Buying a Used Truck at Auction?

[Goofy Footer 539]

I'm possibly looking at a new(er) truck and am curious as to the public/private auction sales. I believe some SDAR peeps may know about the public auctions and/or have dealer connections for the bigger auctions.

Are there good deals at auction? Is there too much competition/undercutting? What condition are the trucks usually in? Salvage/Clean title? Any tips/advice? I assume cash is king at auctions and there may be fees for assistance involved.

Am I better off being patient on CL (ability to talk to previous owner is nice) or playing hardball with used dealers who can't move product?

Thanks in advance for any info!

[BSon2or4 28]

I've got mixed feelings on the dealers auctions. Green light vehicles are good, anything that is a repo is not. The low mileage lease returns have been pretty solid on trucks. Most are pavement princess type for exec's. Don't go dealership CPO, just had a motor blow to the tune of 7K - 11K after 40K miles of pampering. Public auctions can have some real gems but primarily are dumping grounds for hole in the wall dealers and tow lots. For dealer auctions with a connection the top 3 are Manheim, Odessa, and Cade. Just my $.02

[Czechsix 1]

I don't do regular public auctions any more, haven't for years. However, I do a fair amount of Government Liquidation auctions, and if you're interested in a vehicle there I can give you some pointers. But it's quite a bit different from public auctions.

One basic thing though - always, always preview.

[blakeNY9 0]

While auctions may be dumping grounds they also will have some quality vehicles. All depends. I recently traded my pristine 5th gen 2010 4Runner Trail at a Ford dealership for an F150. They told me they would likely off load it at auction because it didn't really work in their lot and they viewed the conservative lift on it as a liability. I watched autotrader and it showed up at a mom and pop dealership a few weeks later.

Having bought more vehicles than I care to mention (it's a sickness), my advice would be to watch craigslist, autotrader and cars.com for good deals and open up your search area. I got that 4runner out of Salt Lake City as a CPO as one of the cheapest prices (advertised price) in the country at the time.

[robertaccio 406]

Shameless plug for a friends biz. John comes up with really good deals on late model vehicles. Its worth a call to see what they have. His specialty is Ford trucks, but he always has others as well.

http://www.ajaxautowrecking.com/Car_Sales_Used_Cars_Coachella_CA.html

[wildwood 11]

While auctions may be dumping grounds they also will have some quality vehicles. All depends. I recently traded my pristine 5th gen 2010 4Runner Trail at a Ford dealership for an F150. They told me they would likely off load it at auction because it didn't really work in their lot and they viewed the conservative lift on it as a liability. I watched autotrader and it showed up at a mom and pop dealership a few weeks later.

Having bought more vehicles than I care to mention (it's a sickness), my advice would be to watch craigslist, autotrader and cars.com for good deals and open up your search area. I got that 4runner out of Salt Lake City as a CPO as one of the cheapest prices (advertised price) in the country at the time.

+1

[Suspenders 43]

As mentioned above. Dealer auction (green light vehicles only) or you had better steal it.

I prefer a one owner truck out of craigslist.

Much better idea of what you are buying.

Spending a bit more can save a lot.

I have a friend selling a Nissan that is in good shape. Machinist by trade is a good sign. Newer model if you are interested. Mid size not full size.

Will get info and forward.