Dear Tom and Ray:

I am negotiating the purchase of a used Subaru Outback from a large used-car dealership. I know you recommend that I take it to my own mechanic for an inspection before buying it, but this dealership claims it can't let the car off site for an inspection due to insurance issues. It seems to have no problem with me bringing someone here to inspect the car, but that would cost me a lot more, and my own mechanic doesn't offer that service. Should I insist on bringing the car to my own mechanic, or is the dealership legit in claiming that it needs one of its own employees in the car when it goes off site? Is this a deal breaker? Are they hiding something? -- Adrian

Ray: Well, the dealership might not know it's hiding anything, but it might end up hiding something.

Tom: The reason we insist on an independent inspection of a used car is because the person selling the car -- by definition -- is not looking out for your interests. So you, the buyer, have to hire your own mechanic to look out for your interests.

Ray: And I think it IS a deal breaker. Personally, I've never run into that insurance story. But even if it's true, that doesn't preclude an independent inspection. We do lots of used-car inspections for our customers at the garage. And many times, an employee from the dealership or the owner of the used car will bring the car to us. We'll tell him to go have lunch while we inspect the car. We tell him to come back in three hours ... and bring us back something to eat! Lots of dealerships are willing to make this kind of arrangement in order to make a sale.

Tom: If we find minor problems with the car -- belts, hoses, water-pump leak, etc. -- the customer can insist that the dealership fix them before he buys the car, saving himself hundreds of dollars. And if we find major problems with the car -- an accident, oil burning or world-beating b.o. -- we can tell the customer to forget about this one, potentially saving him thousands of dollars.

Ray: So if these guys really want to sell you a car, tell them that they're going to have to figure out a way to get the Outback to your mechanic for a few hours. And if they're unwilling to do that, leave this Outback out in back of the used-car lot. There are many, many used cars out there to choose from. You want one your mechanic can inspect for you before you buy it.

© 2002 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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