Repainted bumpers on 120k+ miles Model S...less than $35k

[drive16]

Did a facetime with a local used car dealer about a car he had on the lot. Over 120k miles Model S with Raven update.

But when I asked to focus on the bumpers and they showed me, he said they painted it and weren't going to tell me what paint they used (?).

Everything else (lights, wheels, software, interior) seems to be fine and the Carfax shows no accidents.

Am I overthinking this (similar cars, albeit with much less mileage go for ~$15k more)? Or should I back away?

The dealer's attitude was quite abrasive (told me to buy from tesla since he's only making a grand off of selling this car at such a low price and has other buyers).

 

[jjrandorin]

Am I overthinking this (similar cars, albeit with much less mileage go for ~$15k more)? Or should I back away?

Everyone should ALWAYS trust their instincts on something like this. Something that is "15k under market" is that way for a reason, period. There is always a chance that some private party person mispriced something (which is still unlikely) but there is ZERO chance a competent car dealer did (none).

If they have it priced under market there is a reason for it. If that reason is not extremely apparent you should assume its too good to be true. The fact that you created an account on a website you have never posted on before to ask whether this is a good idea or not, means you already think its not a good idea and are looking for someone to either change your mind or confirm it with you.

Trust yourself and walk away.

 

[outdoors]

One has to ask one self when they see the price discrepancy between that and going market. What am I going to have to outlay to get it back to market? Or can I even get it back to market condition. My thoughts are they took it as a trade in, and are trying to pass along a problem. Confused on the won't tell you the paint, yet they painted. Strange.

Really take it from the ^post and consider running from the situation. Many times people look for diamonds in the rough. They are there to find, but if it is way off in pricing one is likely holding coal in their hand not a diamond.

Edit: Used car dealer abrasive. That is a funny one.

 

[jjrandorin]

There is always a chance that some private party person mispriced something (which is still unlikely) but there is ZERO chance a competent car dealer did (none)

Since I sort of "buried the leade" on the above comment, I wanted to circle back and highlight my thoughts here. As I said, there is zero chance a competent car dealer has a vehicle in this price range priced 15k under comparable vehicles. In the job description of "car dealer" is making money on car transactions.

On new car purchases, there can be reasons why a car dealer might sell a car under market price (like they need to hit an incentive or something, so selling an extra vehicle triggers some escalator clause, etc) but on used vehicles, that isnt in play.

The only options here are that the dealer is incompetent, or there is something you are missing about the transaction. Those are the only options.

(told me to buy from tesla since he's only making a grand off of selling this car at such a low price and has other buyers).

Abrasive or not, "im only making X off this vehicle so better act fast, I got other buyers lined up" is literally right out of the playbook of car sales (or other things like online scams). "Sales 101" says to try to create urgency in the buyer, so that they feel like they need to "act now or they might miss out / suffer some type of issue they would otherwise not suffer if they acted faster".

In other words, thats yet another red flag (and probably what caused you to feel scummy about the situation and post about it in the first place).

 

[drive16]

Since I sort of "buried the leade" on the above comment, I wanted to circle back and highlight my thoughts here. As I said, there is zero chance a competent car dealer has a vehicle in this price range priced 15k under comparable vehicles. In the job description of "car dealer" is making money on car transactions.

On new car purchases, there can be reasons why a car dealer might sell a car under market price (like they need to hit an incentive or something, so selling an extra vehicle triggers some escalator clause, etc) but on used vehicles, that isnt in play.

The only options here are that the dealer is incompetent, or there is something you are missing about the transaction. Those are the only options.


Abrasive or not, "im only making X off this vehicle so better act fast, I got other buyers lined up" is literally right out of the playbook of car sales (or other things like online scams). "Sales 101" says to try to create urgency in the buyer, so that they feel like they need to "act now or they might miss out / suffer some type of issue they would otherwise not suffer if they acted faster".

In other words, thats yet another red flag (and probably what caused you to feel scummy about the situation and post about it in the first place).

Thanks fkr the feedback…definitely feel like this car would sell fast given the pricing despite mileage. The software, interior, and body looked ok over FaceTime but the way that some of these used dealers are like “hmm this may not be for you” just makes me want to walk away instantly.

Oddly enough, they have incredible reviews (better than most used car dealers) about how helpful and serviceable they are. The guy said he’ll replace a scratched headlight (it’s like $120 on eBay) but I’m not confident with them being shady about the paint job. It’ll definitely lower the resale value down the line, but the car itself is still under the manufacture warranty (hence my desire to buy it) and the battery warranty would last for 4 years after that, too.

I’m inclined to fly there and see it in person and have it inspected by a third party. I know it’s not a salvage title and has had no accidents so it was pretty sus the way they acted on the phone. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[dbeiler]

Why does the specific paint matter? How did the type of paint used even come into the conversation? That's such a weird question to ask of the person who most likely wasn't even involved in the paint process.

 

[BuffaloMS]

120k on a 2020 is a lot of mileage. A normal ICE dealer is going to want to move it along, no one wants a car with that much mileage on the lot.

Be aware, the early ravens has unlimited mileage/8 year warranty, but after feb 2020 they went to 150k/8 years on the batteryLDU.

 

[BuffaloMS]

One more item, the car’s bumper to bumper warranty was 4 years and 50k miles, so its likely that it only has the battery and drive train warranty left

 

[andyzdeman]

HIGH AF milage for the year. It's a no brainer to avoid this if you have any suspicions whatsoever. Why?...
He's been "abrasive" before the purchase when he ideally should be keen to sell and be helpful. Imagine how much of a headache he would be to deal with after you bought it if anything went wrong!

 

[drive16]

Why does the specific paint matter? How did the type of paint used even come into the conversation? That's such a weird question to ask of the person who most likely wasn't even involved in the paint process.

I asked about the bumper condition and if it had PPF. The dealer said no PPF but he just repainted the bumper. That's what sparked the conversation.

In my last car, they didn't disclose aftermarket paint and parts (I didn't know to ask) which then started flaking in a few years and discolored way faster than the original paint. Based on that experience, I knew original paint and aftermarket paint could look very different in a couple of years.

I then asked about whether it was taken in by Tesla and repainted or if they somehow got Tesla paint...he said they didn't have Tesla paint it, so I asked about the paint used. He then refused to tell me what paint was used.

 

[drive16]

HIGH AF milage for the year. It's a no brainer to avoid this if you have any suspicions whatsoever. Why?...
He's been "abrasive" before the purchase when he ideally should be keen to sell and be helpful. Imagine how much of a headache he would be to deal with after you bought it if anything went wrong!

Absolutely, he emphasized how he wanted a customer who is not super detail-oriented and how they sold the car as-is, with no warranty (standard but still rude).

 

[drive16]

120k on a 2020 is a lot of mileage. A normal ICE dealer is going to want to move it along, no one wants a car with that much mileage on the lot.

Be aware, the early ravens has unlimited mileage/8 year warranty, but after feb 2020 they went to 150k/8 years on the batteryLDU.

Yeah, my family said as much. That was a point of concern, as well; i.e. if the car was driven roughly/battery was supercharged a lot and had materially deteriorated.

 

[AMPd]

Absolutely, he emphasized how he wanted a customer who is not super detail-oriented and how they sold the car as-is, with no warranty (standard but still rude).

I’d walk away, time is on your side, the dealer is holding the depreciating asset, not you. The longer they hold onto it the less chance they have of seeking it for the price they’re asking.

If they’re being abrasive, I would personally not give them any money, even if they’re making only a grand off the sale.

 

[dbeiler]

I asked about the bumper condition and if it had PPF. The dealer said no PPF but he just repainted the bumper. That's what sparked the conversation.

In my last car, they didn't disclose aftermarket paint and parts (I didn't know to ask) which then started flaking in a few years and discolored way faster than the original paint. Based on that experience, I knew original paint and aftermarket paint could look very different in a couple of years.

I then asked about whether it was taken in by Tesla and repainted or if they somehow got Tesla paint...he said they didn't have Tesla paint it, so I asked about the paint used. He then refused to tell me what paint was used.

There is no such thing as Tesla paint. The vast majority of automotive paint used by both auto manufactures and repair centers is made by one of only a few paint manufactures: PPG, Sico, etc. Doesn't matter if you have a $20K Versa or a $2 million Ferrari. The paint comes from the same barrel.

Any reputable autobody shop will warranty their paint job for as long as you own the vehicle. Paint is not destined to fail just because it was applied after the vehicle left the factory. If paint fails prematurely it is usually because of improper application technique: Clearcoat sprayed too dry, clearcoat sprayed too thin, insufficient wet sanding between coats, insufficient flash time, etc.

 

[BuffaloMS]

Not to be a jerk, but if you have this many concerns I would walk away and find something local. Bumper paint is cheap.

Outside of warranty, Tesla SC is not a cheap proposition.

 

[jay1122]

Eh, 120K miles is a lot of miles. Did a search on carguru, a 2020 with 135K for sale at $32.5K. Carguru thinks it is over valued. Gives fair market value of $29K. You said the model S is $15K under? Is it for sale at $20K? The basic warranty is long gone. The battery warranty is near. A brand new model s is only $75K.