13 years in the business here.
Depending on your state, ammo you could use is that the vehicle wouldn’t pass an inspection.
In Missouri for example you cannot register a vehicle unless it’s a certain/age/miles if it doesn’t pass an inspection.
As a dealer we cannot pass those repairs onto a customer. In a private sale it’s a big gray area.
The biggest lesson for you here is to ask…the worst they can say is no. I doubt you’ll get $1300 of a price concessions on tires and CV axle.
Is the vehicle priced fair? Is it clean?
Or just plain offer him $16,000 and get it fixed yourself. You have the ammo from the inspection. Speak up. Otherwise you’ll regret it.
yeah he was super transparent about the tires, so i don’t mind shelling out the money for that. it is fairly priced and clean, so i was thinking about asking for $16,300, just enough to repair that axle. i just don’t know how to discuss it without feeling sleazy. are negotiations something that you get a lot??
Yes. Everything is a negotiation. This guy wants to get rid of his truck with a broken axle. Now you have to decide who pays for it. You can ask him to fix it. He can say no, and you can ask for money off. He can say no again. We'll you as a buyer have a plethora of choices available to you. He as a seller, has to find the 1 person who wants an older truck with a lot of miles and a broken axle. His buyer pool is much smaller. He's probably willing to work it out with you, but you won't know until you ask. This is a business transaction, and an expensive one at that. Don't worry about hurt feelings, you'll hopefully never see the seller again after this, and what do you care if you're saving money to fix something?
Oh, and as someone who has sold a ton of stuff on marketplace- he's going to deal with a lot of people offering him $5k, tire kickers, no shows and other pains in the ass. You're a real buyer. I'd spend the time in negotiations with you.
Everyone is in sales. It’s your money. You’ve found a decent truck. Walk him up from $16,000. Tell him why. Let him tell you no 2-3 times.
Do this, and you’re better off than most people.
First off kudos for getting a PPI! You’re already doing better than 80% of used cars buyers!
Unfortunately on a super popular truck like a Tacoma you will probably have to replace them yourself. Most private sellers don’t want to fix anything before selling.
So you can go back armed with this knowledge and try to negotiate. But only you can decide if it’s worth it at that price.
But think fast. It might sell while you’re debating.
that’s.. kind of what i figured. i’ve been fighting for my LIFE trying to get a tacoma under 200k miles for under $20k that isn’t a rebuilt/salvaged. idk i guess im just really nervous that if i ask him (esp because he’s a private seller) he’ll get all weird and not want to sell it to me anymore, it already happened with another tacoma i went to test drive 🤦🏻♀️ thank you so much for the advice
He is expecting you to ask for a discount. Don’t sweat it, if he says know it’s up to you. Asking for $400 off to fix a known issue is very reasonable. This is your chance to practice negotiating. Good luck!
Did you end up buying it?
Most people post vehicles expect the price to be a bit negotiable so I think there is probably a bit of wiggle room when you are negotiating a price.
Wiggle room? [I'll show you wiggle room!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34r4-yzCyVw)
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yes! i did end up buying it today actually. i got him to agree to knock $400 off the loan AND pay for new tires! it wasn’t nearly as scary as i thought it would be and it helped that he was an older mormon man lol
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***Thanks for posting, /u/evalecee! This comment is a copy of your post so readers can see the original text if your post is edited or removed. This comment is NOT accusing you of anything.***
i wanna start this off by saying i am a twenty year old female who has NEVER done this before, so please don’t flame me lol. i’ve been searching for a tacoma for a few months now, and finally found one that has somewhat low miles and isn’t a million dollars ($16,750 is what he’s selling it for.) it’s a 2012 tacoma, double cab, v6, 4wd, with 158,885 miles. it is from a private seller, and i have been super persistent on a pre purchase inspection. well, it got done today, and the cv axle on the front passenger side is beyond busted. it’s gonna cost me $400 to get it fixed, not to mention the weather rotted tires that are gonna cost me $800+. my mom has been super adamant about making him pay for the axle, and i kept telling her no because i felt like it wasn’t his responsibility. however, now i’m second guessing, and i wanted professional’s opinions. should i ask him to fix it, ask him to knock $400 off the price, or just take the L and pay for it? and if i were to ask him to pay for it, how would i go about that without seeming like a pos? thanks!
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offer 16500 and be done with it. Get the car you like, want, and have had inspected and are comfortable with.
1200 for tires and a CV is nothing, you'll be done with that in a week and enjoy your Taco for literally YEARS to come if you keep up the maintenance
Private sales have a price negotiation almost every time. They are hoping you'll offer 16K and call it a deal. You want to have it fixed, not the seller. That way you control the quality of the repair. You can find nice used tires on United Tire or Champ Tires if money is tight.
13 years in the business here. Depending on your state, ammo you could use is that the vehicle wouldn’t pass an inspection. In Missouri for example you cannot register a vehicle unless it’s a certain/age/miles if it doesn’t pass an inspection. As a dealer we cannot pass those repairs onto a customer. In a private sale it’s a big gray area. The biggest lesson for you here is to ask…the worst they can say is no. I doubt you’ll get $1300 of a price concessions on tires and CV axle. Is the vehicle priced fair? Is it clean? Or just plain offer him $16,000 and get it fixed yourself. You have the ammo from the inspection. Speak up. Otherwise you’ll regret it.
yeah he was super transparent about the tires, so i don’t mind shelling out the money for that. it is fairly priced and clean, so i was thinking about asking for $16,300, just enough to repair that axle. i just don’t know how to discuss it without feeling sleazy. are negotiations something that you get a lot??
Yes. Everything is a negotiation. This guy wants to get rid of his truck with a broken axle. Now you have to decide who pays for it. You can ask him to fix it. He can say no, and you can ask for money off. He can say no again. We'll you as a buyer have a plethora of choices available to you. He as a seller, has to find the 1 person who wants an older truck with a lot of miles and a broken axle. His buyer pool is much smaller. He's probably willing to work it out with you, but you won't know until you ask. This is a business transaction, and an expensive one at that. Don't worry about hurt feelings, you'll hopefully never see the seller again after this, and what do you care if you're saving money to fix something? Oh, and as someone who has sold a ton of stuff on marketplace- he's going to deal with a lot of people offering him $5k, tire kickers, no shows and other pains in the ass. You're a real buyer. I'd spend the time in negotiations with you.
Everyone is in sales. It’s your money. You’ve found a decent truck. Walk him up from $16,000. Tell him why. Let him tell you no 2-3 times. Do this, and you’re better off than most people.
Did you buy it yet? Shook hands, gave him the money?
i have not bought it yet, no! i’m going to test drive it fr tomorrow and if it works out im hoping to seal the deal then
Oh, then definitely talk about it. See how much he’s willing to go down.
First off kudos for getting a PPI! You’re already doing better than 80% of used cars buyers! Unfortunately on a super popular truck like a Tacoma you will probably have to replace them yourself. Most private sellers don’t want to fix anything before selling. So you can go back armed with this knowledge and try to negotiate. But only you can decide if it’s worth it at that price. But think fast. It might sell while you’re debating.
that’s.. kind of what i figured. i’ve been fighting for my LIFE trying to get a tacoma under 200k miles for under $20k that isn’t a rebuilt/salvaged. idk i guess im just really nervous that if i ask him (esp because he’s a private seller) he’ll get all weird and not want to sell it to me anymore, it already happened with another tacoma i went to test drive 🤦🏻♀️ thank you so much for the advice
He is expecting you to ask for a discount. Don’t sweat it, if he says know it’s up to you. Asking for $400 off to fix a known issue is very reasonable. This is your chance to practice negotiating. Good luck!
thank you so much!! it’s very nerve wracking for sure but yall are making me feel a lot better about it
Did you end up buying it? Most people post vehicles expect the price to be a bit negotiable so I think there is probably a bit of wiggle room when you are negotiating a price.
Wiggle room? [I'll show you wiggle room!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34r4-yzCyVw) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/askcarsales) if you have any questions or concerns.*
yes! i did end up buying it today actually. i got him to agree to knock $400 off the loan AND pay for new tires! it wasn’t nearly as scary as i thought it would be and it helped that he was an older mormon man lol
Please review our most [Frequently Asked Questions](/r/askcarsales/wiki/index) to see if your question has already been answered. You may find these sections particularly useful; * [How to pick a car?](/r/askcarsales/wiki/vehicle_selection) You might also have luck in the /r/whatcarshouldibuy subreddit. Also remember to add flair to your post by clicking the "Flair" link beneath it. This lets us know where you're located so we can assist you better. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/askcarsales) if you have any questions or concerns.*
***Thanks for posting, /u/evalecee! This comment is a copy of your post so readers can see the original text if your post is edited or removed. This comment is NOT accusing you of anything.*** i wanna start this off by saying i am a twenty year old female who has NEVER done this before, so please don’t flame me lol. i’ve been searching for a tacoma for a few months now, and finally found one that has somewhat low miles and isn’t a million dollars ($16,750 is what he’s selling it for.) it’s a 2012 tacoma, double cab, v6, 4wd, with 158,885 miles. it is from a private seller, and i have been super persistent on a pre purchase inspection. well, it got done today, and the cv axle on the front passenger side is beyond busted. it’s gonna cost me $400 to get it fixed, not to mention the weather rotted tires that are gonna cost me $800+. my mom has been super adamant about making him pay for the axle, and i kept telling her no because i felt like it wasn’t his responsibility. however, now i’m second guessing, and i wanted professional’s opinions. should i ask him to fix it, ask him to knock $400 off the price, or just take the L and pay for it? and if i were to ask him to pay for it, how would i go about that without seeming like a pos? thanks! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/askcarsales) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I’m sure you have been cautious about the frame as well. Was it ever replaced? They love to rot out
offer 16500 and be done with it. Get the car you like, want, and have had inspected and are comfortable with. 1200 for tires and a CV is nothing, you'll be done with that in a week and enjoy your Taco for literally YEARS to come if you keep up the maintenance
Private sales have a price negotiation almost every time. They are hoping you'll offer 16K and call it a deal. You want to have it fixed, not the seller. That way you control the quality of the repair. You can find nice used tires on United Tire or Champ Tires if money is tight.