 miles on it before the body mounts broke.

[@orlandosantiago6398]

I see a few things here: - Owner certainly didnt try hard enough to see if they were buying something decent; a broken front bumper and a missing muffler are 2 things you can see by just looking at the car while having zero knowledge about them. -With that said, as a person who knows VWs first hand, i can say this is actually not a bad vehicle. Yes it has damage that should had been addressed by the dealer but in the end its a 2008 vehicle. Interior is actually above average considering how MK5 interiors age. This vehicle also has an Optional OEM Votex body kit, which adds value to the proposition. - The only actual red flag for me (and it might not be a red flag once a further inspection is done) is that this car was modified. There are certain elements that gives this possible aspect away, but then again its up to the owner or the PPI place to determine how far that went. IMO, this is far from a bad vehicle. Its just the wrong car for whoever doesnt know anything about them. Lets just hope they paid a fair price which i certainly doubt based on their ability to miss some obvious things about it.

[@georgevavoulis4758]

Thank you for information ☺

[@consciouscool]

He just over payed.

[@alk3myst]

A lot of people can't tell. My wife has a hard time even telling what's the difference from one red car vs another.

[@thomasallen6980]

Most people know the market is f'ed right now and want something to last until the marketplace is better. Car needed an intercooler and a tune up. Big deal. Good find. Inside is beautiful. I think they found a good one but needs some work that the dealer could have done. No warrany, no 'lemon law ' in Trump states?

[@thomasallen6980]

@@consciouscool Welcome to the Trumpandemic.

[@scott8919]

I appreciate these videos, not just because of the message, but to show all the hack jobs that occur on cars like these. It makes a stronger impact pointing out how horribly these cars are thrown together to make a quick buck.

[@gstevens6948]

We’ve been real lucky with our old 07 Audi A4 2.0 T We’ve had it six years, it only had 60k on it when we got it, we’ve spent a few thousand on it over the years, but really nothing major, it’s been bullet proof really, a tough little car. I have no complaints if it quit today. 🤣thanks Wizard for all the great content, and look forward. to all in the future.

[@MyDyerMaker]

That's funny. A few thousand dollars in 6 years seems major to me.

[@vw5056]

@@MyDyerMaker Tires, brake jobs, fluid changes add up if you let a shop do everything. Doesn't matter what you drive.

[@gstevens6948]

@@MyDyerMaker and we consider ourselves “lucky”…🤣

[@carsonac4163]

If it were my car: replace fans and intercooler, tighten exhaust clamp, get the missing undercarrige plastic from junkyard along with the interior light button, reglue the door panel-or junkyard it, wash it. I mean like i can see this being a $4k car with not a whole lot of work

[@damonzilliox2751]

Lol. I'm sure it sold for way more than 4k. That's Honda civic money.

[@Primus54]

@@damonzilliox2751 Honda Civic money?? You apparently haven’t seen the latest Civic used car prices. 😉

[@carsonac4163]

This really doesnt seem that bad, but maybe thats cause I'm familiar with these. Both the door panel peal and exhaust clamp is real common with VW-Audi cars.

[@anthonyxuereb792]

If it's real common why don't they attend to it, I mean is it that hard to eliminate niggly issues?

[@automotivetv9861]

Yea wizard is being a drama queen, also its 15 years old, does NOT need a new bumper.

[@speakbigtruth9383]

@@automotivetv9861 that’s right. The mechanics are way too picky.

[@garrettvella8831]

@@anthonyxuereb792 It doesn't typically come to any real issues, so I guess they figured their time was better spent elsewhere. Source: have both 92 and 96 Audi/VW products with the same exhaust clamp issue, we ignored it because both have 500k KM's on them and it hasn't caused problems for us yet.

[@rk22cc]

It's a 15 year old car from OK, bumper looks good to me. Come on man!

[@thevictim2072]

Did you consider that most likely the damage occurred while in possession of the new owner.

[@sheiladawg1664]

Why would he consider that? Where did you see fresh damage? Please list time stamps.

[@speakbigtruth9383]

@@sheiladawg1664 looks like a good car to me. Just needs an inter cooler and fan. What’s the bid deal? He is trying to scare the crap out of the buyer for no good reason

[@acebragg5559]

@@sheiladawg1664 Because that damage would be noticeable the minute they test drove it or brought it home.

[@hks9489]

Exactly. This would not run correctly at the time of purchase with a busted intercooler and fans missing blades.

[@jamie7664]

Something doesn’t make sense, unless the intercooler hole was covered with chewing gum or something lol

[@dave_n8pu]

We did that a few years ago when my son was looking for a vehicle, found one that he liked but told the sales people we were going to have our mechanics look at it and they suggested he not get it unless he want to spend more money fixing it properly. We went back and told them what our mechanic found and they tried to get us to believe them instead of our mechanic. Later on he found a vehicle that fit he's needs better, other than it being a gas hog, but it's reliable for him and his wife.

[@paveltolz6601]

PO hit a curb or, more likely, flat ran over a curb and damaged the bumper, intercooler, tore out the belly pan, damaged the floor pan and muffler continuing over the curb and back on to the road. Sons ran over a huge block of ice that fell off a semi truck and damaged the bumper and cracked the oil pan. Thankfully I had an aluminum Panzer Plate from DieselGeek under it vs. the plastic belly pan.

[@agrippa1234]

Keep it up Mr. Wizard, these days buying a car has never been more expensive and risky, you are genuinely doing a service which will yield true results.........

[@georgevavoulis4758]

Mr.Wizard ,please open shop in Canada we need more mechanics like you and Scotty Kilmer and Chris Fix

[@thomasallen6980]

Mr. Wizard needs to distinguish between needs to have and nice to have. New plastic fake ground effects is best forgotten in favor of putting the money in the bank. The car market is 100% f'ed right now, cars are not a status symboil anymore people just need a hunk of junk to get to work and to the Walmart.

[@FakeItalianoII]

Car Wizard, Thank you very much for posting videos like this alerting people against dishonest people. Too many people have been taken advantage of and this NEEDS TO STOP . It is really revolting ! Thanks again, David !

[@radzer0966]

Side suggestion for you to give to the customer. They sell metal skid plates for them and you can actually install one of those without having to paint and replace the front bumper. Will be cheaper and give some more protection to the motor.

[@georgevavoulis4758]

Thanks for that information 👍

[@radzer0966]

@@georgevavoulis4758 your the purchaser?

[@thomasallen6980]

Just wash the salt off once in a while, it is your car, not a family member.

[@radzer0966]

@@thomasallen6980 vw of that era have a lot of connectors that by now are dried out and can get splash into them. If your in a bad streets area a true metal skid plate can’t hurt. Crazy what those are selling for right low so don’t wanna kill it on a pothole.

[@MrTheHillfolk]

@@georgevavoulis4758 One brand name is called "panzer plate" I've got one on a Mk4 ,not sure if they make them for a mk5 , but if they don't I'd imagine someone does. Mine was around 350$ if I recall because I got the additional side pieces to protect the belts and the trans side.

[@racerboy2212]

It’s truly sad there are so many unscrupulous dealers out there. PPI’sfrom a reputable mechanic like yourself are a must!! Thank you for sharing their pain!

[@FMC1239]

I tried to get a pre-purchase inspection before buying a car recently, I called 10 shops and each told me they could get me in 2 weeks later. Crazy times we're in.

[@ckm-mkc]

I posted this up thread - I have used a service called LemonSquad, they do mobile inspections. Mostly used them for far away cars. No affiliation, just a useful service.

[@robjones3818]

@@ckm-mkc Agreed. I recently used LemonSquad for a PPI on an M4 I was looking at. It was local, but my trusted local mechanic wouldn't have been able to get to it for a week or so, and I didn't want to let the car slip through my fingers given the current market, so I went with the internet service. They gave it top marks while noting a few dings and dents that not even I noticed when I was looking at it. I bought it and took it to my own mechanic afterwards just to get a second opinion, he said it was just fine, too. LemonSquad's communication was kinda poor, but they did a great job and issued a quite comprehensive report with lots of photos and even a video of the convertible top in operation. Would have been really appreciated if I were a remote buyer.

[@atx-cvpi_99]

If you can’t get a pre purchase inspection, don’t buy the car.

[@FMC1239]

@@atx-cvpi_99 Perfect, that’s smart. I’ll walk 35 miles to work. Thanks for the tip!

[@JP-qr5mb]

Wizard is absolutely right about needing to get an inspection. A couple of months ago my son bought a vehicle from Carvana. Thanks to their 7 day return policy, he took it to a local trusted mechanic. The car was one owner, no accidents, looked and ran great. The mechanic found an extreme amount of rust underneath and was even able to point out a waterline in the engine compartment. The car must have sat in water for some time. He returned it to Carvana no problem and got another car. Again one owner, no accidents. The mechanic found that the car had sustained front end damage but was repaired properly, except for the sensors/camera that controlled the adaptive cruise control. That needed special equipment for calibration, which meant a trip to the dealer. There was a bit of back and forth, but ultimately Carvana approved the dealer repair with OEM parts. The bill came to 4 grand. It cost my son $100 for the inspections, but it was well worth it.

[@Ameerah.G]

I'm dealing with the same situation on a used VW I bought 6 months ago. I bought the car from a "reputable" dealer and didn't get a pre-purchase inspection. Beautiful car physically inside and out. Reported as 1 owner. It wasn't until after I purchased that the Carfax updated to show 2 prior owners and the last only owned the car for a short period of time. After 4 months the engine light continues to come on. Will need over 3K in work to repair and not covered in warranty.

[@rosco0101]

By any chance is it a TDI? If so, you are probably still covered by the supplemental TDI warranty that applies to all 2.0 TDIs are a result of the class action lawsuit.

[@paulsengupta971]

"Reported as 1 owner. It wasn't until after I purchased that the Carfax updated to show 2 prior owners and the last only owned the car for a short period of time." Won't the second owner be the dealer who sold it to you? Or does it work differently in some places?

[@Melanie16040]

@@paulsengupta971 Dealers are not reported as owners. They don't register the car in their name.

[@georgevavoulis4758]

Did you buy it from an actual VW dealership or another used car lot?

[@TateSkates803]

my car reports two owners because i leased it and then bought it out but i’m the only person who has owned the car. it’s because when you lease a vehicle, the leasing company goes on the registration too. so when i refinanced it, it was retitled into just my name.

[@calebwipf520]

I do a lot of my own work and have owned mostly VW vehicles. You can get a good deal if you can inspect the vehicle yourself or have it inspected first. The cost to have it inspected will often come right off the asking price based on repairs that need done. If you are not mechanically inclined it is well worth it to get an inspection done.

[@OlsunEdits]

With this being 2.0t engine (GTI in Europe) the cam follower that sits inside the high fuel pump can be worn down and should be checked and changed regularly 2-3 years

[@aipo86t]

I once bought a car from a used car dealer. I took it to another used car dealer, down the street, that also did mechanical work. I paid him $100 to check it out. He found a couple of minor things wrong. He told me the other dealer was a good guy, buy the car, but for $500 less than offered. I took it back and told the first dealer what his competition said, he laughed and said OK after a bit of haggling. My brother, a master Tech, fixed the issues for next to nothing. I ran the car to about 275,000 miles. I bought other cars from the dealer over the years.

[@99Vood99]

Wizard, I agree with you on a PPI but again some shops are notorious for passing vehicles that clearly need work. On this particular vehicle I also feel that owner accountability is warranted - the car's a 14 year old VW with visible cosmetic damage. Hopefully they did NOT overpay for this vehicle.

[@TheLegendaryt2]

Those door inserts is a common issue on all these Jettas, I have the same color combo but a 2010 and my inserts are flappy but not separating.

[@MrChevyman962000]

Your repetition is great! Thank you for all of your round the car inspections. It helps as a reminder to look for things while out shopping the used (and sometimes new) market. Guys like you, and Scotty Kilmer are our allies in this screwed up market. Thank you!

[@Rambogner]

No Scotty Kilmer is some simpleton who talks crap for a living

[@beezertwelvewashingbeard8703]

Wizard and Scotty are polar opposites. Wizard actually does quality work. Scotty "Odometer Discrepancy" Kilmer will charge you for a head gasket job but secretly just pour in a bottle of BarsLeak.

[@BaronVonEvil1]

I have noticed that reputable garages and shops are usually several weeks backed up with work nowadays. This in itself makes it hard to get pre purchase inspections. I don't think many buyers or sellers have the time to wait weeks to get an inspection. Some states mandate emission inspection and a few like Virginia do a bit more detailed inspection. It wont show all the problems a car might have though. So I'm not sure what the solution is for getting a vehicle inspected.

[@oldretireddude]

I agree with everything you said about the car buying experience that this owner has endured. However, from what you showed in the video, if we isolate the car from this bad experience and if the car was purchased for a good price, aren't the bones of this car otherwise pretty good once these issues are fixed?

[@georgecummings7559]

Uhh it's a VW. The bones are terrible. I've owned several and delayed maintenance will absolutely kill them.

[@cdpgbc-mw2kz]

@@georgecummings7559 I have owned three and they have been great but you are right, if you delay maintenance, you will absolutely kill them, and your wallet. Do not buy German cars if you are cheap.

[@digitalrailroader]

I’m glad I went to a small reputable dealership in a much more affluent area of my state who was very up front with my “new to me” 2006 Buick Lucerne and told me that there was water in the passenger front footwell from it being washed and the sunroof drains being frozen and to keep an eye on it to make sure that it wasn’t the sunroof leaking. Thankfully the footwell dried out and it’s been dry ever since. Only other things I’ve noticed is a P0128 (the cooling system just needed to be topped off) and my rear power locks don’t unlock (even commanding them to unlock with my VCXNano does nothing) and getting a history report from my local Buick dealership (they are free, just give them the VIN number that you want the history report for) revealed that the instrument cluster was replaced 4 times under warranty and the radio replaced once under warranty.

[@Celician83]

Pretty sure those are NOT Wolfsburg Edition wheels, as I'm pretty sure those were the nice VW 5 star wheels. I'd be willing to bet the previous owner bent 2 of the wheels, and the dealer replaced them with JY wheels and new tires. That explains the VW emblems missing, cause those wheels are for another car.

[@Noah_E]

The steering wheel isn't correct either. This car has a shady past

[@Celician83]

@@Noah_E I was kinda thinking it looked like a 6th gen steering wheel, cause I own a 2014 and it looks very similar, just didnt want to say anything. Those wheels are from a 6th gen as well

[@18t4motion]

The wheels are correct. They were a base option on GTI GLI

[@Celician83]

@@18t4motion okay, just looked it up, the wheels I was thinking of are on the 2007, not 2008.

[@hectorjcm800]

Those are the upscale / GLI wheels for higher end MK5 Jettas, the emblems fall off easily after a few yrs, you can even see the glue residues at the center. I have the same wheels on a similar 2.0T Jetta, and all but one emblem have fallen off from them. Wonderful car to drive, but kind of a pain in the ass to have it in top condition after a few years. Still have mine though, it beats newer cars in the segment by far, and I just can´t afford a new one tbh. Steering wheel is correct as well. Interiors look a little too basic for a Wolfsburg Edition, but I have a similar car from an earlier year (2006). Maybe VW just started cutting corners in the later years, considering how expensive to make this generation was.

[@Dirtnap300]

i had one of those 2.0T jettas and it is imperative that you keep clean synthetic oil in it.. the direct injection fuel pump is a high friction point at the end of the camshaft. If the oil gets really dirty the lobes can wear quickly.

[@georgevavoulis4758]

Thank you for that information I didn't know about that . I also know many VW owners too

[@WhittyPics]

The way the market is right now, there is more of this crap than normal going on. There is one dealer I know of in Charlotte that puts a lot of garbage out on their lot.

[@TJDunaway]

Hard to find a good shop in Charlotte, too. Took me awhile

[@Rocket-hb6jh]

Absolutely correct and first error was buying a VW. I recently purchased a 147,900 KM Honda Accord V6L in Australia (prob equivalent of US 9th Gen V6 Touring or Sport). I had a pre purchase inspection by RACV (Royal Automobile Club of Victoria) for $386 with up to $3000 of coverage for missed items in first 28 days. Now passed the first month and car is as rated in the inspection. Perfect. $386 (AUD) Pre purchase inspection has saved me thousands.

[@caseyman97]

Suspensions tight, no timing chain, tires and brakes are runnable issues. Just slap an intercooler and fans on it and it'll go miles and miles without issues. Id imagine most 14 yr old used economy cars look like that, at least in area. It is minor damage and there's no way they are more than 15k deep in a car they can run and drive for years with a clean title. Yeah, its rougher than they anticipated but it's hardly a rip off imo.

[@TimberWolf429]

I usually do my own inspections on vehicles I buy, but as someone who works on his own vehicles, and buys from private sellers, I know what to look for. Tack on the fact that I generally won't buy anything too new, or out of my wheel house, I generally get a good vehicle.

[@johnhouseholder7682]

Maybe the new owner bottomed it out on a dirt road,if it was that way they should have looked closer.the smart thing is they brought it to you. Never buy at those loan shark lots.thanks john from arizona

[@Waterman-wv2jx]

If that hole is the only intercooler problem a good, quick, permanent fix is an epoxy/fiberglass patch.

[@SuperMixedd]

Having a pre-purchase inspection is great when you have a trusted mechanic

[@georgevavoulis4758]

If you don't know any reputable , honest mechanics you're really out of luck . It would stop me from buying even a bicycle 🚲🙄

[@Tedybear315]

Area under bumper likely was driven into a curb. Happens quite a bit with low riding cars with high curb stops. Missing belly pan? Shoot, most of them in our area are missing. (Curb damage, hitting something in the road...common practice is to just remove the remains and call it a day. Sometimes it's just a lazy shop that had it removed to preform a repair, and they either damaged it or didn't feel like putting it back on) Wheel emblems: People in our area steal these things all the time. We had our Beetle purchased with all 4 at the start. Parked at the local shopping mall where I work one day- Came out to find them all pried off and missing. Moron's steal those things thinking how "Cool" they look like. Door card plastics: Very common issue. The plastics start to shrink a bit and the entire assembly breaks down and then it becomes floppy and starts to pull out. Has no effect other then cosmetic. Take a walk around a pick and pull yard! You'll see that material sticking out all over the place in the door cards. (If you can find 'em. Usually they are the first thing that gets stripped out, along with high use switches.) Exhaust: VW's use stainless steel exhaust but the welds are normal and tend to rust and rot out. Highly likely the muffler separated at the pipe and the last owner simply cut the muffler off. As the muffler flops around, that usually does a number on the VW slip joint coupler. So nothing here is that unusual. Yeah the dealership should have fixed the fans and inter-cooler, as well get the exhaust repaired. Used cars are selling at a premium due to a lack of new car parts, and that has driven used car prices up by about 40-50%. The lots get these cars in usually via trade in's or at the copart or other auto auctions. Probably sat on the dealership lot for a couple of hours before being snapped up. I can't blame this 100% on the dealership, as much as the consumer that purchased a car that clearly had a CEL and severe drive ability issues from the hold in the inter-cooler. Did they test drive before buying it? Did they request the dealership repair the known items? Or did they just flip the cash out knowing this car would need the work done, but it was all they could get. Edit: Some have pointed out it is very possible this damage was caused by the new owners. Upon reading the comments, I find this to be plausible. As I lost count of the number of times I was lied to when I used to be a mechanic before retiring. People spinning a yarn trying to get a discount, or trying not to sound like it was "Their" fault. So it's very plausible the front end damage was caused by the end buyer.

[@jamesk3565]

The radiator support has already been replaced before, the stickers on the top are missing

[@georgevavoulis4758]

Thanks for the information 👍I didn't know about that

[@howardjlogan]

A big Thank You! And please keep harping on the Pre-purchase Inspection! People can't hear it enough! You guys are performing a very valuable service!

[@MattVidPro]

These are relatively easy fixes Atleast, nothing like needing a new engine

[@tedsmith1641]

Assuming this wasn't the customer that caused this damage, not reporting a little accident (if it's just some cosmetic damage and a new intercooler etc.) doesn't mean they didn't have insurance lol. A guy ran into the back of my buddy's volvo and they didn't report it after they determined there was next to no damage but some scratches on the bumper.

[@johnnybravo1947]

It was definitely a teenagers car. Every 16yo cuts their muffler off lol. Intercooler, fans, bumper paint matched with a belly trey is easily $2,000.. ouch! Hope the dealership makes it right or the buyers sue.

[@quixomega]

That is what it looks like, one of Wizard's daughters has done worse to a car.

[@DC322]

I'm amazed how they drove the Jetta without a muffler like that. You have to think if CO2 had seep inside the car, you may not know it.

[@kowalski5599]

It doesn't need a bumper, the lower piece unclips from the bumper and can be bought online for '$100... many of them are broken on these cars in the wild from hitting curbs or small animals or other debris.

[@georgevavoulis4758]

I never ever treated my cars in rough manner . Take car of your car and it will take care of you . Just like everything else in life .

[@kowalski5599]

@@georgevavoulis4758 Who are you talking to?

[@mnwolves180]

This customers first problem was buying a used VW with the 2.0L turbo engine, it will eventually need a new turbo with the wastegate linkage failing sooner or later.

[@joshuagibson2520]

That red dirt can hold water and be nearly as bad as salt in some cases.

[@marionelson3264]

If Illinois salt is bad for cars, Oklahoma dirt is even worse.

[@georgevavoulis4758]

Thank you for that information I would have never guessed it be as bad as rock salt

[@thingserik7269]

Tinted windows usually means thrashed and trashed. Worn out light button. What's going on in the dark at night regularly? 5th gen Jetta look out for plugged sun roof drains and self-opening sunroof.

[@snappy452]

I work for an independent dealer and we have sworn off any VW 2.0 from this gen. Won't buy them and if one comes in on trade they go straight to the auction. They're a friggin pain in the ass once you get over 100k. I have an 07 Jetta Wolfsburg 2.5 5spd and it's a far better engine. Less power but much more reliable.

[@markmizner87]

I agree about having a Pre-Purchase inspection done to a car. Question is what if the car you want is not within 25 miles of your good independent mechanic that you use. How do you find someone to trust in the area of the selling dealer to make a good inspection. Not one that will just work with dealer and say it is a good car when it really is not?

[@jagvette1]

Hey wizzy I know when you are looking under a car on camera it is a cursory inspection but you may be misleading people by stating the shock is nice and dry (and they think it is OK) , but that as you know it is not an indication of a good shock all it means it the top seal isn't leaking, the internal components may have failed and the shock is not doing it's job. Just my 2 cents.

[@kellingtonlink956]

Thanks for exposing these ludicrous practices.

[@nsbioy]

No way the customer could have driven the car off the dealer’s lot without noticing this problem. It is quite possible that the customer wrecked the car soon after buying it and then tried to blame someone else.

[@davidjacobs8558]

My thoughts too, The car is covered with dirt. And I'm pretty sure the first thing any used Car Dealer does is to wash the damn car, before putting it on their lot for sale. ie, the dirt is the new owner's doing. I think the new owner drove it down a dirt road several times after buying that car. And probably hit something and broke the fan and intercooler himself.

[@herbertgarrison6548]

you should do a series where you go to a used car lot, look at a vehicle and bring it back to your own shop to inspect it to show the absolute bullshit that these thieves will try and get away with. obviously you'll need to send someone they won't know under the guise of them bringing it somewhere else for a PPI.

[@georgevavoulis4758]

I agree 100% brilliant idea actually . But it would have to be somebody who's in never been on internet

[@proof3038]

Lmao there’s no way the new owner didn’t do this to the car, they can try to sue all they want, if they signed papers saying it’s as is and there’s no lemon laws they’re shit out of luck

[@georgecummings7559]

Lemon laws only apply to new cars.

[@thomasallen6980]

Not in NY. How can you buy a car without knowing the check engine light is even showing codes until it goes through a number of cycles? No wonder our hunks of junk are all shipped to your state. We cant sell them without an engine job to clear the codes.. You get ripped off every time you buy something, no wonder they are always crying for lower taxes and handouts everytime a tornado blows through.

[@georgecummings7559]

@@thomasallen6980 Read the law. Only new cars.

[@proof3038]

@@georgecummings7559 I know I am a dealer

[@proof3038]

@@georgecummings7559 but there’s also certain states where lemon law does apply to used cars

[@kennethross786]

The gaping hole may have been the catalytic converter - if so the old one is likely sitting in a scrap yard somewhere. Sold for the platinum. I bought my 2006 Explorer from a reasonably reputable independent lot. Not sure how it got from Arizona to east Tennessee but for the most part it's been the best vehicle I've ever owned (had it almost 5 years). I fell into the "no inspection" trap, but I got lucky.

[@dragos2010full1]

he clearly said it was the muffler and fyi the catalytic converters sits as close as possible to the engine so they get really hot and clean and reburn the exhaust gases so they would be at the front of the car right next to the engine or underneath it

[@kb9oak749]

That interior damage makes me wonder about the mileage being legit.

[@DC322]

And the buttons on the roof is worn out too.

[@numberone7674]

makes we think that the odometer has been rolled back.

[@ianmoore322]

Not really the seats and steering wheel look great

[@aliendroneservices6621]

City miles and multi-owner will do that to a car.

[@ckm-mkc]

As someone said upthread, it was likely a delivery vehicle.

[@robertm5969]

Yes, getting a pre purchase inspection is ideal. Unfortunately it's becoming very difficult to get one done in this market. If you find a car for sale that's a good deal, chances are it'll be bought up quick and you often have to pull the trigger or not on the spot. Sellers won't want to go through the hassle of taking it to another shop and waiting on your decision when they can just sell it quickly to someone else. Best option these days may be to buy from a reputable small used car dealer that offers limited warranties on vehicles. Do not buy as-is. Or better yet find a mobile mechanic who does PPIs.

[@MultiMusicbuff]

"Wolfsburg edition" made in Mexico.lol As an Immigrant from Germany i wished Americans would stop falling for the "German engineering" slogans (VW used the slogan "Das Auto" = The Car). They think they're getting quality & reliability yet VW is the exact opposite of Toyota & Honda.The Passat is even worse. Again,just like when they made the Rabbit in a plant in PA in the early 80's,they hoodwinked American buyers.

[@PseudoSpaceMarine]

The Germans know how to make Diesel engines but because of the dieselgate scandal, we probably won’t get any of them anytime soon here in the U.S.

[@johnguidetti5839]

It’s a Jetta, a cheap car. I don’t think people have high expectations like that for this model.

[@hectorjcm800]

Think about it, if VWs were still made in Germany, almost no one of the demographics they're aimed for would be able to afford them outside of Germany...

[@X_theOracle]

Considering how filthy, dirty the car is presented in the workshop, perhaps some of the damage underneath the car was done by the new owner driving on a dirt/muddy road with potholes and hiting underneath the vehicle. The intercooler though is likely a fault with the dealership. I would hope the dealer would do the repairs for the intercooler and fans if they were given the opportunity, as a fair and reasonable outcome.

[@rls428]

If this was driven before purchasing, the issues with drivability would of been blatantly apparent and either the sale wouldn’t of happened or it would of been corrected. My guess is all the damage to the underside happened on one good “off road mishap” and that this happened after it was purchased.

[@peterarries7879]

Definitely, there's no way that had a bust intercooler before purchase, and the other damage 🤔🤔 someone's telling lies

[@andreass.5093]

This car is 14 years old! Cars like this are normally sold per weight (scrap metal). If you own an old VW the underbody damage is the smallest problem. Especially the 2.0 will fail within the next several thousand miles. In my opinion this car is accident-free. Some undercarriage damage (the bumper was obviously) but nothing major. The interior wear is also obviously and not hidden. Therefore nothing to complain.

[@theoneoneguys]

VW's are hit or miss, I feel like people love them or hate them. 🤙

[@coldjello8436]

Love them until they need to be repaired...

[@theoneoneguys]

@@coldjello8436 I feel like that's 100% accurate. 🤣

[@toothferrin]

Most common failure on these cars is the cam follower on the high pressure fuel pump. So check the cam follow on the high pressure fuel pump before it destroys the intake cam and throws metal all through the engine. @shopdap has a really good write up on the common problems of the fsi, tfsi, and tsi engines.

[@lweston71]

There seems to be more to this, than was honestly told on the customers part. 🍀

[@georgevavoulis4758]

I agree 👍

[@surferdude4487]

I have a 2013 VW Golf, built at Wolfsberg. I average about $1,200 every six months for repairs and maintenance. We're over 130,000 km. I don't complain about the maintenance because the car runs great. If you want to keep an older car on the road, that's just the way it is. I don't let damage accumulate. If something gets broken, I get it fixed immediately.

[@georgevavoulis4758]

You're absolutely right Surfer Dude 🏄‍♂️. Look after a car and it will look after you . Don't wait for things to go from minor bad to seriously bad . That's why Toyota cars are made well it's the Toyota founding father philosophy especially on looms which is what they started with .

[@mauriciomarianocarneiro]

I loved this car when it was launched...

[@craigmorgan4676]

It was awful,really awful now?😯👁👀👁🤔🤯🤔🤯

[@joshuagibson2520]

Congrats. "L" bot copied your comment.

[@mattfarahsmillionmilelexus]

Off a ramp?

[@chiluco2000]

I truly believe dealers very easily fall into lying (either by habit or by training). I've had so many bad experiences walking on dealer lots (Toyota, Nissan, Ford, etc.). I can't imagine how independent dealers are, but they can't be any better. I saw the Tinder Swindler on Netflix and throughout the movie I was reminded of a car dealer!

[@FaSMaN]

Looking at the internal wear marks , something doesn't add up with the mileage , something tells me that Speedo has been rolled back.

[@porcelainthunder2213]

Nah. VWs are notorious for crappy interiors that fall apart as you drive down the road. Especially the beetles.

[@andybub45]

Several months ago I went to take a look at 2 Lexus GX 470s on a used car lot. Both of them said they had no accidents, but one had a loose bumper with obvious variation in color and the other had airbag codes. After that, I just decided to spend a bit more money at a Lexus dealership and get a newer GX. Really happy I did. Unless I’m getting a beat around work truck or something like that, I’ll never shop at a used car lot again