So, I’m selling the car my son has been driving since high school. This car was new in 2004. It was new to me in 2013 — almost ten years later. My son is now driving a different car and we’re tired of paying insurance for an extra vehicle that just sits most of the time.
People keep asking two questions when they respond to the classified advertisement:
- Does the car have a clean title?
- Is there anything wrong with it?
Okay — first — why would I sell a car that I didn’t have free and clear ownership? Do people do this frequently enough that a buyer finds it necessary to ask? If the car had a salvage title, I would indicate this in my post. I told them everything else I could think to tell in the description of the car. Otherwise, I’m selling MY car. The one I own. It has a title sitting in the file cabinet that’s been there since the day the DMV provided it to me when I bought this USED car.
Second, yes, the car has some stuff wrong with it. Stuff that happens when a car is FIFTEEN years old. There’s some rust forming on the quarter panels. Very little, but it’s there. I indicate this in the ad. The air conditioner needs to be recharged. I indicate this in the ad. It has a small dent under the right rear window CLEARLY VISIBLE in the photos that accompany the ad. I indicate that the car has been driven very little in the past few years and that it still runs really well — with a new battery, brand new headlight assemblies (none of that fogged up plastic nonsense) and a new shift cable installed within the last six months.
But — is there anything wrong with it? Yes. It’s FIFTEEN YEARS OLD. Come take a look and see if it’s acceptable to you. Your interpretation of “something wrong” is entirely yours. I, of course, have a Rich Perspective.
If you live near Dayton Ohio and want to see this car, be my guest. I’m selling a 15 year old car for roughly $1500. Don’t expect it to be showroom clean and fresh. It’s FIFTEEN years old. It’s $1500; not $30k.