u/StevenLang48Hours

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Right now there are 130 Polestar 3's that are being liquidated nationwide.

Out of that total 125 have been lemon-lawed. Only five have a clean title.

Why are there so many out there?

It isn't really a Polestar quality issue. Yes, you read that right.

The stockpiling of lemon-law vehicles by manufacturers is far more common and pervasive than you may realize.

In fact, nearly everyone does it.

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The Chevy Bolt is a classic example of a manufacturing holding massive numbers of vehicles that would later have branded titles... forever.

Back in 2021 General Motors issued a stop order on all Chevrolet Bolts and issued a nationwide recall on tens of thousands of Chevy Bolts. This was due to some of the LG Batteries catching fire.

When I say some, I really mean that fewer than one in ten thousand had the issue.

GM offered a buyback due to that defect and, based on what I have seen nationally, I wouldn't be surprised if they had over 10,000 vehicles bought back in total.

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Guess how long it took to get all those vehicles back on the road. A few months? Maybe a year or two?

Try five years. And the only reason why so many were brought back was because of the Iran War.

Whenever an automaker experiences a difficult challenge with their product, they hold vehicles back.

Even after a vehicle is repaired, they don't want a small army of lemon-law vehicles with low miles to compete in the marketplace with brand new ones that determine their success.

So they hold back for as long as they need to keep the new cars in demand.

As a remarketing manager for Capital One I got to see football fields filled with vehicles that were already fixed.

But if that flood of vehicles were opened, the new ones would not only sit... they would be tarnished by the predominance of a much cheaper alternative.

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When it comes to an EV's charging system, the issue can be with a charging system that struggles with higher energy levels.

A great example of this are the ICCU's on Kia and Hyundai EVs which were recently given a 15 year / 180,000 mile extended warranty.

But sometimes it's more than a charger issue. It can also be a software issue.

In the unique case of the Polestar 3, it's the GHCA (Onboard Charger / Power Conversion Unit) coupled with software that needs to be upgraded and updated.

The system in the Polestar 3's earlier models sometimes prevented AC charging via home or Level 2 chargers.

Nearly all of the Polestar 3's that are at the wholesale dealer auctions and are manufacturer buybacks had this specific issue.

Have they all been fixed? The jury is still out on that. I

t looks like the newest version of this part is holding up. But it has only been out for about a year, and it requires programming and recalibration for that software to properly sync to the AC and DC charging system.

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The price of these lemon law vehicles generally range from $10,000 to $15,000 under the wholesale price. But they are also being sold AS/IS.

AS/IS means as... it... is...

It's yours. That's it. If the transporter brings you a 4,500 pound paperweight in the form of a 2025 Polestar 3, you'll have to bring it to a Polestar, Volvo, or independent repair shop that has the equipment to repair whatever is wrong.

Are these units still under their existing manufacturer warranty? Yes.

Does the federal government require that a lemon law vehicle is fixed before it is sold by a mnufacturer to a third-party. Absolutely.

But if there's a major issue on a part that already has a significant backlog and long wait times, you may experience that long interminable wait should it fail again.

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Millions of EVs have charging issues. This has been going on for over 15 years. I haven't seen a manufacturer that couldn't eventually solve the issue.

However. Even the larger manufacturers are still fighting this battle today as chargers have gone from 1 kW per hour to well over 100kW today . Nissan, Hyundai (and Kia), and even Polestar's parent company, Geely, which sold more than 1.5 million EVs last year and ranks third globally are investing heavily in charger technology.

That's one of the biggest challenges in today's EV market.

I don't think mainstream consumers should buy a Polestar 3 that is a lemon law buyback.

As for enthusiasts, I do think that the parts for the Polestar 3 currently built in South Carolina will reflect Geely's global reach. They not only sell more EVs than anyone except Tesla and BYD. They actually sell more vehicles than Ford.

It will be interesting to see where these Polestar 3's end up, and how they will be retailed. Now that Polestar is defunct for at least 2027, a floodgate of manufacturer buyback vehicles will be hitting the market.

That will make clean title vehicles cheaper as well. Stay tuned.

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The prices at the wholesale dealer auctions are ridiculously cheap.

A 2 year old top-of-the-line Polestar 2 Long Range Plus can be bought on the auction block for under $20,000.

I even recently bought a much cheaper 2021 Launch Edition for only $15,000.

To give you a frame of reference, a base two year old Corolla or Civic usually sells for more than $20k.

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As many of you know, when it was new that 2024 Long Range Plus was over $60,000. The Polestar also won plenty of comparos by besting a similarly equipped Tesla Model 3.

These are ENTHUSIAST cars. If you know someone who is a frugalist or a hypercritical nitpicker, please tell them to go buy something else.

One other thing I wanted to address are the servicing and parts replacements. A lot of great points have already been mentioned in this subreddit over this past month.

But I'll highlight a few others.

1. If you plan to buy one (or another one), make extra sure it has been inspected AND get copies of that inspection report before it was reconditioned for sale. Whether it's from a large auction company (Manheim or ADESA) or from a Polestar dealer. No exceptions.

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Some of these units have been sitting for years. Don't assume everything is peachy. I have been an auto auctioneer and car dealer here in Atlanta for over 20 years. There are some bad apples.

2. Everyone here knows that the parent company that owns Volvo and Polestar is a Chinese company called Geely.

What you may not realize is that last year they sold more than 1.5 million EVs and PHEVs. 3rd highest in the world. Globally they sell more vehicles than Ford.

Given the unprofitable state of the Chinese car market, the North American car market is absolutely vital to their long-term success.

3. The batteries that power these vehicles along with their architectures (CATL and LG) are shared by Tesla, BMW, Ford and GM. They are commodities at this point, and will eventually be produced in the millions.

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4. Over 200,000 Polestars are sold globally. Servicing and parts shouldn't be an issue... so long as you're okay with visiting the dealer or a nearby independent Volvo repair shop.

5. EVs are simpler vehicles to maintain than traditional gasoline vehicles and hybrids. They have fewer parts, and those parts are usually more robust as well.

Everyone forgets this because nearly every over-the-air software update in today's clickbait media world is called a 'massive recall'.

So would I buy a Polestar? Yes.

But I'm also an auto enthusiast who has bought a lot of defunct brands when they were liquidated by the parent company. I like to hit 'em where they ain't. Not everyone does.

If that someone you know doesn't care about cars at all and they're just looking to buy an EV to save money, I would pull them towards an ID.4, Bolt, or Ariya instead.

This is a great opportunity for auto enthusiasts who are already in the market for a higher-end EV. Way better than the Fisker fiasco or anything that will ever be associated with the name Stellantis.

It will be interesting.

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A lot of people shopping for an ID.4 think that they can get the top of the line Pro S Plus for only a few thousand dollars more than a Pro S.

These people don't quite understand how Volkswagen prices their cars in the USA. And how poorly some of the top end versions sell when they're new.

Volkswagen LOVES to push their name as a premium brand whenever possible. And this has gone on for decades.

When the strategy flops, few are produced. Such as the $100,000 2006 Volkswagen Phaeton that had a 12 cylinder engine and all the features you can find in a loaded Audi A8.

Did they change their tune after selling 235 of them? Nope! They tried the exact same strategy with the Volkswagen Touareg.

12 cylinder engines. 10 cylinder turbo-diesels. They were absolute beasts according to the new car reviews of the day. Nobody bought them.

If you're spending $80,000 to $100,000 on a car... you want the preimum name too. Everyone from Hyundai (Equus, Genesis), to Kia (K900, Stinger) to Chevrolet (SS, SSR) has experienced this reality check.

The Pro S Plus is a rare vehicle. Out of the 74 ID.4's VW Credit is selling right now at Manheim auctions, only six of them are the Plus model and every one of them is a 2023. If you add other dealers and other auctions to that total, that 8% of the market drops down to only around 3%.

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But guess how many people ask me to find them a Pro S Plus? About a third.

And the prices reflect that deep schism between supply and demand. A 2025 ID.4 Pro S Plus will easily top $35,000 on average. Even if it has some dents, dings and scuffs that will require recon work.

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And not only are they rare, they're usually unavailable. This week is the first time in two months I have seen any available for purchase.

But a Pro S is not only as common as kudsu, they're also reasonably priced.

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And if you dip down to the 2024 and 2023 model years, they are downright cheap compared to anything else. Only the similar trims of the Nissan Ariya inhabits the same $17k to $23k price level. With all-wheel-drive adding roughly $1500 to that total price.

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The other side of that equation is the chasm between wholesale and retail. That is crumbling as we speak. Volkswagen used to average 30 to 50 ID.4s earlier this year. Over the last two weeks that has doubled.

I don't think that there will be a huge erosion in prices for the Pro S Plus. They simply didn't sell that many and the demand is too strong. But I do believe that there will be plenty of Pro S and Pro models in particular if you want the larger battery.

And if you're willing to drive an ID.4 with the same battery size and range as a Chevy Bolt, you're going to be quite happy with the oversupply of them in the coming months.

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Out of all the manufacturers, Volkswagen seems to be the most aggressive with selling their off-lease and company car inventory.

There are a lot of reasons for this.

Volkswagen has recently announced that they are reducing their employment count by 100,000 employees.

That's not a misprint. When a company scales back over 15% of their employees in the auto industry, they typically fire sale their discontinuing brands.

In the United States those discontinued models will be the Jetta (one of my favorites), the ID.4 (which has over 318 days in new car inventory and an avalanche of off-lease vehicles) , and the Taos (Jetta engine/transmission on lower trim versions). which suffers from no hybrids and an unknown model name in a sea of popular competitors.

What does that mean for you?

A really nice, but temporary sweet spot in terms of value and long-term ownership costs.

On most of the lower to mid trim levels you're looking at only about $100 a month in depreciation. The industry average is $350.

At the dealer auctions I'm seeing 2026 models sell on the block with 10,000 miles or less for over $10,000 less than their original MSRP.

That's a deep 40% chop from the MSRP on a 2026 model.

And about a 30% reduction in real world transaction price if you're looking at mid-level VW models that have under 10,000 miles.

Throw in reasonable gas and insurance costs on the Jetta and Taos, or no gas costs at all in the case of the ID.4, and VW is frankly offering the best values in the late-model used car market.

As I said before, discontinued models are always a solid bullseye if you're a long-term keeper.

Here are a few of my top picks for tomorrow's VW Credit auction which ends at 3:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

2023 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro S w/LG Battery - This is one of the few off-lease units that is an actual old school color (Red! Thank God!), versus the endless black, white, silver and gray that dominate today's market. RWD. 14,377 miles. Opening bid is $17,200. About $1400 under average wholesale. The pics are below.

2026 Volkswagen Jetta S with 2,205 miles - Current bid is $17,000. The original MSRP on this unit is was over $25,000.

Sadly, this one is a 'closed' sale unit which means only VW franchises can bid on it. But it portends to how inexpensive the off-lease and corporate vehicles will likely be this coming fall and spring.

2024 Volkswagen Taos SE Black with 10,917 miles. - Current bid is $20,300. On average, the SUV version of a Volkswagen with an identical engine and transmission will usually sell for about $4,000 to $5,000 more than a car in the wholesale market.

This one is also about $1500 less than what the average wholesale price has been over the last 30 days.

As I highlighted before, Volkswagen is more or less cleaning out their balance sheet and the disconitnued models are usually the most heavily discounted when that happens.

So if you're the type who keeps their daily driver for at least another 7 to 10 years, you're looking at only about $100 a month in monthly depreciation costs. Roughly $3 a day.

That's ridiculously inexpensive for a nearly new to two year old vehicle.

If you want to hit 'em where they ain't, Volkswagen is going to be a sweet spot in the industry for at least the next year to two years.

Nissan and Stellantis are also going to be there too. But out of the three, according to the data I have at the Long-Term Quality Index, Volkswagen is going to be by far the top choice.

Disclaimer : I'm Steven Lang. The recommendations here are based on my analysis of the used car market as an auto auctioneer, remarketing manager, and analyst.

I have been a buyer and seller of tens of thousands of late model vehicles since 1999.

I also co-developed the Long-Term Quality Index. A study on used car reliability which now has over six million vehicles inspected by mechanics throughout the United States. The basic information in that study is available for free, forever, to everyone. Since 2016, I have also operated a wholesale dealer auction car buying service on Facebook called 48 Hours And A Used Car. We purchase vehicles nationally to our customers for the wholesale cost plus $700.

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1. Right now a 2023 Nissan Ariya Engage with 30,000 miles, a 'clean' condition report rating, and an EV battery score of 99% is now averaging $14,900 at the wholesale dealer auctions according to the Manheim Market Report.
2. If you add All-Wheel-Drive, the Engage costs $1500 more at $16,400.
3. The Engage+ with the larger battery and AWD is $17,700.
4. The Venture+ with the larger battery and FWD, but a more downscale interior is $17,650.
5. An Evolve+ with the larger battery and FWD is $18,500. The AWD version is $19,850.
6. The Premier ($20,700/FWD) and Platinum+ ($24,000/AWD) all command a premium due to lower inventory levels. Although there are areas of the United States, such as the Southeast, where an all-wheel-drive model commands a lower premium than nationally according to the Manheim Market Report.
7. Battery levels remain stellar for the Nissan Ariya according to Manheim, with the average vehicle retaining nearly 99% of its battery life.
8. The spread between residuals and lease-turn ins is right around $7000, with all-wheel-drive models receiving greater price differentials in the Southeast and Southwest. 
9. The greater issue for Nissan is supply. Although the Ariya constituted roughly 2% of Nissan purchases from 2023 to mid-2026, the current number of off-lease inventory for Nissan Financial remains at around 5% as of this week according to Manheim. I have seen it as high as 8%.

So what does this mean for you?

You're really looking at about roughly a $3000 price hike when you opt for the larger battery and front-wheel-drive between the Engage and the Venture+.

But this isn't an apples-to-apples comparison.

You lose the Leatherette seats in the Engage for cloth seats in the Venture+. Along with power and heated front seats, a heated steering wheel. a heads-up display and the motorized center console.

If those items mean a lot to you and prefer the, the Evolve+ is roughly $1000 more than the Venture+.

Two things to consider. All the prices mentioned above are wholesale values, not retail.

If you're buying from an auto broker it will cost you roughly $2.000 more. Since this does not include the auto auction's buy fee, the broker fee (industry average is around $700), or transport. Which is usually pretty reasonable. Since these dealer auctions sell and transport about 1,500 to 3,000 vehicles a week.

A retail dealership will have around a $4000 to $5000 premium over wholesale on average according to the Manheim Market Report.

The second big thing to note is that if you live where the weather is temperate, the Engage is likely a unique sweet spot in the EV market if you can live with a smaller battery.

Overall, the 2023 Nissan Ariya Engage is substantially less expensive than a similarly equipped Equinox EV ($18,500), the Chevy Bolt EUV in LT trim ($17,100), and the Chevy Bolt LT ($15,850) while offering a more upscale interior than the later two models.

The Toyota bZ4x XLE ($18,500) and the Subaru Solterra Premium ($17,200) are also substantially more and have a similar sized battery. The interior isn't as nice, but you will likely get higher resale value.

The most comparable model would be the 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 S which shares an upscale interior and a similar battery size. Those are very rare, and also cost the same as the Subaru Solterra Premium ($17,200). About a $2300 price premium.

The Engage arguably has a nicer interior than any of them, and competes very well on price. 

Since I live near Atlanta where snow and ice are rare, and nearly all of my driving is regional, I would strongly consider the Nissan Ariya Engage. For most suburban/city residents like me who live where the weather isn't brutal in the winter, that $3,500+ difference for a larger battery is debatable. Especially if you own a second car that is gasoline powered or an EV with far higher range.

Manheim currently has over a dozen of this trim level in stock, with other auctions providing several more. Miles range from 13,000 to 35,000 this week for these lease turn-ins from Nissan Lease Trust.

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Every week I'm given a long list of Volkswagen ID.4 models that are off-lease, and a few that have never been on the road at all.

These lists aren't unusual in my business. All of the EV manufacturers have been lease happy for a long time. Just last year over 60% of the EVs purchased were leased vehicles.

What has changed? The auctions.

One in particular named Manheim now has an EV battery capacity evaluation system. Here are the details for it.

The test usually takes about five minutes, and instead of a drawdown and recharge of the battery, they access the battery management system which tabulates battery temperatures, total times charged, and the types of charges (DC fast charging vs. Level 2) the car has received.

From there they extrapolate the current battery capacity for that vehicle.

I'm noticing three important things from these tests.

1. The longer a Volkswagen ID.4 has been sitting, the lower that capacity.

That sounds like common sense. But I've thought for a long time that these numbers I'm seeing at the auctions may just be inaccurate.

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Here's a 2023 Pro S that is showing only 84% capacity based on that evaluation of the internal Battery Management Sysam.

Yet the computer is showing that the vehicle is capable of over 315 miles of range. This one also comes from Virginia which tends to have longer summers and shorter winters than the Northeast states.

Can it really have such a low capacity and such a high range? You can game those numbers a bit since the reading you have on the dashboard reflects your driving habits and current efficiency.

But if both were true, this one would have lost over 15% of its range and would still be able to amass over 15% of its efficiency. That would be quite a feat.

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I'm also seeing other examples, albeit rare, which show even more draconian differences. For example, early Standard and S models showing less than 70% capacity, and yet still have around 180 miles of range according to VW's internal battery management software.

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I don't buy them. None of my customers have asked me about buying a Standard trim ID.4. But I'm planning on getting one myself and seeing whether it's worth keeping. There are plenty out there with between 100,000 and 200,000 miles, and even those in the lower part of that range have trouble getting more than $10,000 outside the West Coast.

2. The VW ID.4 regularly shows lower battery capacity for pre-2024 models than most of the compeition based on the test. BUT the range numbers also consistently contradict those results.

The standouts based on Manheim's EV measurements are the Nissan Ariya, Toyota bZ4X (and Subaru Solterra), and the GM vehicles.

Both versions of GM's battery technology are standouts. Unlike the others, GM inadvertently created a unique testing opprotunity for their EV batteries when they bought back thouands of Chevy Bolts during their battery recall.

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These usually had batteries replaced soon after they were bought back, and then they sat for approximately three to five years. Until the Iran War started, GM had a not so small army of them waiting in inventory because the demand for EVs after the EV Tax Credit expired was low.

Since late March, they have been selling them exclusively through 'closed' GM sales where only GM dealers can bid on them. The battery ratings are all 97% or higher. Every... single... one...

Even in cases where the vehicles had been sitting since 2021.

3. Overall, I still believe that the average late-model EV will last longer than its gas counterpart.

The robustness of the powertrains are evolving to the point where there are far fewer weak points than before.

EVs used to brick their batteries if they stayed out in the sun and weren't driven for months. These days, it's rare.

A gasoline powered vehicle can have over 30,000 parts. An EV powertrain, even 10 years ago has less than half that number and only .2% of them are moving parts.

And here's the biggest shocker I can offer after buying hundreds of EVs at wholesale dealers auctions around the country.

The earliest commercially produced EVs from a decade ago are still fully capable as local daily drivers.

I still see 1st gen Nissan LEAFs with anywhere between 6 to 7 bars which didn't have any thermal cooling, battery management software, or any of the current battery technologies now used to prolong battery range and longevity.

That's not to say everything is perfect. Far from it.

Charging systems still need to be developed, and the early years of solid-state batteries are still on the horizon.

But between China's big push for EV dominance, the legacy manufacturers still investing hundreds of billions over the next five years, and Tesla's success at making the Model 3 and Model Y top-selling vehicles. I believe that the word 'EV' will someday in the short future replace the word 'car'.

The EV is a superior technology based on efficiency and longevity. And the coming years will only extend that advantage.

If you're not fast charging your EV on a frequent basis, the average battery loss is only around 1.5%. Even if you lose 3% of capacity during the first year, you're only looking at losing a third of overall capacity after 20 years.

I'm very bullish on EVs, and I believe the oversupply issues for late-model units will be temporary. Only time will tell.

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1. Right now the market for the Nissan Ariya is still depressed for low-to-mid trim levels.
2. The Empower+ and Platinum+ command a premium due to lower inventory levels. Although there are areas of the United States, such as the Northeast, where they command a lower premium than nationally according to the Manheim Market Report.
3. The spread between residuals and lease-turn ins is right around $7000 with all-wheel-drive models receiving greater price differentials in the Southeast and Southwest. 
4. The greater issue for Nissan is supply. Although the Ariya constituted roughly 2% of Nissan purchases from 2023 to mid-2026, the current number of off-lease inventory for Nissan Financial is around 5% as of this week according to Manheim. I have seen it as high as 8%.

So what does this mean for you?

First, you're probably better off having a broker buy a vehicle directly at a wholesale auction at a flat fee versus having it bought at a Nissan dealership.

Right now an AWD 2024 Ariya in Engage trim in clean condition with 25,000 miles has an average wholesale value of $17,350. An Engage+ is roughly $19,600 and likely represents the sweet spot for value thanks to the larger battery.  While an Evolve+ is $21,500 and a Platinum+ is all the way up to $28,000.

This does not include the auction buy fee, the broker fee, or transport which is usually pretty reasonable given that these auctions sell and transport about 1,500 to 3,000 vehicles a week.

The second big thing to note is that the front-wheel-drive models aren't as inexpensive as you may think.

A FWD 2024 Engage model in the same condition and miles averages at $16,800 nationally. The Venture+ is $18,500 and is my personal top choice if you want front-wheel-drive, the larger battery, and don’t care all that much about heated leatherette seats. If you live where it’s hot, that’s something to consider. 

The Engage+ is $22,200 while super-low mile versions of this trim (10,000 miles or less) are as much as $25,000. 

All-wheel-drive values are heavily dependent on where you live and typically add an extra $300 to $3000.

Overall, the Nissan Ariya is slightly less expensive than a similarly equipped Equinox EV and Blazer EV. But more expensive than the Chevy Bolt EUV, the Toyota bZ4x and the Subaru Solterra. It arguably has a nicer interior than any of them, and competes very well on price. 

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1. Right now the market for the VW ID.4 is still soft for low-to-mid trim levels.
2. The Pro S and Pro S Plus still command a premium due to lower inventory levels. Although there are areas of the United States, such as the Midwest and Southwest, where they command a lower price than nationally according to the Manheim Market Report.
3. The spread between residuals and lease-turn ins is right around $6000 with Standard and S models receiving greater price differentials. This is the main reason why Volkswagen is currently offering $3000 rebates to lease customers, but not the only reason.
4. The greater issue for VW is supply. Although the ID.4 constituted less than 5% of Volkswagen purchases from 2023 to mid-2026, the current number of off-lease inventory for VW Credit is over 15% as of this week according to Manheim. I have seen it as high as 20%.

So what does this mean for you?

First, you're probably better off having a broker buy a vehicle directly at a wholesale auction at a flat fee versus having it bought at a Volkswagen dealership.

VW is consistently offering lower bid prices than average at the wholesale dealer auctions, which points to a firm downward trend in the coming months.

Right now a RWD 2023 ID.4 in Standard trim in clean condition with 25,000 miles has an average wholesale value of $15,900. An S trim averages at $16,900. A Pro is roughly the same price at $16,500 (availability and auction location play a big role). While a Pro S is $18,100 and a Pro S Plus is all the way up to $20,500. VW Credit is typically lowering the opening bid for 2023 models at about $700 on average.

This does not include the auction buy fee, the broker fee, or transport which is usually pretty reasonable given that these auctions sell and transport about 1,500 to 3,000 vehicles a week.

The second big thing to note is that the 2024 models aren't as expensive as you may think.

A RWD 2024 Standard model in the same condition and miles averages at $17,000 nationally. Only one S trim sold over the past three months so Manheim doesn't have an accurate value for that rare trim. The Pro is $18,500 on average and my personal top choice given the solid roof (better than the glass roof if you live in a temperate climate like me), larger battery, and better software and infotainment.

The Pro S averages out at $22,600 and the Pro S Plus is virtually non-existent... but the last one I pursued was bought by Carmax at $25,500 at another auction company.

All-wheel-drive values are heavily dependent on where you live and typically add an extra $1000 to $2000.

Overall, the ID.4 is more expensive than a comparable Nissan Ariya but less expensive than the Equinox EV.

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I have a customer who has been looking for a Chevy Bolt.

He has a wife. Three kids. One of which now has a driver's license and the other two will be driving in a few years.

Whatever he buys, it will get plenty of road use.

As many of you already know Chevy Bolts are pretty expensive right now.

I'm seeing 2023 models flirting with a $20,000 price tag. Which brings it firmly into Chevy Equinox EV levels.

So we looked at two older Bolts.

One was a 2018 Chevy Bolt LT with about 53,000 miles and a replaced battery that still had 75,000 miles left on the battery warranty which stretched to May 2031.

Some dings and scuffs. One major dent on the roof and drivers side door.

It was definitely a workhorse.

It would do the job, and my customer didn't mind the cosmetics.

But then we found a buyback that was just plain incredible. A 2018 Chevy Bolt Premier still under the factory warranty.

But the real story was the HV battery.

The high voltage battery was finally replaced under recall in March 2025 which means the battery warranty stretches all the way to March 2033 and over 85,000 miles.

The average wholesale value was $11,850 and there were over 130 dealers at the wholesale dealer auction. Including Carmax and Carvana who usually suck up a lot of the late model vehicles.

I was expecting a tough fight when it went on the block.

He was willing to go up to $12,500. We got it for $9200.

I was so shocked that I called the auction to make sure there weren't any technical issues with the online bidding.

Before the Iran War, a Chevy Bolt buyback would lose about $1000 to $1500 over one without that brand.

These days a buyback on a Chevy Bolt usually has little to no effect on its value.

These vehicles are so high in demand that GM has been selling their own Bolts under 'closed' sales for months. Where only Chevy dealers can bid on these vehicles.

We stole it. Plain and simple.

Unlike most dealers that like to tease prices, I seriously doubt I'll see this level of a discount on any Chevy Bolt for a very long time.

Glad it's going to a great customer who knew exactly what he wanted.

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If you can stand having a baseplate on the front of your vehicle, the value you get is often excellent. This is a well kept 2020 Chevy Equinox LT with only 23,000 miles that I bought for just $12,000.

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If you can stand having a baseplate on the front of your vehicle, the value you get is often excellent. This is a well kept 2020 Chevy Equinox LT with only 23,000 miles that I bought for just $12,000.

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