Threw $150 down the drain on a so-called 'certified' pre-owned car

Bought a 2018 Honda from a used lot last month that had a 'clean 150-point inspection' sticker on the window. Third day driving it, the transmission started slipping and the mechanic said the fluid was burnt black and never changed. Has anyone else gotten burned by those fake inspection checklists?

2 comments

2 Comments

mila_reed12h ago

Gotta admit I used to be one of those people who thought certified pre-owned was basically the same as new but cheaper. Always figured if a dealership put their name on an inspection it had to mean something, right? But after reading stories like yours and that brake line one, I'm totally rethinking that now. It's wild how they can literally just print a checklist and call it a day without actually checking anything. Seriously makes me wonder how many other people are driving around in cars that look fine but are ticking time bombs underneath. I hope you can get that transmission sorted out without having to lawyer up or anything crazy.

emmap1619h ago

Ugh man that sucks so bad. Something similar happened to my cousin with a used truck, he bought it from one of those lots that has a tiny office and a bunch of cars parked on gravel. The checklist said everything was fine but the mechanic found the brake lines were totally rusted out, like dangerous level. It's crazy how those places can just slap a sticker on anything and call it inspected. That burnt transmission fluid thing is a huge red flag, my mechanic always says check the color and smell before you even test drive. Hope you can get some kind of refund or at least leave a bad review, those lots hate bad reviews.