Would You Still Buy this S2000?
10-30-2017, 11:57 AM
#1
Would You Still Buy this S2000?
Hi All -
First post and first time (hopefully...as you'll read) S2K owner. I'm actually in the process of purchasing a 2000 S2K with 56K miles, but there have been some complications with the purchase. I'd like to know if any of you would still pull the trigger or walk away. Here are most of the details.
I found an all stock 2000 S2K with 56K miles for $15,000 being sold by Herb Chambers. The car fax is clean with 3 owners, the second owner had the car for 11 years and drove it sparingly. It looks like the third "owner" was either another dealer or auction company; it's hard to tell on the Carfax, but it looks like it bounced around a dealer and auction company for a few months all while having 4k miles put on it. Either way, it looks like Herb Chambers purchased this car through auction.
I test drove the car on a rainy day, so wasn't able to really push it, plus the tires on it are almost shot. From my drive though, it felt pretty good. It has all 10 vins, except the one on the rear bumper is covered with what looks like paint, so it's possible the rear bumper was repainted. The rest of the body is in very good shape, no rest, and only a few dings that were previously touched up with paint. The soft top is in very good shape too. All in all, the body is in very good shape for a 17 year old car.
So, I went ahead with the purchase and it took about 3 days from when I gave them my deposit until my lender sent them the money. When I called to see if I could pick it up (day 3), they said the check engine light went on and they are servicing the car to figure out what's wrong. Long story short, they say the car is misfiring (haven't given me the exact code(s)). It has been with the service department for about 3 weeks and they still do not have a definitive answer as to what is causing the misfire.
The ran a compression test and leak down test and said there were no problems there. They also did a valve adjustment and confirmed the valves are not bent. They also changed the spark plugs (before the CEL came on). They then thought it might be an ECU problem and sent a screenshot of the ECU to a Honda tech in CA, but apparently said that looked fine.
They are now saying after all those tests that they think it needs new fuel injectors. They want to replace them with new fuel injectors, which they say is a $1,300 repair. The sales department knows about the repair that needs to be done and needs to approve of it before they allow the service department to do the repair. However, the service folks said they will not likely approve of making this repair as they will have then lost too much money.
What would you do in my situation? My options appear to be as follows:
1) Ask them to approve the repair and if they do, great.
2) If they refuse to make the repair, try to negotiate a price and I will cover some of it.
3) Buy the car as is and try to have an outside mechanic fix it.
4) Walk away from the deal.
5) Try to have them let me drive the car for 5 days, which will give me time to thoroughly test it/bring it to an outside mechanic for another opinion.
Any other ideas or thoughts? Since I test drove the car, it's been 4 weeks and I still don't have a car and the dealer has been paid. However, they have taken the time to try and figure out what is wrong with it and do the right thing. I'm torn.
Thanks!
First post and first time (hopefully...as you'll read) S2K owner. I'm actually in the process of purchasing a 2000 S2K with 56K miles, but there have been some complications with the purchase. I'd like to know if any of you would still pull the trigger or walk away. Here are most of the details.
I found an all stock 2000 S2K with 56K miles for $15,000 being sold by Herb Chambers. The car fax is clean with 3 owners, the second owner had the car for 11 years and drove it sparingly. It looks like the third "owner" was either another dealer or auction company; it's hard to tell on the Carfax, but it looks like it bounced around a dealer and auction company for a few months all while having 4k miles put on it. Either way, it looks like Herb Chambers purchased this car through auction.
I test drove the car on a rainy day, so wasn't able to really push it, plus the tires on it are almost shot. From my drive though, it felt pretty good. It has all 10 vins, except the one on the rear bumper is covered with what looks like paint, so it's possible the rear bumper was repainted. The rest of the body is in very good shape, no rest, and only a few dings that were previously touched up with paint. The soft top is in very good shape too. All in all, the body is in very good shape for a 17 year old car.
So, I went ahead with the purchase and it took about 3 days from when I gave them my deposit until my lender sent them the money. When I called to see if I could pick it up (day 3), they said the check engine light went on and they are servicing the car to figure out what's wrong. Long story short, they say the car is misfiring (haven't given me the exact code(s)). It has been with the service department for about 3 weeks and they still do not have a definitive answer as to what is causing the misfire.
The ran a compression test and leak down test and said there were no problems there. They also did a valve adjustment and confirmed the valves are not bent. They also changed the spark plugs (before the CEL came on). They then thought it might be an ECU problem and sent a screenshot of the ECU to a Honda tech in CA, but apparently said that looked fine.
They are now saying after all those tests that they think it needs new fuel injectors. They want to replace them with new fuel injectors, which they say is a $1,300 repair. The sales department knows about the repair that needs to be done and needs to approve of it before they allow the service department to do the repair. However, the service folks said they will not likely approve of making this repair as they will have then lost too much money.
What would you do in my situation? My options appear to be as follows:
1) Ask them to approve the repair and if they do, great.
2) If they refuse to make the repair, try to negotiate a price and I will cover some of it.
3) Buy the car as is and try to have an outside mechanic fix it.
4) Walk away from the deal.
5) Try to have them let me drive the car for 5 days, which will give me time to thoroughly test it/bring it to an outside mechanic for another opinion.
Any other ideas or thoughts? Since I test drove the car, it's been 4 weeks and I still don't have a car and the dealer has been paid. However, they have taken the time to try and figure out what is wrong with it and do the right thing. I'm torn.
Thanks!
10-30-2017, 01:10 PM
#4
Just got an update from the dealer. They said they would not approve the fix, but that they would write me a check for $1,300 and I could have it fixed there or anywhere else, but that they would not be liable for the car any longer even if the new fuel injectors don't fix the issue.
I'm thinking I should now take the deal. Basically I'd be getting the car for $13,700 with an annoying CEL, but with a lot of the troubleshooting already done for me. What do you guys think?
I'm thinking I should now take the deal. Basically I'd be getting the car for $13,700 with an annoying CEL, but with a lot of the troubleshooting already done for me. What do you guys think?
10-30-2017, 03:33 PM
#6
Are we supposed to know who " Herb Chambers" is? Other than appearing to be a sketchy car retailer? Used cars?
Wait! You're borrowing money on this car early car with a plastic rear window and crap tires? Run, don't walk away.
-- Chuck
Wait! You're borrowing money on this car early car with a plastic rear window and crap tires? Run, don't walk away.
-- Chuck
10-30-2017, 03:34 PM
#7
4 new injectors would only cost about $600ish atleast with my local dealers prices so id take the money and buy the parts yourself im not sure if you could do the work yourself but sure you could find someone to do it for not to much, or they may just need to be cleaned i know theres companies out there that clean the injectors. But im not sure the injectors are the problem to be honest
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10-30-2017, 03:39 PM
#8
after rereading this again i would also walk away from this seeing as its a 2000 id stay away from 00-01 seeing they have the plastic windows and known for cracking retainers and bad banjo bolts and with a lil more money you could get a really nice car especially with winter around the corner
10-30-2017, 04:47 PM
#9
Herb Chambers is a large dealership in the Northeast.
I agree with a couple of other posters and ask for your money back, if they will not fix it. If the injectors are not the problem, then you will be stuck chasing the problem. If the soft top has not been replaced, you can plan on adding that to the list of things to do (been there done that). If you are not tracking the car or beating on it, the valve retainers and banjo bolts should not be such an issue (our 2000MY S2000 has over 110,000 miles on a bone stock engine).
If you still decide to buy it as is, take the injectors out and send them to Marren Motorsports in Oxford, CT to have them blueprinted. They will tell you if there was a problem with them. The last time I sent injectors to them, it was about $120 for the set of 4. It is a lot cheaper than buying new ones.
I agree with a couple of other posters and ask for your money back, if they will not fix it. If the injectors are not the problem, then you will be stuck chasing the problem. If the soft top has not been replaced, you can plan on adding that to the list of things to do (been there done that). If you are not tracking the car or beating on it, the valve retainers and banjo bolts should not be such an issue (our 2000MY S2000 has over 110,000 miles on a bone stock engine).
If you still decide to buy it as is, take the injectors out and send them to Marren Motorsports in Oxford, CT to have them blueprinted. They will tell you if there was a problem with them. The last time I sent injectors to them, it was about $120 for the set of 4. It is a lot cheaper than buying new ones.
