Overhaulin'

What is the maximum mileage a brand new car should have at the time of purchase?

Should my new vehicle have 125 miles on it prior to me driving it off the car lot? How many miles should a new vehicle have on it at the time of purchase? Is this unacceptable or is it a rare but common practice. Should I have received an additional discount, my feelings say yes. Please help me to understand this matter. As always thank you in advance.

Public Comments

1. 125 is perfectly acceptable. The cars have to be moved from the plant to a distribution center and then it was probably driven from the distribution center to the dealership where you got it from or the miles are from test drives of other people who looked at the car before you did. Also, bear in mind all the cars are driven on a test track after they're built to ensure that all the bugs are worked out. 125 miles is just a drop in the bucket. Bear in mind that you are running a brand new engine so review proper techniques to break in the motor.
2. I say yes. The dealer went for several joyrides in your "new" car. 125 miles doesn't happen on the showroom floor.
3. I suppose it depends on the number of road tests, if the dealer purchased it from another dealer and drove it to his lot, loaned it out to a perspective buyer or how many miles some salesman put on it without registering it as a demo. When we get cars from the factory with over 25 miles or so, there is always a sticker on the car explaining that it was driven by a factory, quality control employee at random. 125 miles is excessive.......ask the dealer how that occurred.
4. Usually a new car will have about 2 to 3 miles on it; to account for loading and unloading onto freight carrier (ship and/or train and/or tractor trailer and/or placing it on the lot). However, test drives by perspective customers will, of course, add to that amount. 125 miles sounds excessive. At some point (and 125 may or may not be that point), a large amount of miles would qualify a car as "used." It may also indicate a large number of test drives by customers who did not purchase, for whatever reasons. Regardless, it sounds as if you have already purchased and, therefore, waived any complaints unless you have a three day revocation law (it allows you to back out of a purchase from a car lot for any reason within three days).
5. A "new" car can have as many as 5k miles and still be "New". So, 125 is totally reasonable. It's rare to see a car on the lot with under 50 miles, . Let's look at how it got those miles: The car was manufactured in, say, Ohio (Honda, Toyota, Ford,) it was driven onto a truck to go to a container train, onto the train and onto a truck to the dealer- .5 miles. Dealer prep: adding fluids and removing shipping tie downs to make it ready for sale. to and from the service shop- .5 miles. to the storage lot(older stock at the retail lot, new shipments to auxiliary lots) 5miles return to primary lot for display/sale 5 miles Customer test drive 5miles each lunch run 2.5 miles moved around the lot-10 miles more customer test drives@ 5miles Salesman family emergency 35 miles switching cars from aux lot-5miles Customer "Show to my Spouse" test drive- 20miles You will have a hard time finding cars with less than 50 miles on mmost car lots (especially busy or large ones) Dealerships are stores, like any other store, the products get used, and demonstrated, and tried on. you wouldn't expect to see a pair pf shoes that have never been tried on would you? Nor would you ask for a discount on a pair of jeans that someone else put on tin the dressing room. That being said 1k+ miles and I need to know why. and I will ask for some concessions( free service etc...) +5K its a Demo.. I wanna know who's.
6. No you shouldn't, because vehicles have to be transported, and have probably been test driven. if you really don't want a car with 125 miles (ooo big deal) than take it bake, you have 3 days to do so and pick a different one off the lot.