Originally Posted by Goldwing
As these cars age, there will be a longer owner trail. No way around it. They often go to auction after trade-in since most dealers don't know what to do with them. If the car looks clean (engine compartment, etc), you cannot find any repaired damage, the rims are clean, and all accessories work, then $10-11k is a good price. I'm willing to pay a little more for condition and color. Give it a good test drive and maybe use an OBD-II reader to check for codes.
I bought my roadster (37k miles) new and have had zero problems other than the fan recall and a couple door handle screws loosening up and falling out. The SRT6 only had the intercooler issue (bought with 8500; now at 18k). Yes, the 1-2 shift sucks on such an otherwise fine car, but you just have to hit it just right and it shifts fine.
Maintenance is minimal, other than changing 8.5 quarts of synthetic oil annually. Plug (12) are good to 100k. Coilpacks seem reliable. Preventive maintenance could include radiator flush, tranny flush, brake fluid flush, cabin filter. Some steering dampers go - mine are fine. Suggest checking rotors for wear as you may want to replace pads with low-dust.
And BOOO to all you guys advising a lowball offer. Hypocrites. You are also the guys lamenting that our cars don't hold value.
The nature of the beast...guys love to buy cheap.... but ***** when they are selling.... Not going to change that. Look, coming off an old Jeep, which I truely am an old Jeep fanatic, this is a total change. This car is full of sensors, that are very voltage sensitive, so look at the battery. It needs one up to snuff. As for the rest, oil changes done by you are in the $50-60 range, so not your everyday oil change. Some other repairs which are a little different is the Relay Control Module. Another DIY if possible... Should be a nice move up for your wife, but you will need snow tires if you are in that area, as I didn't look...but others get theirs around just fine...I think it is a solid buy if the repair was done correctly by the body shop...although, I wouldn't buy anything wrecked knowingly, but that's me...I can afford to be pickey...lol...Good luck either way, we are here to help...
