[R_Rahl]

I saw a dealer that was offering a stellar price for a 16 hellcat Challenger. They sent me the carfax and the title shows lemon/buyback.

No accident
No damage
2 owner
5 service history records
Loss of oil pressure/engine noise
Computer reprogrammed electrical checked

Passed safety/inspection
6200 miles or so.

Dealer is telling me it still has the 3 year bumper to bumper and 5 year power train.

Is this something I want to get in to or pass it by?

Obviously it sounds and drives okay and warranty is warranty but I don't know enough about engines to speculate what issues it could have had that early in its life.


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[fyrdude]

Sounds scary to me. I'd rather spend a little more and start with a clean slate instead of dealing with a car with known negative history.

 

[Hal H]

I wouldn't want an engine that experienced loss of oil pressure.

You don't know how long or what rpm it was run at.

two owners within 6.2k. Makes me wonder how it was used, then traded in with not many miles.

 

[R_Rahl]

Yeah idk, they claim it came from Florida then ended up in Texas and at 49k a steal other used ones are around 52 for clean titles. Still never know how someone treats their car..


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[ScatSRT]

If you are interested, offer the dealer $45K. It's still a heck of a deal for a whole lot of car. If you have an issue, it's under warranty. Just my humble opinion.

 

[R_Rahl]

If you are interested, offer the dealer $45K. It's still a heck of a deal for a whole lot of car. If you have an issue, it's under warranty. Just my humble opinion.

Yeah you're not wrong. If I got it I'm basically stuck with it. No one will buy it or let me trade it in once it's out of its warranty I'm sure.

Not unless I sold it for super dirt cheap. That could probably be negotiated...idk. Worth a call. I'll let you know.


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[19johned53]

A "lemon" regular car is bad enough, a HC "lemon".......no way.


You've got HC fever, take a deep breath and run. Do you really want a HC so badly that you would buy a lemon?????

 

[Fawls]

Did I get this right? Three thousand difference from a lemon and other used ones? That much I would pay the difference, if the "lemon" was owned by "precious owner(s)" and is not as bad as it appears it may be a good buy at a further reduced price... my 2c

 

[R_Rahl]

Did I get this right? Three thousand difference from a lemon and other used ones? That much I would pay the difference, if the "lemon" was owned by "precious owner(s)" and is not as bad as it appears it may be a good buy at a further reduced price... my 2c

You guys make good points. Even if I got the HC at 45 who would buy or trade it in with that title? I'm ultimately looking to get a 17+, for the android auto.

So it's a good deal for someone maybe, but not me. No telling what happened to that car.


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[RussDavis]

I felt a little different. Just picked up a 16 Plum Crazy. Was a factory buy back. Oil light and engine noise. Replaced the engine at 900 miles. I was given a complete report from Chrysler and additional warranty. I am less concerned about it because if the engine needed replaced I'd rather it done at the factory than my local hack dealership. How many of these lost superchargers and repaired at the dealers. As for the car fax, when and if I get rid of it (probably not at 62) what does it matter what happened at 900 miles. Its a machine not all machines are perfect. Beat them up on the price. Mine 2300 miles only driven by the owner of the dealership. Not a mark on it. I was very happy at 50k

 

[RussDavis]

I felt a little different. Just picked up a 16 Plum Crazy. Was a factory buy back. Oil light and engine noise. Replaced the engine at 900 miles. I was given a complete report from Chrysler and additional warranty. I am less concerned about it because if the engine needed replaced I'd rather it done at the factory than my local hack dealership. How many of these lost superchargers and repaired at the dealers. As for the car fax, when and if I get rid of it (probably not at 62) what does it matter what happened at 900 miles. Its a machine not all machines are perfect. Beat them up on the price. Mine 2300 miles only driven by the owner of the dealership. Not a mark on it. I was very happy at 50k

Another

 

[Justintime2]

That's an awfully big gamble, just figure out if you can afford to take it and then don't cry if the tab comes due at some point...

If you can't do that then walk away.

 

[R_Rahl]

I felt a little different. Just picked up a 16 Plum Crazy. Was a factory buy back. Oil light and engine noise. Replaced the engine at 900 miles. I was given a complete report from Chrysler and additional warranty. I am less concerned about it because if the engine needed replaced I'd rather it done at the factory than my local hack dealership. How many of these lost superchargers and repaired at the dealers. As for the car fax, when and if I get rid of it (probably not at 62) what does it matter what happened at 900 miles. Its a machine not all machines are perfect. Beat them up on the price. Mine 2300 miles only driven by the owner of the dealership. Not a mark on it. I was very happy at 50k

They originally told me it came with a one year buyback warranty for unlimited miles on top of the three and five year but it had already been sold to someone and returned again this year.

Idk, the salesman told me initially there was no way for him to figure out why it was returned and a bunch of salesman bull shit until i made a direct request for carfax. And even those don't show the whole picture. I'm just going to keep saving and wait.


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[R_Rahl]

Well I offered 45k just to see. They emailed me back and said no. Then the sales guy called me to try and work a deal. I told him if they move 100's of these cars a month (buybacks) then it's a good deal.

He insinuated I was trying to get a 17 for 40 grand ( I told him prior I was just going to save my money and get a 17) then said I was looking for a steal not a deal and hung up on me.

They also initially stated they couldn't find any service record of initial problem early on.

Terry at Bonham Dodge in Texas then hung up on me. So if you were smart you'd probably stay away from them.


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[RussDavis]

Well I offered 45k just to see. They emailed me back and said no. Then the sales guy called me to try and work a deal. I told him if they move 100's of these cars a month (buybacks) then it's a good deal.

I went to a respected dealer that handles these cars. And I was given all the paperwork from Chrysler. So far he has sold lots of these cars with no returns. He also personally drove the car for 1400 miles. I also would have walked away from a multiple return. But all manufacturers have buy backs, millions. In the older days they fixed the car and you got it back. Then states made it easier for a person to cry about things and force the buyback. Think of all the things that are sold and have a defect or a malfunction. Like I said it a machine and we built them not all are perfect.

 

[damnimcooltom]

They originally told me it came with a one year buyback warranty for unlimited miles on top of the three and five year but it had already been sold to someone and returned again this year.

Idk, the salesman told me initially there was no way for him to figure out why it was returned and a bunch of salesman bull shit until i made a direct request for carfax. And even those don't show the whole picture. I'm just going to keep saving and wait.


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Ask them for a multi-vin report. It's an internal report that the service department uses. It shows when the car was built, where it was originally shipped, when it was sold, etc. It also shows all service work done, a build sheet, and other stuff. If an FCA dealer says they can't show you the history, they are full of guano.

 

[NavyMech]

Almost two years ago DW and I bought a 2014 Jeep Cherokee Limited that was a buyback/lemon. Had a transmission shifting issue, fixed by Chrysler, extended the warranty a year etc... Had no issues with it ever, fast forward to a week ago and two kids later we needed something bigger so we go hunting. Long story short since it was a "branded" title we lost money on the trade value. What I learned is with a clean title my Jeep was worth 17k, we got a great deal on it when we bought it but it didn't prepare me for the loss in value due to the branded title. First dealership offered us 10k because they were afraid of the title, 2nd dealer came in at 14k and that was after some negotiating and clearly explaining there was nothing wrong with the car, showing them the form from Chrysler saying there was nothing wrong and having a salesman and manager that actually listened. If you are planning on keeping the HC and never trading it and want to take the risk, albeit low risk of something going wrong with the car then I say go for it. Two owners on the carfax most likely means the first owner got tired of having problems and when that happens Chrysler has to buy the car back, hence the second owner which was the case on my title. If you plan on trading the HC down the road expect to lose 25-30% of the trade in value.

 

[R_Rahl]

Sounds scary to me. I'd rather spend a little more and start with a clean slate instead of dealing with a car with known negative history.

Yeah, so I just got into a 17 destroyer grey hellcat brand new. Just in case...a little more money and a whole lot more peace of mind.


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[fyrdude]

Good move, good luck, and good safe driving to you.