u/theconcernedviewer

I'm shopping for an IS 300, and saw a 2018 model year priced pretty aggressively around $18000. The vehicle only has around 70,000 miles and it has no accidents according to the VIN reports I've seen.

The only cosmetic thing I see wrong is very minor interior scuffing. The VIN information did have some minor reported cosmetic damage, but nothing I could notice from photos alone.

Apart from that, the other red flag I see is that the dealership has had the car since late January, and acquired it from another dealership that had it listed for at least 3 months before that too.

I guess my question is: how common is it for a car like this to be sitting for so long? I like the car, and am planning to test drive it this upcoming weekend. Is there anything I should specifically look out for, or ask the dealer?

I'd really appreciate any help since I really wanna get into this car as it seems great.

Hey everyone,

I have a 2012 Focus SEL in need of some repairs. I was on the highway a few weeks ago and the car completely lost power. I thought it was a dreaded transmission issue that these cars are so prone to, but it actually wasn't. The mechanic said there's a clog in the catalytic converter that was causing the power dip, and quoted me around $1400. There's also a small leak in one of the plastic hoses for the radiator, which is causing a coolant leak. All of that turns out to a little over $2000, and I'm not really sure what to do.

I've had it for around 10 years, it was my first car in high school and it got me through quite a bit. There's been an expensive repair every few years, but nothing this much really. It's lasted, but the car is older. It has about 165,000 miles and I drive sort of far every few days. Though I'm glad it's not a transmission issue, that feels like a ticking time bomb.

I don't hate this car, but I'm not sure how much it makes sense to keep but I'd love to avoid a car payment. I wonder what you all here would do, let me know. Thanks for your input!