How many times have you been asked to evaluate a potential car purchase for a non mechanical friend/relative/complete stranger and advise them if they should buy it, only to have them ignore the issues and buy it anyway. I have had this happen numerious times and when I provide my input they ignore my comments and buy it. One relative did this with a stick shift car with 100k miles (they didn't know how to drive a stick). The previous owners could not recall doing any maintenance (oil, brakes or clutch). My relative bought the car and the motor blew up 3 weeks later. I soon realize that when they start trying to justify the purcahse inlight of all the issues, I just wish them the best of luck and tell them I wouldn't buy that car.
That is always a no win situation. If you recommend it they will hold it over your head forever when any little thing goes wrong. If you give it a thumbs down and they buy it you will hear forever how great of a car it really is. It is like recommending a restaurant to someone. You may love it but 99% of the time they will hate it and think you have the taste buds of a Yak. Don
So True. And if anthing goes wrong they ask you to come "take a look at it and tell me whats wrong" Years ago my future father inlaw asked me to get a new carb for his mid 80's F100. The carb came in and I was out of town. He didn't want to wait so he tried to install it himself. He forgot to tight the fuel inlet line and the truck caught on fire from the gas spraying everywhere. My GF called me crying, it took me a few minutes to understand what had happened.
been there...now unless its family or a super close friend i just say its better to take it to a mechanic
last time i gave an honest opinion , i was told i didnt know what i was talking about , now i say go to a mechanic i dont know anything
The basic problem is, of course, that buying a car is largely an emotional decision for most people so trying to apply logic or experience or mechanical knowledge is useless.
I almost never evaluate a vehicle for anyone be it friend relative or stranger. Somehow no matter what i have said it has always been my fault when it didn't work out. Best to let whomever it is dig their own grave.
I will give my opinion and then add that they had better take it to a mechanic with the good test equipment. The exception is when it is so bad that it would be a waste of money to have it tested and I will tell them that. Charlie Stephens
I never recommend anything....or suggest anything...or evaluate anything for someone else - friend, enemy, lover or stranger. No matter what ("funniest movie you'll ever see" - they thought it stunk) "car looks decent from 20ft..." - tranny fell out the following week. Just isn't worth it - no matter what happens, you're the mule. I liked squirrel's answer - no matter what they ask, send them to the Honda dealer. Even if they're asking about a decent steak house...."I don't eat food, go see the Honda dealer"....any good places to dance? "Honda dealership". Where can I find some hot chicks? you got it...Honda dealership. dj
That's the worst. You check it out and it seems like a good little car then you get 100 phone calls about how it's making this noise or that noise or "you said it was a good car" AAARRRGGGG!!!!!
How come it is that when you mess with cars, not work on them, people want your opion on why their car is doing this or that. Then want you to look at a potential car like you know what you are looking at. Then when you decide to go look at the car you realize its alot more rust than what they should be paying for and they get mad at you for being honest both sides of the card....
i say, hell ya, that car is badass! then when it falls apart, i buy it! kidding... i just tell them if you want it get it, if you dont then someone else will.....
I'm the tech advisor in my family. I get those calls all the time. "What do you think of this...? That...? The other..?" Several years back, my brother (artistic as hell, not mechanical at all) calls me up and says "Hey, I bought a Vette!", Me: "uh oh... I mean Hey That's great!" It went badly. He now has maybe $35k in a $12k '73 Stingray that he should have paid about $6k for... So I asked him one time, YEARS after he had swallowed his mistake, why he didn't let me look at it first. He was really honest, "I didn't want you to talk me out of it. It's my dream car." Maybe he'll finish sorting it out someday....
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