[jguthner]

I know I'm really new here and my word doesn't carry much weight, but thought other potential Ody owners may benefit.

I've been lurking for a few weeks, reading up on the Ody and trying to absorb all this information...finally pulled the trigger! We just finalized the transfer of a 2007 EX-L from Ohio to Tucson. Vic has been extremely helpful throughout the entire process and at no point have I felt any pressure whatsoever.

Although the final price is reflective of a no-haggle/no-deal system, to my wife and I it was totally worth it to go through the process in peace while we made our decision. In the end, not a single dealer in town had "the one" in stock anyway, so a transfer was going to have to happen.

Now to figure out where to go from here...

 

[dgipalo]

Congrats on your new wheels.

One of the things that would have given me pause is the fact that the car spent at least 4 winters in the land of salt-on-the-roads. Depending on how diligent the previous owner had been about washing the crud off, it could be a bad case of tinworm waiting to happen. Now the fact that you are in an arid climate will help, but long-term exposure to salt is a breeding ground for rust - and the problem may not rear its ugly head for a couple of years.

It can also lead to things like hitch mount points being 'funky' with rust, ground points getting corrosion, etc. I'd recommend a thorough inspection by a trusted mechanic prior to finalizing the deal (or letting the 'send it back' period expire).

This ins't really CarMax-specific - it's for any used car with unknown provenance. Understanding its history and the conditions it's been subjected to is key to determining if you got a 'jewel' or a 'lemon-in-waiting'.

 

[jguthner]

Thanks for the tip...not something that I would have thought about.

As for the "trusted mechanic" bit, I don't have one. Is this something that I can get a reputable independent mechanic to do for a fee?

 

[dgipalo]

Thanks for the tip...not something that I would have thought about.

As for the "trusted mechanic" bit, I don't have one. Is this something that I can get a reputable independent mechanic to do for a fee? [/QUOTE

Generally, yes. But they need to know the model vehicle and where the tinworm can get purchase, i.e. what parts of the body and undercarriage are 'at risk'.

 

[Rampant Lion]

x2 on the independant mechanic. Your local Honda dealer probably does a pre-buy inspection for a fee.

You might want to find out if they salt in Ohio or de-ice. Here is WA, only de-icer is used with sand which will not rust a car. In some states they still use salt because it is cheaper.

 

[psu ody fan]

x2 on the independant mechanic. Your local Honda dealer probably does a pre-buy inspection for a fee.

You might want to find out if they salt in Ohio or de-ice. Here is WA, only de-icer is used with sand which will not rust a car. In some states they still use salt because it is cheaper.

Salt is still used in many parts of Ohio.

One thing to point out....just because the van was located at a Carmax in Ohio, doesn't mean it spent it's first years here. Carmax buys cars all over and then shuttles them to parts of the country that supply & demand dictate. I've know 2 people that sold cars to a local Carmax, only to find the car for sale at a Carmax in a different area.