Always trust your gut when you shop for cars.

"Noah - Now with more boost." (antriebverliebt)
10/06/2017 at 09:59 • Filed to: None

Or you’ll end up on a test drive that looks like this, which is exactly what happened to me this week. It all started when I found a 1 owner, 52k mile 2005 WRX for sale nearby. A total unicorn. I was excited and drove to the dealership the very next day. It was incredibly clean inside and out, aside from a small crack in the windshield, which was “scheduled to be replaced.” Fair enough, I told myself...

No. Definitely not. That should have been a big red flag. My gut told me that this was probably just the tip of the iceberg. Windshield replacement is free in Massachusetts, by law. It’s covered by the insurance companies and this place has had the car since June.

In my defense, the small crack was the only visible flaw. There was no rust on the body, and the interior looked like a stock photo. Its service history was extensive and the Carfax was clean. Awesome! Time to take it for a test drive.

It looked exactly like this one, but with some tasteful OZ Prodrive wheels the previous owner bought.

After a relatively tame 30 minute cruise, we parked the car in front of the dealership and went inside to figure out a price. We agreed on a number and I went outside to give the purchase some thought. Was I really about to buy this thing? Is this really going to be my ride for the next few years? I paced around in front of the car and mulled it over.

Wait... what’s that? Is that smoke coming out of the hood? It was indeed. Oil smoke, which I’d smelled a hint of during the last couple minutes of the drive. It was coming out slowly but steadily, in quantities so small that you couldn’t see it unless you were looking from the perfect angle. I went inside and told the salesman, who took so long to come outside that it had stopped completely by the time he arrived. We decided to take it on another quick drive to see if it’d happen again.

I pushed the car a little harder that time, revving it all the way to peak boost when I could. It wasn’t all that fast (225 horsepower) but still a lot of fun to drive. Great steering, boxer rumble, and over 1000LBS lighter than my current car. And then it happened. After a 1-2-3 pull between a set of lights, the car began billowing white smoke. It looked like someone was shooting a fire extinguisher out of the hood. We were a quarter mile from the dealership so I didn’t pull over and opted to nurse it back instead.

This is the point where I should have just walked away. That may be super obvious to older Opponauts (and the wiser young ones) but I was enamored with the car’s showroom fresh appearance, so I pressed on.

Given how much sitting around the car had done (only 4,000 miles per year) I assumed that the culprit was simply a leaky valve cover gasket dripping onto the header. Rational thoughts like: “ What kind of dealership would have a car suffering from catastrophic gasket failure on the lot, and have no idea about it!?” were brushed aside in favor of delusional rationalizations like “I’m a car guy, I understand exactly what’s going on and I can handle this. Sometimes good cars end up in the wrong hands.” Furthermore, the dealer had M cars, S cars, and AMGs galore. There was even a Bentley Mulsanne in the showroom. I was starstruck. Between their 60 day/2000 mile warranty policy and all of the exotic metal they had on the lot, it seemed like a decent enough establishment. I really liked the car, so I decided to give them a second chance.

It’s a trap!

I had them put the WRX up on the lift for me and verified that there was indeed oil dripping from the driver’s side valve cover, right onto a heat shield. While I was underneath the engine bay I also noticed some fresh gasket sealant on the other cylinder bank’s valve cover, which I asked about. Apparently the tech had only done one side.

Yet another massive red flag that I chose to ignore. A pair of them actually. Why was only one side done? Any halfway decent mechanic knows that if one went, the other is probably about to go too and would have done both. Furthermore, did they just fix the one gasket, then drive it out onto the lot without taking it for a spin? A decent test drive would have revealed the gnarly state of the remaining original gasket, as I found out.

The dealership said they’d fix it immediately and call me when it was done. At this point, I knew that the only way that I’d buy this car would be after a pre purchase inspection at the Subaru dealer down the street, which I scheduled for the next morning. My salesman protested a little bit, extolling the virtues of their warranty and safety inspection, but eventually gave in.

Aaaaand there’s yet another willfully ignored red flag. We’re on number 4 now. Actually scratch that, we’re on number 7. During BOTH of my test drives, when I mentioned the odor, the salesman turned the HVAC onto recirculate (which I immediately undid both times) and claimed the smell was just coming from another car in front of us. He even had the audacity to claim that he couldn’t see the smoke before it got really thick. So yeah, we’re up to 7 painfully obvious red flags now.

The last straw was the result of the PPI: A clean bill of health... except for the gasket. They botched the job. Subaru told me that it was not only still leaking, but also down a full quart of oil. Unbelievable! Who knows what the issue really was. Maybe they had just pinched the new gasket during the install. Maybe there was an even more serious issue afoot, like a warped head. I didn’t care anymore, I was done and feeling incredibly foolish. I had ignored an inordinate amount of red flags, and it cost me $120.

The service rep asked me where I got the car from, and he recognized the dealer’s name immediately because it was right down the street. He gave me a knowing smile, narrowed his eyes, and shook his head. Apparently this place is notorious, and that WRX wasn’t the first turbo Subaru from that dealership they’d told someone not to buy. Far from it. I paid Subaru, gave the dealership their car back, and told them “no thanks” because of the PPI result.

You’d think that’d be it; that the dealership would cut their losses after a smoky test drive and a disastrous PPI. But no. The salesman called me to grovel as soon as I got home, and I wasn’t having any of it. I humored him for thirty seconds and politely asked him to never call me again. And you know what? I got another call, from the owner this time. He wanted to give me my $120 back, claimed that they just hadn’t cleaned the engine so that’s why Subaru thought there was a problem, etc. I politely asked him to never call me again too and hopefully that’s the last time I’ll ever hear from them. Those calls were so scummy. But you know what? I don’t blame them. I was acting like a fool. They were right to assume that the kind of person who would put up with all of this ridiculousness would also be stupid enough to get talked into buying the car despite everything that had happened.

Yesterday, I learned how to walk away: immediately after the first sign of something suspicious, and without telling them why.

And with that, I’m off to check out two more cars today: A 2009 WRX and a 2011 S80 T6 (a For Sweden suggestion), both of which are at dealerships affiliated with their respective manufacturers. This should be a refreshing change of pace. My first foray into buying a car from an actual dealer continues...

DISCUSSION (35)

Stapleface > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/06/2017 at 10:17

Well, on the plus side you did eventually walk away. So it’s a lesson learned.

Otherwise, how did you like the Subaru? If you liked it for the most part, have you considered a Forester XT? Or maybe a Saabaru (9-2X Aero) (although I imagine that one is a hard find)?

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/06/2017 at 10:18

First: Excellent work. You were starstruck by an otherwise perfect car and did the right thing in getting a PPI. Another way to look at it is if you hadn’t, you’d always remember this as the one that got away.

And, not to pimp a car I am very fond of, if you’re looking at Volvos and WRXs, you might considered a C30. I looked cross shopped 2013 WRXs and C30s and ended up with a C30. The interior is much nicer than the Subaru all around and while on paper the C30 may be a little down on power, I think they’re more fun to drive as is and are always very open to tuning. Only problem is they can be a pain to find in 3-pedal, but you’ll be glad you did. Plus you can always test drive an auto to see if you like it, then scope out a manual.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/06/2017 at 10:19

At least you didn’t learn the hard way by finding out after you bought it.

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
10/06/2017 at 10:20

References: Did not buy the WRX. Have owned a C30 Polestar for 5 years.

Noah - Now with more boost. > Stapleface
10/06/2017 at 10:22

I liked it a lot, I’ve driven quite a few turbo Subarus. Foresters aren’t my style though!

TheRealBicycleBuck > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/06/2017 at 10:23

Good call! Good luck with the next drive(s)!

The first WRX I drove was a 2014 hatch sitting at Chevy dealer. They took it on trade for a Camaro. It had a Cobb tuner and aftermarket blow-off valve and exhaust. Who knows what else it had done to it. The sales guy said the owner traded in his one-year-old car because he couldn’t make it fast enough. Yeah, red flags everywhere.

When I bought my WRX from the dealer, I mentioned the one down the street. They said it was good that I dodged that bullet. They had done a lot of repair work on it under warranty and Subaru decided that enough was enough and would no longer honor the remainder of the manufacturer’s warranty.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/06/2017 at 10:26

Man, don’t be any where near this hard on yourself. Most people when they make a mistake in the car buying process are out THOUSANDS, you came out only $120 down - you did GREAT

Noah - Now with more boost. > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
10/06/2017 at 10:26

Aren’t those FWD though? I do like the way they look but thats a no go

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/06/2017 at 10:26

I could name a few dealers like that. Lots full of beautiful high end cars, most of which are neglected pieces of trash. They get their cars from auctions for super cheap, because those cars have been hastily and poorly repaired after catastrophic damage. Then polish then up real nice and sell them as if they’re the best of the best. Their own mechanics are all the type to half ass everything and don’t even know what they’re doing to begin with. We have a handful of cars in the shop from one of them at any given time, and I wouldn’t recommend that anyone buy a single one if them. That’s not to say all of those dealers are bad, just be careful.

Noah - Now with more boost. > TheRealBicycleBuck
10/06/2017 at 10:27

Thanks! Hopefully today will be smooth sailing. It’s amazing what salesmen will try to tell you. “Couldn’t make it fast enough” lol ok...

Noah - Now with more boost. > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
10/06/2017 at 10:28

Yep exaxtly.

Noah - Now with more boost. > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
10/06/2017 at 10:34

Yes this dealer was definitely that kind of place. Some of the cars were quite nice looking but others, especially their pair of CLS55 AMGs looked rough.

Noah - Now with more boost. > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
10/06/2017 at 10:35

Lol thanks! I just figured Oppo would enjoy a little schadenfreude at my expense.

DucST3-Red-1Liter-Standing-By > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/06/2017 at 10:40

My dads DD is an s80 t6, sneaky fast and total sleeper. Also, super, super comfy seats. I drove it 10+ hours one day with no discomfort at all. Highly recommend looking at it!

1967ers - lover of dead auto marques > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/06/2017 at 10:41

I doubt there are many who haven’t been hosed one way or another at a dealership. You did well.

Not surprised by the callbacks. I had a couple of times when car shopping that I had places I had to be and when it became obvious I was actually leaving, the tone of the salesmen changed in a real hurry.

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/06/2017 at 10:44

Oh shoot, yes they are. Just now noticed you’re the same guy I suggested the 92x to haha. Out of curiosity and in no way attempting to change your mind: Why so down on FWD?

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/06/2017 at 10:49

It’s hard to take your emotion out of something you really want. That was the right decision and one that is also a good lesson for $120. Lord knows I’ve wasted much more than that on bad car buying decisions.

Tripper > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/06/2017 at 10:54

$120 was a small price to pay to find out what you did. The tone of the story was much worse haha. As I’m reading I’m thinking, “Don’t tell me ya bought the fuckin thing!”

Good on ya! It’s hard to be a car guy and not get that deep with something you really want.

CobraJoe > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/06/2017 at 10:57

Any halfway decent mechanic knows that if one went, the other is probably about to go too and would have done both.

I consider myself a halfway decent (shadetree) mechanic, and I only replaced one valve cover gasket in my Legacy GT.

Because only one sits above the turbo uppipe, and it’s the only one that would get cooked by the exhaust and would end up with oil dripping on the hot exhaust.

But I also fixed the leak without using a visible RTV, and it has stayed fixed.

Was the valve cover leak the only real problem? If the price of the WRX was low enough, that valve cover leak could be fixed. (Though if it was modified at all, there is the possibility that the previous owner didn’t know what they were doing. The valve cover gasket was the only thing I had to fix on my LGT, and the previous owner caused half of the problems.)

Noah - Now with more boost. > CobraJoe
10/06/2017 at 10:59

That was the other problem, it wasn’t the best deal. Way too expensive. I love to find an LGT!

Noah - Now with more boost. > Tripper
10/06/2017 at 11:01

Yeah there’s no way I’d buy that! Especially from that place. Currently sitting in an immaculate Subaru dealership, so much better.

Tripper > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/06/2017 at 11:07

Well good luck! I bought a 2005 WRX brand new, then traded it for a very slightly used 2004 STi after a year or two. Both were fantastic cars. Id definitely buy another of either.

My citroen won't start > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/06/2017 at 11:09

Subaru ownership is plagued by torn rubber bushings and possible head gasket issues on certain models.

Be sure to check both things.

CobraJoe > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/06/2017 at 11:25

Hey, I could be convinced to sell mine, for a lot less than WRX money! (Seriously, the WRX prices are around here are nearly double what I paid for my LGT).

Though if you’re willing to spend WRX money, you could probably find an LGT in a lot nicer condition than mine. (Not that it’s rough, just some issues I’m avoiding, like a torn CV boot and clacking sway bar links.)

NojustNo > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/06/2017 at 11:44

Tom Mcparland would be proud.

Noah - Now with more boost. > My citroen won't start
10/06/2017 at 13:06

Yep I’ve heard that, it seems like the issues are worth looking out for, but few and far between as a general rule

Noah - Now with more boost. > CobraJoe
10/06/2017 at 13:11

Really? That’s strange, I kept seeing pretty competitive prices between the two

shop-teacher > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/06/2017 at 13:15

You may have “wasted” $120, but that’s a way cheaper of a lesson than it would be for a lot of people. They would’ve bought the whole car. Hold your head high!

Great write-up too!

brianbrannon > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/06/2017 at 13:25

I’ve never had a Subaru on temp tags that didn’t need 2k work of repairs come in to the shop

CobraJoe > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/06/2017 at 13:59

The nicest LGT on my local CL is a 2009 manual sedan listed at $10,500 (Limited, bone stock, 117k miles), but there is a 2005 automatic wagon at $3500, and the only problem is that it says it leaks a little oil. Most fall in the $5k range these days, especially for the 05-06. (I paid $7500 for mine 2 years ago, and it was towards the cheaper end then).

WRXs in similar years around here range from $6000 (needs new engine), to $23,500 for a pristine low mileage ‘07 STI. Average condition examples seem to hover around $10k-$15k range. (There is one nice looking ‘08 WRX hatch for $7500, but it seems to be an anomaly on my local cl).

WRX prices might not be exactly double for comparable condition cars, but there are a lot of sellers who think their WRXs are worth a lot more, and LGT prices seem to have dropped like a rock.

Noah - Now with more boost. > shop-teacher
10/06/2017 at 14:11

Thanks! I hoped Oppo would enjoy it!

Noah - Now with more boost. > brianbrannon
10/06/2017 at 14:14

This one probably needed wayyyy more I bet. No thanks.

Noah - Now with more boost. > CobraJoe
10/06/2017 at 14:16

It’s incredible how well WRXs hold value. Car guy tax I guess.

shop-teacher > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/06/2017 at 14:24

You’re welcome :)

CobraJoe > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/06/2017 at 14:26

True, but it means you might be able to find a great condition LGT for less than the average WRX. If a little extra space and better quality interior matter to you, maybe they’re worth a look.

Granted, they do have their own set of issues, but nothing that bad once you know what to watch out for.