‘$500-plus for just the part’: Mechanic issues pre-purchase inspection warning when Toyota Corolla comes in
Foregoing essential car maintenance can carry serious consequences and can compound costs down the road. That’s at least the warning one auto shop is sharing with viewers in a now-viral TikTok.
In a recent video, user @davesengines, which posts car-related videos, showed viewers the dangers of buying a new car without getting a pre-purchase inspection completed first. The clip had amassed more than 108,500 views.
A mechanic in the video, named Miles, said that buying a car is “one of the scariest things that everybody does.”
What are the risks with buying a new car as-is?
To demonstrate the risks that come with buying a car without first getting it checked, Miles showed viewers a Toyota Corolla. The car, he said, was brought in for a used car and/or pre-purchase inspection.
And it was a good thing the prospective buyer brought it in for servicing, Miles said.
“We found tons of stuff wrong with it,” he said.
Miles showed viewers one of the car’s interior parts, which he said was damaged. The piece, he said, was “barely hanging on.”
“This would’ve cost the customer, if they hadn’t done the inspection, $500-plus for just the part,” he said. “No labor or anything. And your car will not pass an emissions test if this is broken—which it was.”
Meanwhile, Miles added that all of the car’s engine mounts were totally “shot or destroyed.” He held up one particular piece that he said was “cracked” and “loose.”
He ended his video with a PSA to viewers: “Don’t spend money unless you know it’s a good investment.”
How can buyers avoid these issues?
In his video, Miles credited the customer for coming into the auto shop before purchasing the car. He said that, by doing so, they were “able to save themselves from a lot of headaches.”
But in the comments, viewers doubted that a pre-purchase inspection would solve everything. In fact, several commenters noted that, for more pre-purchase inspections, the cars are not completely disassembled as Miles did with the Corolla.
“Never seen an inspection where they removed parts?” one viewer questioned.
“I’ve never seen someone disassemble the entire car just for a used car inspection,” another added.
Others, meanwhile, said that car issues are part of the deal when buying a cheap, used vehicle.
“I mean, what are you expecting for a $4,000 car and it’s like 15 years old,” one user said.
“Any old car is going to have some issues that’s why it’s used and sold as is,” another wrote. “Not everything should be perfect.”
@davesengines BEWARE! Educate yourself before you sink ???? into to vehicle - we’re temporarily offering a free “pre-purchase inspection” to download to help you in this nerve racking process #autoshop #autorepair #usedcar #enginebuild #enginerepair ♬ original sound - Dave’s Engines
Miles agreed. In a comment he wrote that most used cars are going to have issues. Still, he recommended “knowing what the issues are before purchasing.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Miles via TikTok comment.
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