How BROKEN are wholesale cars at dealer auctions? 

This guy is a no-nonsense, plain talking, honest, solid mid west guy. I'd hire him in a second, and respect his decisions, opinion and work ethic.

If only politicians had 20% of this guys integrity.

The world of dealer auctions has changed a lot over the last few years. It is harder and harder to find guys like Jason who take such pride in their jobs.

“No one should have to pay for cars that were misrepresented” .... I’ll take ‘things never heard at Copart or Manheim for $1000', Alex

Boss that treats a technician right. You found the pot of gold there.

When my second daughter was born I was unemployed. We needed a car but didn't have much money. I saw a sign on a fence for a car auction. Sold as is, cash that day in full. I went to the auction and just looked at cars and watched to understand what was happening. The next Saturday I showed up with $2,000 cash in hand and ready to go. I picked out three cars I liked with one that I really really wanted. I wanted an 85 Volvo 240 wagon, blue with blue interior, 4 cyl nonturbo, 4 speed with overdrive. The drivers seat was torn badly, 3 of the 4 windows were down and would not go back up, the interior was moldy, the rear hatch had the window broken out, one of the tires was the wrong size being drasticly too tall, the auction listed the heater as not working at all, the carpet was badly torn up, the overdrive button was broken in two, it had 130,000 miles on it but the motor had no oil other than a couple of very minor spots, the coolant was green, the engine bay relatively clean. No one had looked under the passenger seat. When i look at a car i see everything! There was a folder with all the maintenance records from Volvo. Not just oil changes but a recent timing belt, catalytic converter, points, plug wires and more. It was well cared for but had minor things go wrong all at once so it ended at auction. It came up before the other two I targeted. I got it for $250!! Then i also got the Volvo 240 sedan in similar shape for $425 and the 740 sedan in similar shape for $260!! I got three cars for just a bit over $1,300 with title and taxes. My wife was furious! I'm unemployed, new baby and a 2 year old, almost no money left now. I called four friends to get them home, made a list of parts needed and went to the junk yard. Fixed everything on all cars for under $700 over the next week. Over the next year the wagon got a lot of really nice interior parts but ditched a lot of weight in the process, upgraded the climate control to digital zoned from a 2003 V40, factory guages to monitor more and fill in blank spaces in the dash, got a carbon hood and alloy rear hatch dropping the cars weight more new performance cam, timing gear, bigger fuel injectors, high flow water and fuel pumps, bigger throttle body, drop suspension springs, bigger sway bars, performance struts and shocks, strut tower braces, suspension bushings, 18 inch wheels from a V70R and more. I had it looking sharp! I sold the 240 sedan after fixed and buffed for $3,500! I got $4,700 for the 740 sedan! I kept the wagon for five years until it had 340,000miles on it and still sold it for $3,500. I made $7,200 in three weeks and getting a good dependable wagon, saving our family! I kept doing this one Saturday every month, 2 to 4 cars. All needing minor repairs. I stuck with makes and models of cars I had tools for, a knack for fixing and the junk yard had lots of inventory for parts. It became my job for a year. Finally the state sent me a letter telling me to open an official business or stop. I stopped even though i should have kept going. I was good at it!! My wife at the time thought it was too risky. I was addicted to the auction! The sound of the auctioneer, the strange head nods, waves or jesters people had for bidding, the rituals people would do, the popcorn, noise, smell of the cars, the different things you would see people do to these cars or things you would find in them, all of it. That's how I almost became a car dealer.

Jason is an amazing mechanic. At the start of the C2C Express last year, I think he fixed half the cars in the field!

When he mentions "If youre not willing to write your name on every car you repair...." I really wish more people felt that same way about things.

Vinwiki I like this guy. The world needs more like him.

I used to own the closest repair shop to a mid sized auction house. I had fixed so many of the dealer's cars that when I did show up at auction to buy some for my lot, often times they would back out of bidding The auctioneer would say, "And another one goes to the mechanic." Felt good to have had that level of respect at barely 30 years old. Thanks for putting this vid together. From broken frames to replacing accessory bearing plates on clean, shiny cars, often they would grumble, but knowing that someone honest had made the repairs, they would grimace, then pay the repair bill.

This guy sounds like a honest guy not like the most of the crooks people have to deal with keep up the good work my friend. 👍

I’m so old, I can remember when by here pay here places didn’t exist and people who sold junk cars for profit got sued or ran out of town....miss those days

if it breaks in two........ you own two halves Im using that one

I worked at an auction for 3 years as one of the lot managers and I can 100% agree with everything this guy is saying. A big thing dealers did at my place was take there own keys and claim it was stolen so the auction would pay for a new set. Messing with certain fuses during auction day so the car would run like shit and they get it for a cheaper price. We even had a big named car dealer send people to sneak into our lot and chop shop there own vehicle and replace it with cheaper parts and claim an insurance job. Absolutely crazy some of the stuff that goes on people don't know about. As to who this big named dealer was all I'll say is they have dealerships all across america and even in some other foreign countries. Even the most reputable dealers can do shady stuff. Beware

I got say being a younger guy with a baby face, one of the most annoying things is that no one respects your word, even if you've proven yourself to not come to the advisor/customer with the correct cause of the issue. When I don't know I will ask my superiors, but when I know, I know.

Jason from one mechanic to another we need more guys like you in the industry, Thanks for being a solid mechanic.

I hope he has more episodes coming up. This side of the auto world doesn’t see much spotlight

Attended a local auction years ago and watched beat up junk go for double what they were worth. Went back the next week and most of the same people were there buying the same cars from the previous week. I arttended 3 or 4 more times and figured out that the auction employees were bidding up the cars and about half were really not for sale. A few years later I went to a national auction house and bought a 5 year old Jeep Cherokee with a long list of cosmetic problems for half blue book value for that vehicle. Just goes to prove that the owner and employees are what make a business. I would buy from this guy any time!!

Can't believe nobody mentioned the fact that his shirt has Sasquatch wearing a sombrero while riding on the lochness monsters back.

My grandfather was a mechanic. Worked for local government. Every van, truck or rig he ever worked on had a sticker in it saying who serviced the vehicle. His sticker was always placed with care, with the correct mileage, with the correct date and most of all his name, all clearly written because he put his name behind his work. These were the 1960s and 1970s where cars etc were just less reliable than today. And needed more upkeep. But anyone getting into a vehicle he repaired or looked after had confidence it was done right. No shortcuts. A different breed, a different generation. Glad to see there are still some people out there who care and do the job right.

This is a man of experience. He's been through the crap the industry has put him through. He knows the tricks. He's the man you want to see.

Q: How broken are whole sale cars? A: Yes

After years of working at a parts store near an auction....this man tells the truth. Dealers will rip each other off and you wonder why they have NO issue doing it to a customer.

This guy has definitely made himself into my list of favourite vinwiki hosts, its cool to see a bread and butter mechanic that actually cares, extremely relatable (im also a mechanic) good to see its the same in the industry all over the wprld

I was in Used car business for 40 years and I'm telling you 75 to 80% of the cars coming from the auction are junk

Gee, a CTS Cadillac that shifts hard. Imagine that.

Vinwiki needs more straight shooters like this guy. A lot of the stories lose their luster when the teller turns out to be a self-dealing jerk.

Shoutout to the 5’7 and 150lbs dudes out there

Being a mechanic for a small lot that buys auction cars, I love this video. Love to see more videos like this. Love Vinwiki. This one really resonated.

Really cool to hear stories like this. I can't imagine I would have heard his perspective through any other channel. Great stuff as always VINwiki!

He's so right. Married to mechanic, we have mechanic kids now. I've been parts girl. Glad to hear there are other honest people in business.

Rise and shine it’s vinwiki time

As a mechanic myself, I completely understand the pain of always being the bearer of bad news.

As a reconditioning manager at a used car dealership I can relate. A huge amount of inventory we buy from auctions is misrepresented. Glad to know that technicians like this guy still exist at the auction house. Good job VINwiki!!!

Too true. I was a mobile mech working. Went to do a pre purchase inspection at a buy here pay here lot. The owner came to me and said..."Hey Padre...got two bills for you if you can (bless) this car for me." I told him no thanks, I work for the client. The industry is grimey

This guy definitely has more interesting stories. Keep em coming!

We need more people like him in the world! Keep up the good work and caring...

My dad a used car lot on the side in the 70's. We used to go to denver and kansas city auto auctions. It was amazing to see what Went on. Had to be really careful not to get burned. We got burnt a couple of times. Basically leave it and run it back through the auction because he didn't want to sell it. I remember seeing bondo 4 inches thick.

Not as broken as the one Hoovie would buy

My mechanic has over 59 years of experience. He worked on cars in the motor pool for the USMC and became a chief mechanic for MEDOT. I trust him. He charges me $15 per hour. I always pay him more. He says never ever buy an auction vehicle. If they were worth selling, they wouldn't be taking a lowball offer at an auction. If there is money to be made on a car, no one would ever take a loss. When he works on a vehicle, people tell their friends about his work. He is inexpensive, experienced and he wouldn't let you drive a car that he wouldn't trust his grandchildren in. That is what is missing in todays world. People don't care what happens after the vehicle is out of their hands.

A good boss man, is harder to find than a good employee.

I've done a few of those Beetle alternators. Pop the passenger headlight out, pull the old alternator out through the headlight hole, install the new one, reinstall the headlight. A little weird, but not that difficult.

As a chef my motto is similar - "if I wouldn't be happy with the food I'm sending if I was the customer then it doesn't get sent"

I’ve never heard the word “arbitrated” more in my life.

Honesty is priceless. Thank you of being a honest man.

Last time I was this early, Rabbit was street racing his dads Corvette

I used to be a state safety inspector at used/new car lot. The used cars in my state must pass inspection BEFORE being sold or a junk affidavits must be signed by buyer and car towed off lot. Yet i would get used car salesmen sold cars before they where inspected. I had a mitsu mirage the entire frame/body underside was rusted through. He begged me to pass it as he ILLEGALLY started paperwork to sell this car. This is why state safety inspections ARE A GOOD THING. It keeps people honest. I never passed anyone with issues.

The alternator on a new beetle can be changed easily through the headlight hole.

Wow, Dude you are indeed blessed. I see people all the time who dont do the minimal required of their jobs but because they constantly deflect and talk a good game they get away with murder. Others are like you, you are the one who picks up the slack and who steps up when things need to get done.

This guy is new and fresh and I really enjoyed what he had to say. Would love to see more content like this !!!

I appreciate Jason being honest. I work with a ton of dishonest techs, and it makes me look bad when they aren’t truthful

"as is which means if it break's in half u got two half's"😂

Glad to see Chris Kattan is doing fine with his dream job after SNL and A Night At The Roxbury!

I used to work a a large auto auction company here in Metro Detroit.... the crap i saw after 30 days there, made me walk off the job..

Need Jason, Hoovie & Rabbit to chat and compare their dealership stories 😂.

This dude is a rare person. Finding an honest mechanic is like finding an honest car salesman. Most are crooked as a dog's hind leg.

I started Googling 'GMC Terrain' just to get an idea what year that pictured car was and it auto-completed to "GMC Terrain years to avoid" .

For about 8 months in 1995 I worked at Minneapolis Auto Auction as a car jockey. Back then the cars had a series of numbers marked on the top of the windshield. Part of that number indicated which dealer was selling the car and some car salesmen didn’t buy anything used from certain dealers. There was one old guy who had an as is used car lot. Some cars I’d see in his ads listed for $1500 I saw him buy at the auction for $100. At that time Ford Motor Company and Chrysler were part owners of the company. A lot of the employees were car nuts and sometimes could get a little crazy behind the wheel. My favorites were a yellow/gold metallic 1994 ZR1, 1992 300ZX Twin Turbo and the many 1994 & 1995 Mustang GT’s.

Too broken for Ed,just enough for Hoovie

Just retired from 45 years as mechanic. As a honest mechanic you earn less than the thief next to you. You get less work, do his comebacks because he can't fix them. I had a boss tell me once that I was a good mechanic but I needed to sell more. I have always like fixing cars but don't recommend getting into the trade.

I completely understand the "they don't like a young guy telling them their car is bad" working for jaguar at 20 isn't easy. Customers almost always argue with me when it comes to the repairs, but they are satisfied when they finally let me fix it lol

I wish this guy to be my mechanic 🚗 🚘

And I'm over here taking my truck to 3-4 mechanics for the same problem 😒 and paying wtf. This guy is hella honest we need more ppl like him in this awesome culture.

That’s a good mechanic right there. You can tell he’s got genuine enthusiasm for the job, he’s eager to share information, probably the kind of guy that will explain every detail of the problem, and seems outright incapable of deception. I hope he inspires others to do the same.

Honesty is the best policy, god bless this dude

This man is the last of a dying breed! If their were more people like him the entire automotive community would be a whole lot better off.

The kind of nonsense that's pulled at the auction is one of the biggest reasons I got out of the used car business and got rid of my lot

I love hearing the back story of how a process that I had no visibility into works.

A younger version of Scotty K , with admiration. 😉

I've been to auctions when dealers are looking them over before bidding and seen them loosen gas caps so it will set an evap code and put cigarette butts in pulgwire boots so it will miss and set a misfire code. Nobody wants to bid on it and they'll get it.

Great video. I love seeing Ohio well represented on VinWiki

It something that I experienced at GRAYS auctions in Brisbane Australia, I looked at a Subaru Sti which had no keys, But in the pictures as advertised, There was a picture of a partial key with the Grays code . On inspection there was no key supplied to start the car. End result was a totally stuffed motor costing $7500 plus on top of the $15000 paid. I believe that it was known that the motor was stuffed and the keys disappeared pre auction . Yes , more to that story , so buyer beware . John

Finally another mechanic speaks the truth

Honest people in the used car business is a rarity. Kudos to this gentleman.

I did the same thing with my body shop. I worked for a guy with 16 car dealerships. We fixed all the trade ins for auction. It was like hitting the lotto. It was also seven days a week 14 hours a day. I was like living under a treat every minute. They god you not. After several years of perfect work and hundreds of save the day jobs. They changed the way the auctioned and dumped me like they never knew me. Never again.

Hey I work at a car auction in Ohio as well! Hope yours is still doing well during this whole covid thing. We had to go digital because of it

being a dealership inspector for used cars traded in, I was responsible for inspecting these cars and notifying the manager of the necessary repairs for the vehicle before being sold. when there are repairs in excess of a certain dollar amount, they send the vehicle to auction with, sometimes, only an oil change. good vehicles do not get sent to auction ever. I have also seen vehicles sent to auction when the agent/manager overpaid for the vehicle to make a sale then can't retail it because they missed major problems.

i wish vinwiki can last long, these are really intresting storys!

Every dealership/mechanic shop needs to have a person like this

I worked at canadas largest auction for years. Interview me please 😄 ill tell you all the juicy ins and outs

YOU SIR...I am very pleased to listen to you...YOUR HONESTY GOES A LONG LONG WAY...ESPECIALLY TODAY...!!!

I’ve watched a ton of the Vin Wiki videos. This guy is refreshing. So honest. So good 🏆🏆

"As is" shows a Mercedes pic

Did Carmax for a year, was an independent little dealer for a year up until a few months ago. Lots of dealers screw try to screw over others. Dealers then screw over customers by not reconditioning. It was hard to find the right cars at a decent wholesale price. People wanted to pay less than private party for something I’ve gone through. I’ve offered warranties at cost and then people complain a few weeks later when something you warned them about goes bad. I’ve also had auction houses screw me over big time on cars I bought online that they didn’t give proper assessments on.

Working at an Autozone I had a black woman come in and buy a Jeep Cherokee radiator and repair manual. She had gone to many auctions in hopes of getting a Cherokee but was always been outbid. But the day before no one bid on one with a bad radiator. She then replaced the radiator per the manual’s instruction and had a good Jeep for $60 plus $165 or so to us or just over $200. Not bad.

This guy should have a reality show on motor trend channel.

The same thing happened to me one night in Saudi Arabia, (32+ years ago) i was making changes to some drawings to get the clients approval the next day and the VP of the company walked passed and asked we what i was doing. Needless to say my career went up from there. It pay’s too keep your head down. Later i found out that listening to audio books on the job at any hours off the day looks good (no one needs to know your listening to a book) it’s overtime. :-) Pay attention !!!! Stay Safe

I lucked out on a wholesale dealer car. (Of course having a relative working there helps.) The general manager flat out told me the car was too old to put on the lot, it might burn oil or it might be a gem, he didn't know. In the end I got a 2005 Acura TSX with only 114k on the clock for $3,000. After 5 months, no problems and it's near perfect. If people knew a few basic things to check when buying any used car there wouldn't be so many issues. Most people today don't know how to work a manual transmission or even realize that yes, you still have to change the oil.

In my head I want to buy cars at these auctions but then I realize I would end up buying junk. I'll stick to marketplace.

In the Navy we had to sign our name to every piece of electronics we repaired and we had a QA officer check our work and also sign. It's kind of important when you put avionics back in an aircraft that they're working.

The most honest mechanic I've ever seen. Honestly I would buy any car from an auction he's the head mechanic for

It is almost impossible to find honesty and integrity today.

in other words, only the worst of the worst show up at auction, sellers terrible, buyers terrible, cars terrible....

anyone else see the building at 2:31 that looks like a basket?

Utmost respect for a technician that will straight up tell you how it is. To many people get by, by just ramming cars through and slapping a complete sticker on the bill. Guys 💯% right when he said "I don't want a car to leave me if I can't put my name on the repair" true integrity right there,

Dealers probably buy these then sell it a few thousand above what they're worth

lmao now I know why the arbitration guy is always in such a pissed off mood at my local adesa. Respect my guy, respect

He can be on again, as your faux attorney I recommend it.

My dad was bidding in the lane at one of these auctions and there was no car in the lane as the auctioneer told him to get it out the bay. So my dad is sitting there bidding, auctioneer pointed at him and said "SOLD" me and a few dealer guys walked up and said "what you buy?" He shrugged his shoulders and said "I dunno, but it was only $1,500. When I saw the invoice it said Blue Bird. I was like "Blue Bird? Like the buses?" He bought a retired school bus and didn't even know it

Brings back many memories. I worked for Manheim Auctions in Houston 1988-99 as the fixed ops mgr. and Arbitrator for 9 yrs. selling an average 2000 each Thursday. The Arbitrator often is a very unappreciated position . . someone is going to be upset. Attempted bribes are common too. Learning to successfully negotiate the sale between buyer and seller and saving deals can make the difference between profit and loss.