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A MAN who bought a used VW got a nasty shock when he was hit with a $10,000 repair bill.
Bodhi had been excited to purchase the 1988 Volkswagen Caravelle – but feelings quickly turned sour after he was lumped with three massive costs.
Bodhi was hit with three costly repair bills[/caption]
Speaking on TikTok, Bodhi showed his followers screenshots of the $6,486.65, $2,954.57, and $2,731.67 bills.
It came with the caption: “‘Buy an old car,’ they said, ‘It’ll be fun,’ they said.”
The video quickly went viral – and has currently garnered 437,000 views.
In the comments, Bodhi elaborated on the nature of the bills – saying one was due to a dodgy mechanic who “took [him] for a ride” and the other two were to fix the first mechanic’s mistakes.
Users flooded in to offer advice to the disgruntled motorist – but it was too late.
Everyone agreed that doing your own repairs is the way to go with classic cars.
One commenter wrote: “Never buy an old car unless you can work on it yourself. I’ve saved myself tens of thousands [of dollars] by doing my own work.”
Another echoed: “You’re supposed to work on it yourself. Hope this helps.”
And a third added: “Don’t buy an old car unless you’re prepared to work on it yourself.”
However, one commenter defended Bodhi, writing: “I have a 65-year-old classic car which I drive often I do 95% of the work myself. So far, I’ve owned it for 4 years, just the parts cost me 11 grand.”
Meanwhile, another said they’d had a better experience getting their classic car professionally restored.
They wrote: “30-year-old Toyota Camry has cost me less than one of your bills. $2,000 and spent maybe $800 on it in services in 4 years.”
Question-and-answer site Quora has been flooded over the years with debates about whether older cars are more expensive to restore.
In a thread from 2022, users generally agreed that older cars are simpler to repair as they are less technologically complicated.
One response read: “Older cars are more repairable. I can’t even do a simple task like changing the brake pads on my new Jaguar without it having to be plugged into a computer.
“I still have an older Mercedes E320 and can do that same job in about one-and-a-half hours and costs [$50]. Jaguar had to be in the garage for the day and cost me [$231].”
However, like Bodhi’s, classic cars can incur larger costs in some cases – like if a part is no longer manufactured or the engine needs replacing.
It comes as a woman accused mechanics of charging her $3,000 for repairs that were never carried out on her van.
She also alleged that upon confronting the auto repair owner she was ordered to pay $1,400 before the Mercedes-Benz sprinter van would be returned.
How to make sure you don't buy a lemon
By Kristen Brown
A VETERAN car salesman has shared his advice for how car buyers should avoid accidentally being scammed into buying a lemon.
Elliot Greenblott, a car salesman with a few decades under his belt, said the first thing buyers should do is research the reputation of the dealership by browsing the Better Business Bureau’s online resources.
There, shoppers can get a better idea of the typical experience had at a particular dealership.
When browsing a dealership’s inventory online, buyers should run a car’s VIN number through a vehicle history reporting website like CarFax or Bumper.com to ensure the vehicle hasn’t been in serious accidents or a flood, Greenblott said.
It would also give people a good idea of what repairs have already been done to a vehicle, whether there are recalls associated with the VIN, and how many people have owned it.
“Whether new or used, thoroughly examine the vehicle and its travel history. Any gaps in terms of vehicle possession should be a red flag,” Greenblott wrote for The Berkshire Eagle.
If everything with the VIN checks out, Greenblott suggests an in-person walk-around of the vehicle to check the condition of the interior and exterior.
Depending on where a shopper lives, it’s important to check for signs that the car has encountered a flood.
“Look for the following: a musty odor (you may literally need to put your nose to the floor and upholstery); loose material or stains; damp carpets; mud or silt in hard-to-reach places; fog or moisture in lighting units,” said Greenblott.
“Walk away from the offer if any of these conditions are present and file a complaint with your state consumer protection agency.”
Cars that exhibit these conditions can be fixed if someone is savvy enough, though a large amount of water can cause issues with the wiring down the line.
Finally, Greenblott touched on special offers or discounts presented to people via email, which more often than not aren’t legitimate.
“While there is a possibility that some of these offers are legitimate, the vast majority are not,” Greenblott said.
“They are generally ‘phishing expeditions’ attempting to obtain personal information or steal from you.”
Greenblott advised to avoid clicking any links or filling out any forms.
The best thing interested parties can do is call the dealership and confirm that the offer is legit.
TikTok user Bodhi has talked of his experiences after purchasing a VW Caravelle[/caption]
