I'll start. I bought a used 2005 Tahoe with 122k miles on it from Hendrick Acura in Charlotte. The only reservations I had about buying it was that I knew the transmissions get dicey after ~120k. But I also knew that I could buy one for ~$1600 and drop it in myself if/when the day came. I also knew that buying from a dealership I was paying about $1000 more than if I'd found a similar one via private party. But there's something to be said for the detailing job they do and the paltry 3 month warranty they provide. But the bottom line was the price was still pretty good and it was exactly what I was looking for.

Anyway, I pick it up Thursday afternoon right around closing time on my way back from a business trip in Spartanburg, SC. Everything was great, engine sounded good, no piston slap, transmission shifted well, no rust, etc. Drove it off the lot and was stoked to surprise my wife with it on her upcoming bday.

After about an hour and a half of driving like a champ, I stopped in Salisbury to grab some dinner, merged back on to I-85 and that's when the transmission failed. I'd lost 3rd and 4th gear and thus couldn't go more than 35mph. Limped it to Lexington, parked it and stayed with a buddy in High Point. Needless to say I was pretty pissed off at this point.

Called Dealership the next morning and [surprisingly] they snapped into action. They arranged for a tow to Hendrick Chevy in Cary. I dropped it off about 2pm on Friday afternoon. The purchase was so new that all my info wasn't even in the system yet for the warranty. They worked with Hendrick Acura to get a new transmission ordered that evening. It was on their dock by Saturday morning and I had the Tahoe back by Saturday afternoon. New transmission has a 3yr/100k mile warranty.

So I went from angry buyer's remorse to elated. Anyone else have any harrowing tales of used car purchases gone wrong... maybe some that didn't end as happily as mine did?

10/28/2013 10:11:33 AM

Did you have any out of pocket costs?

10/28/2013 10:32:23 AM

Is it normal to replace a transmission in a single day like that? Was it overnighted from somewhere else? Are you sure it was brand new?

10/28/2013 10:41:05 AM

^^None. Well, I had to pay $240 for the tow from Lexington to Cary, but Hendrick Acura is reimbursing that expense, so eventually it will be $0.

^This 4 speed paired with the 5.3L is what they've used in a bazillion Silverados/Sierras and Tahoes/Suburbans/Yukons. I've never done one myself but a friend of mine replaced his Yukon's in a Saturday. I don't think it's a stretch to think that mechanics at a Chevy dealership who have done it a million times and have all the right tools and equipment could pull it off in ~8 hrs.

I have all the documentation for the transmission. It comes from the mfg all shiny and ready to go, it even has fluid in it already. It's a drop and swap.

10/28/2013 11:37:28 AM

A little frustration on your end and you get a new transmission on a truck with over 100k miles. Not a bad deal at all.

I wonder what the PO dumped in there before trading it in/sending it to auction? I don't think it's a coincidence.

[Edited on October 28, 2013 at 11:59 AM. Reason : l]

10/28/2013 11:59:05 AM

helped an ex-gf buy a car (diff horror story hohoho). within 7 days the steering column was completely borked. 1 or 2 of the tires were leaking so much that they would go flat during a work day as well.

they tried to tell us tough shit at first, but for a car with 60k to be completely unusable in <7 days doesn't speak too well of their "XXX step inspection." they eventually paid for everything, but we had to be pretty forceful.

10/28/2013 1:09:54 PM

That Tahoe story reminds me of my parents' experience with their Crown Vic. Bought a 1997 Crown Victoria LX with 31,000 miles on it in 2003 (they had wanted a 2000 or newer but the low mileage was appealing). Got it at Carmax and paid for the extended warranty on it, which I gave them a hard time about. What's going to go wrong on a 31K mile car, even if it was 6+ years old?

About three months later, at 33K miles, on the way back from visiting family in Richmond, the transmission fails and takes the torque converter with it. Because they got the extended warranty that I had advised against, what would have been a nearly $3K repair cost them the $50 "copay" and not a cent more.

Ten years later, that Crown Vic is sitting outside my house as I type this, currently with 101K miles on it. The parents gave the car to me beginning of this year when they replaced it with a 2010 Grand Marquis. While it's had a few problems over the years (a fiendishly difficult to reconcile A/C issue being the most expensive one) that transmission, and the whole engine for that matter, have been rock solid ever since.

10/29/2013 3:27:14 AM

My second car was a 1994 pointiac sunbird.

Parents bought it in 2000 with 16k miles, it had sat in an old ladys garage undriven for about 5 years.

About 2 days into owning it, i hit the brakes, and the best I can describe the feeling is "Catch then Grease"

i got it back to the dealership(Pretty reputable, and parents had bought 2 cars from them prior to this) using the emergency brake and driving in 2nd gear (automatic).


They pretty much replaced everything that could dry rot/age on the car.

I still miss that slow ass slug.

10/29/2013 11:08:06 PM

I bought a 2002 Honda Accord 4-cyl, 5-speed with less than 95k last year. Its run like a top but the heater never blew hot air. Dealership said they would fix it before delivery and they go it blow hot but it crapped out on the way home. We did this about 4 times (replaced, radiator, hoses, thermo, core) and still nothing. I just gave up on running it back to the dealership every week. Besides, I only drive this car once, maybe twice a week.

Other horror stories? You haven't lived till you call up a victim and tell them they bought a car thinking it only had 100,000k miles and in reality it has 300+

[Edited on October 30, 2013 at 7:23 PM. Reason : ///]

10/30/2013 7:20:27 PM