826 — Shopping for a Used Car

Question: What can be more fun than buying a used car? Answer: Almost anything. Find out why in this episode.
Slow dialogue: 1:15
Explanations: 3:46
Fast dialogue: 19:09
Mario: Do you want to go with me to test drive a car I’m thinking of buying?
Danica: Sure. Which dealership are we going to?
Mario: I’m not buying a used car from a dealership. I’m buying it from a private party. Dealerships rip you off.
Danica: Are you sure about that? My sister bought a certified used car from a dealership and she even got a one-year warranty. She’s very happy with it.
Mario: Dealerships jack up the price. Buying from a private party means getting a better deal.
Danica: If you say so. What kind of car is it, and how much is the owner asking for it?
Mario: It’s a McQ Racer and the owner is asking 12,000 dollars, 3,000 dollars below blue book value.
Danica: That is a good price. In fact, that’s too good a price. Doesn’t that raise some red flags?
Mario: Like what?
Danica: Well, the car could be have been totaled and is now considered salvage. Its odometer could have been rolled back. It could have major mechanical problems...
Mario: You can be skeptical, but I’m not looking a gift horse in the mouth. If this guy wants to sell his car for much less than its value, who am I to ask questions?
Danica: You’ll do a title search and ask to see the pink slip before you buy it, right?
Mario: I think you’d better stay here. With you along, I see this great deal going up in smoke!
Script by Dr. Lucy Tse