Looking at used cars....interior smells.......

[Hermosa11]

DH and I are in market for a used vehicle. I have a budget and this makes it hard (rather than having the freedom to get anything I darned well wanted).

I viewed a Mazda Tribute (wanted to throw that in if anyone has an opinion)....and the interior had something. Not Cat urine.....not smoke....nothing terribly strong....just something. Of course I realize it is used...and the new car smell is no more .....My husband barely smelled the smell. Is this something that can easily be taken care of? The dealer was a small small one., and maybe they just don't have the gadgets and gizmos that the large dealers have to clean, etc.. I would be MORE thann willing to buy anything I would need or rent any kind of a machine (I need to steam clean the house carpet anyway).....(I think the prior owner had dog(s) and transported them often).

Am I being to sensitive in the nose? or what? I am going back now with DS(19) to see what he thinks.....

Love my DIS'er family and your advice/comments.

 

[monkeyboy]

I know what you are talking about

 

[golfgal]

We had this problem with our last car purchase too. One car was so smokey we didn't even test drive it. One car smelled like vomit another was just smelly. If they could get the smells out, the dealers would have done that. If it smells now, it will smell forever. I wouldn't buy it.

 

[JVL1018]

Are you pregnant? LOL
We bought a 2 year old minivan when I was pregnant with DS and the smell in the car drove me nuts, smelled like strong women's perfume. I bought all kinds of Febreeze and air freshners, dragged everyone I knew to smell it because DH said he smelled nothing, no one else smelled anything either..and after I had DS I no longer smelled it. LOL
If it really does smell, I wouldn;t get it.

 

[Hermosa11]

I bought all kinds of Febreeze and air freshners, dragged everyone I knew to smell it because DH said he smelled nothing

That is SOOO me...."dragging everyone to smell the smell"........

DS and I went to look at it. He was impressed! 24 valve, etc., he actually drove it but the transmission light went on. We returned it. I would (in a flippant way) offer like 31% less than the asking price and then get the transmission fixed........that I would do, otherwise, forget it. I was in the vehicle for a few blocks and it really was not bad.

Well, the search for a used car continues.................

Thanks!!!!

 

[sweet angel]

For what it's worth, I have a Tribute and I love it. I wouldn't buy one with a smell and a bad transmission though.

 

[Disney Doll]

It's not a musty or moldy smell, is it???

We have a friend who is in the car auction business, and he says a few cars that were flooded in the hurrcanes have been refurbished and are being sent around the country to used car auctions.

Be careful...

 

[Hermosa11]

No, not a musty type smell. )the smell was very slight).
not even if I got it for a song and dance and got new transmission fixed myself?
oh well. searching for used vehicles are very slow going..............

 

[luvthatduke]

Oh gosh, it's late...
All I could think of when I read the OP was Elaine on Seinfeld,
"What do you think - I'm hard of smelling?"

 

[sweet angel]

No, not a musty type smell. )the smell was very slight).
not even if I got it for a song and dance and got new transmission fixed myself?
oh well. searching for used vehicles are very slow going..............

What year Tribute is it? I guess it comes down to whether or not you think you can live with the smell....if you could, I don't think you'd be asking here.

If you don't mind me asking, how low of a price do you think you could get it for?

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Good luck in your search!

The car wash once put some scent in my car that smelled like angel food cake mixed with grass clippings. I drove with the windows down until it went away. I can't stand the car to smell like anything. The little girl I nanny spilled a drink in her carseat and after I washed the carseat cover the car smelled like detergent. DS9 complained about that!

Never buy a car with transmission problems. I had a Taurus that the transmission went out at 37K miles. When it was at about 72K it was going out again. When we traded it in they mentioned that our trade value was lower because they could tell it had a mechanical problem. We had the transmission replaced at the dealership, so whatever the flaw was it wasn't fixed by replacing the transmission.