Hoplite666
New member
Good afternoon all,
I've spent the better part of the last few weeks researching Montero's up and down and have gotten myself up to speed and ready buy a gen3.
Wanted to share my dissapointing experience.
Last week I emailed a dealership that has an 04 for sale. Seemed clean. 73k.
They failed to reply to my emails in any kind of timely manner and also failed to "call me back" several times.
The car is 2 hours away and I wanted to hear more about it and verify availability before making the trek.
I was also curious where in the hell the nearly $16k price tag was coming from.
Eventually the man I was in communication with told me an owner or manager was treating it as a daily driver since it came to them and perhaps that individual wasn't too eager to let it go, hence the stupid high price. But the "real" price was actually $10k. Still high in my opinion. Even for what carfax was telling me is a one owner car. Blue book excellent condition is somewhere close to $6k.
So I arrange to have the car made available between 1130 and 12 today. They tell me who ever is driving it will be there and the Montero will be ready for me to check out and test drive etc.
I get there and the man I had emailed is squirming, he passes me onto another saleswoman and together they tell me it's down the road at there other dealer. I think they were expecting me to be more upset than I was. Maybe I should have been. I did take time to try ensure it would be there and told then I was coming from out of the area.
So I drive over there with the saleswoman. 10 mins down the road.
The Montero is dirty. Child seat in the back. Mud kicked onto the back of the seat. Trash and receipts strewn about. They made no effort to prepare it for any kind of inspection. Leather is cracked here and there. Under carriage a mildly rusty and typical sweaty, seeping oil here and there. Check engine light on for a catalytic converter they say they are installing before sale. Power antenna broken. Also being changed before sale.
So much for being ready for me when I get there as was implied.
Sooo, those were the obvious things. It drove well enough. I'm an industrial mechanic and have turned more than a few wrenches. My initial visual inspection revealed typical things and the test drive left me feeling good about stopping starting turning and all that good stuff.
The engine is super clean.
Come to find out they changed it. Why? They don't know. Have to find the paperwork. Is it from a junked car... they dunno..
Oh wait. Now it's a "rebuilt engine." "We can find the paperwork."
There were other odd bits and statements here and there.
Am I venting? Lol
In a nutshell.
Car not as clean or pristine as implied. Wishy washy stories and background as far as maintenance and pending repairs they are supposed to be doing. No professionalism and or consideration for my two hour drive and request it be there and ready for me to buy.
All of that aside a proper detailing and the completion of pending repairs certainly would make it a good example of a gen3. The engine block, intake manifold and other heartbeat type equipment under the hood does look brand new. Trans fluid cleanish. Newer winter tires. No clunks, squeaks or other stand out issues.
I basically left the dealer politely thanking them for wasting my time and said to contact me if and when its repaired, newer engine paperwork in order and cleaned and ready for me to give it a look over. Even then though I said it still only seemed like a $6k car. Not 9k and certainly not 16k.
This isn't a cheapo used car dealer either. Very large reputable regional auto group. I don't want one of you guys stealing this car out from under me..hahah.. it may clean up nice and they may get the story and paper work in order and I may go back and consider it again. But if you want to see what I'm talking about you can find it on auto trader for sale in the Gettysburg area. Renn Kirby Kia
I've spent the better part of the last few weeks researching Montero's up and down and have gotten myself up to speed and ready buy a gen3.
Wanted to share my dissapointing experience.
Last week I emailed a dealership that has an 04 for sale. Seemed clean. 73k.
They failed to reply to my emails in any kind of timely manner and also failed to "call me back" several times.
The car is 2 hours away and I wanted to hear more about it and verify availability before making the trek.
I was also curious where in the hell the nearly $16k price tag was coming from.
Eventually the man I was in communication with told me an owner or manager was treating it as a daily driver since it came to them and perhaps that individual wasn't too eager to let it go, hence the stupid high price. But the "real" price was actually $10k. Still high in my opinion. Even for what carfax was telling me is a one owner car. Blue book excellent condition is somewhere close to $6k.
So I arrange to have the car made available between 1130 and 12 today. They tell me who ever is driving it will be there and the Montero will be ready for me to check out and test drive etc.
I get there and the man I had emailed is squirming, he passes me onto another saleswoman and together they tell me it's down the road at there other dealer. I think they were expecting me to be more upset than I was. Maybe I should have been. I did take time to try ensure it would be there and told then I was coming from out of the area.
So I drive over there with the saleswoman. 10 mins down the road.
The Montero is dirty. Child seat in the back. Mud kicked onto the back of the seat. Trash and receipts strewn about. They made no effort to prepare it for any kind of inspection. Leather is cracked here and there. Under carriage a mildly rusty and typical sweaty, seeping oil here and there. Check engine light on for a catalytic converter they say they are installing before sale. Power antenna broken. Also being changed before sale.
So much for being ready for me when I get there as was implied.
Sooo, those were the obvious things. It drove well enough. I'm an industrial mechanic and have turned more than a few wrenches. My initial visual inspection revealed typical things and the test drive left me feeling good about stopping starting turning and all that good stuff.
The engine is super clean.
Come to find out they changed it. Why? They don't know. Have to find the paperwork. Is it from a junked car... they dunno..
Oh wait. Now it's a "rebuilt engine." "We can find the paperwork."
There were other odd bits and statements here and there.
Am I venting? Lol
In a nutshell.
Car not as clean or pristine as implied. Wishy washy stories and background as far as maintenance and pending repairs they are supposed to be doing. No professionalism and or consideration for my two hour drive and request it be there and ready for me to buy.
All of that aside a proper detailing and the completion of pending repairs certainly would make it a good example of a gen3. The engine block, intake manifold and other heartbeat type equipment under the hood does look brand new. Trans fluid cleanish. Newer winter tires. No clunks, squeaks or other stand out issues.
I basically left the dealer politely thanking them for wasting my time and said to contact me if and when its repaired, newer engine paperwork in order and cleaned and ready for me to give it a look over. Even then though I said it still only seemed like a $6k car. Not 9k and certainly not 16k.
This isn't a cheapo used car dealer either. Very large reputable regional auto group. I don't want one of you guys stealing this car out from under me..hahah.. it may clean up nice and they may get the story and paper work in order and I may go back and consider it again. But if you want to see what I'm talking about you can find it on auto trader for sale in the Gettysburg area. Renn Kirby Kia
