Hi
Looking to buy a recon car.
Anyone who have a good experience with any car dealer.
Please list them here.

Such a wide range of dealers. From elite companies to scumbags.

Better you list down your actual vehicle requirements then easier to narrow down eg Alphard?

This post has been edited by dogbert_chew: Aug 30 2024, 11:50 AM

Recon car

Better u get a trusted mechanic along or at least find a foreman go with u

on tiktok i saw got mechanic sifu got offer such services

pay 1k 2k now better than later u pay 20k for a repair which u should spot earlier

caz if u gotta ask here.....

Recon or not, better bring a trusted friend or mech to inspect the car before signing the dotted line.

Sometimes, a dealer may flip the car to another dealer and kept whatever problems to themselves.

Looking for Lexus RX300 in particular.

Not sure what you mean here.

They flip the car to another dealer, make some cash and act dumb

BTW, check your PM
Whatsapp me, I will guide you through this

If I tell you the truth, would you still buy the vehicle from me ? Obviously not.

It would be good if you follow Facebook Wong Jia Thai from Hong Lee Auto, there you will come across cases how dealers scam dealers too.

Based on my experience with my clients, if you decide that it's the vehicle you want, take pictures of the internal components inside the engine bay. Many a times whatever is inside the picture, during the handover many a times parts will go missing. Until I have to buy parts so that the battery is fixed securedly. Bolts missing, nuts missing, even bracket missing. I remember the correct battery bracket for a Harrier costs close to Rm300 from SC ya. The battery bracket that came in the Harrier did not secure the battery but was left sitting on the battery, because that unit was from online shopping platform and it COULDN'T be use to secure the battery down !!! Crazy.

Please check carefully especially during the handover. A client of mine did take pictures but he forgot to cross check during the handover. Battery cover, bolt and nut all missing when compared against the picture later. Oops I forgot the best part, a higher grade battery in picture suddenly became a regular flooded battery at home. I remember this case, a Prado came with a Kancil size battery !!!

This post has been edited by Roman Catholic: Aug 30 2024, 06:31 PM

out of 10 second hand car dealers, more than 9 are crooks.

never believe a car with low mileage like 5 year old car and only 50k on the odometer.

even if you bring a trusted mechanic to inspect the car before you buy, better bring him on the day you make payments or collect the car cos there are stories about really forked up dealers taking the good spare parts out of the car and putting back in Shity parts.

Agree.

If nuts, bolts, battery cover, higher spec battery being swapped out are the issues I am already seeing, who knows what other more expensive barangs have they swapped out?

TS, check out :-
https://consigncars.my/

WOW!
I understand we can now check the car data from SCRUT, including mileage.

Hi. Thanks for the link.
Do you have good experience with this dealer?

My perception different, out of 10 dealer, 12 are crooks. They just want your money. Mileage 120% are fake. Its about perception if the owner can accept it, recond is a used car.

But for me, I rather spend few hundred for car inspection, to check if it indeed an accidental car, this even car dealer love to scam. Once ok, I can accept it is not really low mileage as advertised, then straight to regular workshop (if purchase) for major service, change many parts. This will save some hassle in the future

That one thing, another to bring the inspection guys to really checking it if that an accident car. If purchase, no doubt can feel the big regrets

Doesn't SCRUT data show if it was accident car?

My understanding if that accident car was send to manufacturers SC for accident repair yeah recorded. But what if the car was repair at outside workshop for accident repair?

Not sure how Japan handles this.
But in Aus, all major repairs of vehicles have to be lodged into the central record system by the workshops, bar none.
So, in Aus, buying 2nd hand cars is very safe as all historical data of the vehicles are lodged.


https://www.news.com.au/technology/motoring...c4e23311ae85c27

Then it should be good thing, but most recond are from Japan. Rarely we bought recond Aus unit, unless certain brand. I watch few videos for car inspection especially Alphard where the inspection guy kantoi that car was indeed rear accident car unit. Need to really sit down underneath the car to check the condition, connection, etc. Hopefully if buy car, spend some for good car inspection guys. Not happy mode getting an accident car

Never bought a recond before.
Heard about this co via other car enthusiast forum.

usually for recond car, whats the interest rate range? is it the same as new car?

Yes new car interest rates apply. That's why many buy recond since years ago

Good or bad review of this company?

What car are you looking to get into?
Reply to my PM and I can help you to get the car you want

will u flip sales too

What you mean by flip sales
BTW your signature Evolution cacat one

I worked in the industry and I can surely tell you most of the recon dealer have stock which have issues (accident unit, flooded, rusted etc)

It caters for different customer, some car rental company dont mind at all the condition as long as it is priced lower and bring profit to company.

As a potential buyer yourself, you should get as much info as possible, either from the dealer or yourself via online, some recon car have multiple reports (pre and post bidding / AP / kastam report) that shows info about the car.

Let me know if you have any particular model in mind, I can point you to some dealer which have the stock you want (no promise on the condition)

Yes, you read it right hahah and it is more common than you think

Of course there are some good bargain as well, I have seen some buyer really happy with the car and came back to purchase another model few years down the road

Anyway you based in KL? I saw you are looking for RX300, let me know if you need my help to arrange for you at least view some of the car.

Just to get some feeling about the condition of the car.

No. I am not in KL.
Actually, i have driven 3 units recon Toyota Prado for the last 20 years. Hardly any problems apart from the normal wear and tear. But those are company cars.
Now, i would like to get my own. And i do not want to spend 300k on a recon lemon!

I will message you when i am in KL for shopping.

I love the Toyota Prado, it runs forever! Is it the J120 or J150 you were driving?

RX300 don't need 300k la, 250k+ should be able to get some good 2020 units.

No problem, let me know I am happy to help

The Prado is a great car for robust use. I had the TX-G.
What about year 2021 or 2022? What price range for F Sport and Luxury?

2021 Lux - 250k+
2021 F Sport - 280k+

2022 Lux - 290k+ (very rare in the market)
2022 F Sport - 310k+

This should be the market price plus minus depending on condition and spec.

I guess you have quite an idea already since you have driven Toyota before, the RX300 will be a quieter and softer ride compared to Prado

https://www.carlist.my/recon-cars/8500km-20...terior/14056084

https://www.carlist.my/recon-cars/unregiste...k-only/14477690

If the prices are this low, suspicious?

Prado is a workhorse. Definitely a RX300 is a better ride.

Have to see actual car, can always tell you the car is sold and there is another higher priced car

This is without processing fee, which usually minimum 3k per transaction, including registration and runner fees.

So its fake advert?
The price for year 2022 at that price is very enticing.

look for a company that is willing to take the car to your trusted mechanic shop so the the car can be put on a lift so the underside could be inspected

The real lemon is when the car was flood victim ..

How does one inspect for this?

Depending on the skill of repairer, sometimes experienced dealers or platforms may not be able to detect flooded vehicle via visible inspection too.

Assuming that the paintwork etc all is flawless, the problem will come when electrical connections began corroding creating all sorts of electrical gremlins.

Recon = Reconditioned cars and can only legally be imported from JP / UK under commercial AP.

Just think of recon as used cars and inspect / view the car as such with the exception of a slightly better interest rate on HP loan and the ability to “re-use” an existing number plate compared to used cars.

Unfortunately the industry as a whole as consumers sees it, is pretty accurate. Sourcing a local dealer with integrity is a rare gem and as such they do charge a premium.


My POV and tips.

1. Japanese sellers / Auction houses in JP typically provide accurate information and transparent with their data (Outliers exist but rare) and cars are usually well maintained compared with the counterpart UK.

2. Scrut purchased reports majority extracts from Auction reports and there are individual Japan dealers whom sell cars to MY recon dealers which report don’t appear on Scrut or can be questionable reports if it isn’t generated from Auction houses in JP.

3. Take all mileage on recon cars with a grain of salt, instead focus more on the condition of the car. There are “paint thickness test tools” which are inexpensive and can check if its all still in its original paint condition, and bring the car to your local mechanic to check the undercarriage and engine (Compression test too for a piece of mind). Generally recon dealers would be happy to oblige provided they might ask you for a booking fee to show you are a genuine buyer.

4. All booking fees to be boldly written “Fully refundable” and company stamped under any circumstances.

Once you have scale down to the car you want, look out on the AP (Custom forms) if it is the right model, Y.O.M and spec the dealer is declaring as this might affect you when you are going to sell your car down the road.


It is quite a tedious and meticulous process to hunt for a good condition recon car at a fair value. In the recent years “import your own car from AP dealers” has gained traction and you could consider that too if you are patient enough as the whole process can take from 1 - 3 months and be wary of “fees be it hidden or direct". My advise is buy new if you could for a piece of mind, direct owner’s used car second then recon if you are adamant onto a certain spec where bargains do exist. Effort and patience is definitely required however Toyota/Lexus are quite reliable under normal circumstances anyway so great choice there. Happy hunting!

Appreciate this write up.
Thanks
Met a friend just now.
He recommends direct order/import your own through a dealer. It is worth it. i will look into this method.

U mean make booking/order to the recond shop, so that shop find the car for u from abroad?
Any idea for the price difference, it is acceptable different?

The shop will bid in the auction for you.
They will charge between 3 to 8% service and arrange everything.
Good savings it seems.

I mean lets say for the same model car that was already here vs just bidding overseas, which one is cheaper? I foresee one that already here is cheaper and can negotiate better with recond shop

I don't think our friend is going for which is the cheapest. If I am a buyer what I really want is, nobody doing hanky panky with it before it is transferred to me. Its a real pity Toyota didn't bring in one of the Prada J150 models that I liked very much. Was thinking about getting a recond sometime back but at the end I just ditched the plan. The more one investigates, the more one finds out about the nonsense that's going on behind the scenes. If I had it my way, I think I would have drawn out the SOP myself on how the vehicle is to be stored until it's transfered to my name to avoid any chances of tampering.

For cars that are in the showroom, there is holding costs. That's where the cost of cars are factored in as well.
For direct import, there is no holding cost for the sellers.

Noted, that's the theory, hopefully it turn out in actual. Eyeing G30 BMW 530i, saw Kashton Motorsport in TikTok. They put prices kinda lowest vs others, but check google reviews, many shared it is fake mileage. Expected cz that how Recond, used car do sales.

Yes you are right in this case, for direct bid you are basically paying the recon dealer just to process the import, the fee range from 3-8% depending if you are buying cash or paying loan.

If pay cash then you need to settle the payment when the car is still at JP, you fork out the money to bid the car and bring it in, and when it reaches malaysia kastam you pay for the tax and processing, recon dealer is only managing the process, that would be the cheapest cause recon dealer do not fork out any money for the whole process.

If you are taking a loan, then recon dealer will charge you an interest for the forefront payment they made to auction house and processing the kastam, which is why it cost higher if you take loan.

The most expensive are actually ready stock in the recon showroom, it has calculated all the interest and a little bit higher margin with processing cost.

I think jr song use direct import from a dealer from klang to get his bm and unfortunately quite disappointing.. i heard about this direct import but srsly no experience. Another dealer fmaous is jerry sharing . But to my info is need scrut then again still can be disappointing like jr

Any details, seem from video he totally not ok with the recond quality he got from his purchase.

U can check his u tube . And just a simple goolge search can know which dealer he uses