Out Of State Vehicle Purchase

[jb2012]

I'm looking for a diesel Ford 3/4 ton Lariat, 2017+ (50k miles or less) and the market around here is a joke. Dealers asking almost MSRP, if not more on a 5 year old truck. However, I have found a number out of state that fit the bill, but have never ventured down that road. I'm very mechanically inclined - therefore extremely picky, and would have to have a mechanic look at it before I traveled somewhere. Has anyone here ever done this before? Is this a bad idea?

[LDB415]

The only question would be how much added to the cost paying for the on-site mechanic inspection, how reliable and trustworthy it will be, travel to and from where it is, cost getting it back etc. and whether that makes one locally that you can inspect worth it or not. Good luck.

[03Lightningrocks]

The big issue for me is not knowing how trustworthy the mechanic in another state might be. Unless you know someone already, it would be a crap shoot.

[jb2012]

The big issue for me is not knowing how trustworthy the mechanic in another state might be. Unless you know someone already, it would be a crap shoot.

The only question would be how much added to the cost paying for the on-site mechanic inspection, how reliable and trustworthy it will be, travel to and from where it is, cost getting it back etc. and whether that makes one locally that you can inspect worth it or not. Good luck.

Both bring up good points. I definitely wouldn't do it, if the price of a plane ticket, fuel, and an inspection was closing in on the price difference of buying one locally. Just on principle I couldn't pay that much for something sight unseen, so I would have to wait until I saw it in person to sign the deal. I would really be using a mechanic to make sure it was worth my time and money to travel. I have seen first hand about how a dealer can make a vehicle appear much better in pictures than in person. As far as reliability, I'm pretty confident in the 6.7 powerstroke, and know what to look for myself if I made it to a dealer. I think my biggest concern would be flying across the country, and finding the truck to not meet me standards. Then paying for another last minute flight home, only to start the process over.

[srothstein]

I have bought vehicles from out of state, but it was from family so I did not need to worry about the mechanical inspection. I did add in the cost of transporting the vehicle back to Texas when I considered the price.

The points made above are valid things to consider, as is the time involved in getting it registered and titled in Texas. A dealer here takes care of that for you, which is why you pay a $150-250 "documentation fee". Also, if you buy it here,yo pay the sales tax on the actual price of the vehicle, but if you buy it out of state you have to pay the sales tax on the retail book value of the vehicle. That is rarely what you think it will be or close to what you paid.

[C-dub]

I suspect that the market around is not too much different anywhere else right now. It's been miserable for a couple years now. Dealers can barely, if at all, keep new vehicles on their lot and that's driving up the used market. You probably already know this. For anything worth getting or for what each person wants the window is very narrow because there will probably be a dozen other people that want that vehicle or are willing to settle for that vehicle because what they want is nowhere in sight.

A couple of years ago my sister drove 500 miles to Kansas City to get the vehicle she wanted instead of waiting for it here.

[RoyGBiv]

There is likely an enthusiast forum for those truck somewhere that you can join... You might be able to find a fellow traveler willing to do you a favor and test drive a vehicle that is local to them and recommend a reliable mechanic to do a thorough check...

I bought a motorcycle this way (still own it, still runs great) and have offered a few times to return that favor, although nobody has taken me up on it yet.

[The Annoyed Man]

I suspect that the market around is not too much different anywhere else right now. It's been miserable for a couple years now. Dealers can barely, if at all, keep new vehicles on their lot and that's driving up the used market. You probably already know this. For anything worth getting or for what each person wants the window is very narrow because there will probably be a dozen other people that want that vehicle or are willing to settle for that vehicle because what they want is nowhere in sight.

A couple of years ago my sister drove 500 miles to Kansas City to get the vehicle she wanted instead of waiting for it here.

I frequently fingerprint owners of independent use car dealerships who are renewing their dealer licenses. Several times, I’ve been told that at the beginning of the pandemic, used car sales were off the chart because US car manufacturers were unable to get the chips necessary to build their cars, and delivery of new inventory to dealers was increasingly difficult. But 3 years in to the pandemic now, and most of the nation's used car inventory has been sold, and now it’s really hard for used car dealers to get inventory that they can make a profit on. Add to it the fact that the economy is affecting everybody’s wallets, and those that have are inclined to keep.

[jb2012]

I suspect that the market around is not too much different anywhere else right now. It's been miserable for a couple years now. Dealers can barely, if at all, keep new vehicles on their lot and that's driving up the used market. You probably already know this. For anything worth getting or for what each person wants the window is very narrow because there will probably be a dozen other people that want that vehicle or are willing to settle for that vehicle because what they want is nowhere in sight.

A couple of years ago my sister drove 500 miles to Kansas City to get the vehicle she wanted instead of waiting for it here.

I frequently fingerprint owners of independent use car dealerships who are renewing their dealer licenses. Several times, I’ve been told that at the beginning of the pandemic, used car sales were off the chart because US car manufacturers were unable to get the chips necessary to build their cars, and delivery of new inventory to dealers was increasingly difficult. But 3 years in to the pandemic now, and most of the nation's used car inventory has been sold, and now it’s really hard for used car dealers to get inventory that they can make a profit on. Add to it the fact that the economy is affecting everybody’s wallets, and those that have are inclined to keep.

Actually, out of state I'm finding quite a few that are $5,000-$7,000 less than what is available around me. Some as close as Oklahoma. Most dealers within a 200-300 mile radius are asking $63,000+ (for what I'm looking for), and I'm seeing comparable models in the high 50's elsewhere. This is looking at cars.com, auto trader, and big name dealer's websites. I'm starting to maybe consider a Chevy/GMC with the L5P, due to the price difference locally.

[PriestTheRunner]

The computer chip excuse was just that - an excuse.

The reality is inflation. If everyone is driving around working cars purchased for about 30k at $560 a month and approximately 5%~7% interest, why would they trade in a good car to buy a slightly newer one that will be 48k, 800 a month and minimum 9% interest (even with good credit)?

The market is going to be like this for a WHILE. And it is not just with trucks. Inflation causes further product utilization from the established norm, then larger bulk purchases when finally time to resupply. That is consistent across all products as a trend.

[PriestTheRunner]

As far as the actual post goes, I have done the mechanic thing with a motorcycle and it worked great. Look for one on google with a minimum of 100 reviews and 4 stars or better. Then just call them and discuss it. As they get paid up front, they have no reason to give a positive report on a car that would be a headache for them if you got it and found that they lied. Find a (locally) reputable mechanic and you're set.

[powerboatr]

I'm looking for a diesel Ford 3/4 ton Lariat, 2017+ (50k miles or less) and the market around here is a joke. Dealers asking almost MSRP, if not more on a 5 year old truck. However, I have found a number out of state that fit the bill, but have never ventured down that road. I'm very mechanically inclined - therefore extremely picky, and would have to have a mechanic look at it before I traveled somewhere. Has anyone here ever done this before? Is this a bad idea?

i just saw this
if you find a FORD/LINCOLN vehicle with under 100k miles and tens years of age, you can get a FORD or LINCOLN factory ESP warranty for actually a good savings via zeigler ford, or granger etc
https://www.zeiglerfordesp.com/default. ... gKdKvD_BwE
the above web address allows you to get a quote with a VIN and mileage.

if a place you decide to buy from will do the 30 plus point inspection that is required by ford to verify vehicle is in fact in warrant-able shape, that that would tell you volumes on the vehicle you find, plus they can download all the recorded service info if ford or lincoln has done the services

to much detail here
pm me and i will give you my number to give you the guts and blood

[surprise_i'm_armed]

Word to the wise: if you find your desired truck at Carvana, DON'T DO IT. Carvana is a messed up place to buy a vehicle.

They have had their dealer licenses taken away by the states of Illinois and Michigan, maybe more states.

They have sold stolen vehicles.

The buying process seems easy, then they can't get you the title.

The Illinois Carvana stores would sell a car to an Illinois buyer, could not get the title, and gave the buyers ARIZONA paper tags. What a headache.
It's a heck of a way to run an airline. (old saying)

*****************************************************************
Carmax has plenty of vehicles on their lots, if Denton Carmax is a representative store.

But they have made a corporate decision to keep their prices higher than perhaps the current market reflects.
It seems like they overpaid for inventory and now THEY may be upside down on their vehicles.

SIA

[RoyGBiv]

I'm looking for a diesel Ford 3/4 ton Lariat, 2017+ (50k miles or less) and the market around here is a joke. Dealers asking almost MSRP, if not more on a 5 year old truck. However, I have found a number out of state that fit the bill, but have never ventured down that road. I'm very mechanically inclined - therefore extremely picky, and would have to have a mechanic look at it before I traveled somewhere. Has anyone here ever done this before? Is this a bad idea?

i just saw this
if you find a FORD/LINCOLN vehicle with under 100k miles and tens years of age, you can get a FORD or LINCOLN factory ESP warranty for actually a good savings via zeigler ford, or granger etc
https://www.zeiglerfordesp.com/default. ... gKdKvD_BwE
the above web address allows you to get a quote with a VIN and mileage.

if a place you decide to buy from will do the 30 plus point inspection that is required by ford to verify vehicle is in fact in warrant-able shape, that that would tell you volumes on the vehicle you find, plus they can download all the recorded service info if ford or lincoln has done the services

to much detail here
pm me and i will give you my number to give you the guts and blood

Excellent suggestion...

[03Lightningrocks]

Word to the wise: if you find your desired truck at Carvana, DON'T DO IT. Carvana is a messed up place to buy a vehicle.

They have had their dealer licenses taken away by the states of Illinois and Michigan, maybe more states.

They have sold stolen vehicles.

The buying process seems easy, then they can't get you the title.

The Illinois Carvana stores would sell a car to an Illinois buyer, could not get the title, and gave the buyers ARIZONA paper tags. What a headache.
It's a heck of a way to run an airline. (old saying)

*****************************************************************
Carmax has plenty of vehicles on their lots, if Denton Carmax is a representative store.

But they have made a corporate decision to keep their prices higher than perhaps the current market reflects.
It seems like they overpaid for inventory and now THEY may be upside down on their vehicles.

SIA

My daughter bought a car through them, with a trade in. It was maybe 18 months ago. First, they gave her around 7 grand over the blue book on her used car. Then they sold her a newer car, Honda something, for 3 grand below blue book. It made absolutely no sense at all. So far the car runs great. Honda is known for getting very high milage before giving any trouble. The car she purchased came out of Houston and the whole deal was sight unseen, on both ends. I can't remember what her old car was but it might have been a Kia or something of that quality.