Im looking at a car for sale and it was listed at 2,500$?

2012 CHEVROLET EQUINOX

126,000 MILES • 2.4L • AUTOMATIC

AUSTYNHASKELL200

MEMBER
1 POST

Im looking at a car for sale and it was listed at 2,500$ and i got it down to 2,000$, later on while messaging the person, they told me it was a dealership transaction and that its fully through a dealership they own. they said i can come in and just give a deposit and they would sign over the title and the bill of sale to me and that once i paid the full amount, they would sign over the car in full. i asked for the vin and they gave me it and i ran it however and it shows that the last reported mileage is 86k, but on the listing it shows 126k. so im wondering if this is a good buy and if its safe and legitimate. i live in a state with lemon law but i wasn't sure if it applies to this.

Aug 20, 2026 at 9:59 PM

STEVE W.

✓Experienced Mechanic
15,245 POSTS

Lemon laws generally don't apply to used as is vehicles. Normally you go to the dealer, give them a down payment, they then issue you a lien title and bill of sale. They also charge you a bunch of interest and fees. Then once you get all the payments finished they issue a lien release that basically says that the loan is paid off and you now own the vehicle. At that point you actually own the vehicle and can sell it or whatever.
Where did you run the VIN? Keep in mind that most of the online outfits only show the items that shops actually report, for instance if you go to a shop that doesn't use a reporting system, it doesn't show up. Or if it has been on a dealer lot for a while, they may be using it to go to auctions or as a loaner and that doesn't get recorded until the next time it is registered.

Aug 20, 2026 at 11:25 PM

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