I wish this isn't a scam, ... Certified Previously Owned (CPO) vehicles. An inspection of 172 points or however many doesn't change the condition of the vehicle. Looking at those inspection points doesn't mean it is in good condition. So, the extra money the dealer charges for this inspection is just more money in their pockets whether they do the inspection or not. Would you trust the dealer's inspection of a vehicle they are trying to sell you? Or would you prefer having your own mechanic inspect the vehicle?

Then, we can go looking into dealer's fee for doing paperwork to sell you the car? It is the dealer's paperwork. So, why does the buyer have to pay for it? And why do some dealerships charge more than allowed by law? license and registration fee?? In NY, the max cost is $175 but many places will charge up to $400???

Then, there are the many little things they say they did to the vehicle and can not be removed. Like glass etching. or ceramic coating. The whole process of buying a new vehicle makes the dealership seem like predators. Makes buying a new vehicle like going up against an adversary who has all the power.

 

In Canada, we get dinged for a "documentation fee" that covers title, transfer and registration, etc. It's usually $300-$800. I always get them to waive, or at least significantly reduce this.

 

In Oregon, USA, here. this is bullshit. The dealership tries to slip this in, and you can insist it be removed -- it's basically a seriously bloated $ for doing what you can do on your own. Had a local dealership say tell me it was "too late" and had "already been added to invoice". I told them, "Well, I guess I'm outta here." and they fixed it.

 

I completely agree, "Dealer Prep" fees are a blatant rip-off. The fact that it's something dealers are required to do anyway makes it feel like an underhanded way to squeeze more money out of buyers. Always negotiate to have that fee removed; it's one of those unnecessary charges that shouldn't even exist.

 

$200 for nitrogen filled tires.

 

You are kidding, right?

 

Happened several year ago at the brand new Honda dealership located in the far west side of San Antonio.

Went to purchase replacement battery tray for battery upgrade. Parts department did not have the tray in stock, so I ordered one & left.

Wandered the lot after placing my order, "visited" by a sales associate asking what would it take for me to purchase the vehicle I was looking at. I pointed to the "added" sticker in the upper passenger side of the front windshield. Before walking away, I told the sales associate that if I was going to purchase said vehicle, the $200 charge would have to be removed.

Needless to say, when it came time to purchase another vehicle, did not go back to that particular dealership.

Have made several parts purchases from that dealership with no problems. Sales, on the other hand, ...

 

I would rather them simply add a markup and let the customer decide rather than nonsense add-ons.

 

Back in the day I really wanted a Honda Prelude. There was a dealer sticker with $900 of ADP. I told the salesman I would buy the car without ADP. His answer is that it cannot be removed. So I removed myself from the dealership.

 

This happened at the time when an internet "influencer" posted that airplane tires are filled with 100% nitrogen. Extrapolation ad infinitum across the web created the illusion that all vehicle tires needed 100% nitrogen.

This illusory demand gave marketeers the impetus to advertise "100% nitrogen-filled tires" on any vehicle, quite rightly sensing that those with little knowledge would gladly pay for that. Once again, the P.T. Barnum School of Economics proved correct.

FYI, airplane tires use nitrogen because when landing, the tires go from 0 mph to 160 mph in a split second, many times each day. [A typical passenger airliner may make over 5 take off - landings each day.] Nitrogen, being an inert gas, handles that stress better than atmospheric air.

Pretty sure that even if you drove a CRV off of Mt. Everest, it would not reach 160 mph.

 

Pretty sure that even if you drove a CRV off of Mt. Everest, it would not reach 160 mph.

From what I read I gather that terminal velocity for the average falling vehicle would be 200 - 300 mph, so maybe those nitrogen filled tires would come in handy on landing?