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Why does Ford REALLY want to buy back my car? Question...

Ann-Marie

Ann-Marie

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
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Messages
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Location
Oyster Bay, NY & Sun City, S.C.
Resorts Owned
The Summit @ Massunetten, Sheraton Desert Oasis
I just received a letter from Ford that they want to buy back my 2008 Explorer. It states that they need to locate 8 of them because of demand on their pre-owned cars and that the demand for this car is very high. They are offering up to $24,000 back for the car with no obligation to purchase another one.
This is the thing. I really do not like the car. I have owned a Ford Explorer for probably the last 15 years. This one that I have now has the WORST blind spots and the back window was made smaller with the visability a lot less when backing up. The other thing is right now we need to rent a trailer to get a bunch of stuff down to our house in S.C.. Apparently U haul will not rent a trailer to be hitched onto a Ford Explorer because of a law suit about 10 years ago. So my other options are going to cost a lot more money.
Just wondering what others think Fords motive is here and what you would do. Thanks
 
Ann-Marie said:
Just wondering what others think Fords motive is here and what you would do. Thanks
Click to expand...

Why are you worrying about what Ford's motive is?? That makes no difference to you.

Presuming the offer is legitimate the situation is simple: find out specifically what they will offer you for your Explorer, then cross-check that against the wholesale blue book value for your car. Then ask yourself would you rather have the Explorer or would you rather have whatever Ford is offering?

Don't make it any more complicated than that.
 
Last edited:
Ann-Marie said:
I just received a letter from Ford that they want to buy back my 2008 Explorer. It states that they need to locate 8 of them because of demand on their pre-owned cars and that the demand for this car is very high. They are offering up to $24,000 back for the car with no obligation to purchase another one.
This is the thing. I really do not like the car. I have owned a Ford Explorer for probably the last 15 years. This one that I have now has the WORST blind spots and the back window was made smaller with the visability a lot less when backing up. The other thing is right now we need to rent a trailer to get a bunch of stuff down to our house in S.C.. Apparently U haul will not rent a trailer to be hitched onto a Ford Explorer because of a law suit about 10 years ago. So my other options are going to cost a lot more money.
Just wondering what others think Fords motive is here and what you would do. Thanks
Click to expand...

Sounds like this is a sales tactic by a DEALER, not by Ford Motor Company. If you owned a different model, your solicitation would likely have been the same except for the model.
 
I got the same letter regarding my Ford Edge. I think the dealer just wanted to get me into the showroom to try and sell me a new car. Just like the time-share sales people - they have a better chance of working you over when you are there in front of them. There sure seemed to be enough used Edges on the lot that they didn't need mine.
 
Used car values are pretty good right now, so they want the inventory to screw someone else on the price.

My co-worker just did this same exact thing with their lease Honda Odyssey. They had it for 2 years and got a letter from the local dealer. They figured it was a scam, but went in to talk. They were let out of the lease free and clear (were over on miles a bit) and got a super price on a new Pilot. The dealer was trying to have them pay top dollar for the Pilot, but they kept saying, "listen, you called me, you supposedly want my Odyssey, so if you do, this is what I am willing to pay." In the end, they got exactly what they wanted, which was below the invoice price that you can find online.
 
RX8 said:
Sounds like this is a sales tactic by a DEALER, not by Ford Motor Company. If you owned a different model, your solicitation would likely have been the same except for the model.
Click to expand...

Bingo. I actually work for a Ford dealership and all manufacturers use these tactics. We have seen them here for years from all makes of dealers.
 
I agree with the others. This is a sales tactic, and if you hate the car, you take the letter with you and get your best deal on something else.

We received a letter from Toyota about two years ago for our 2003 Avalon. I was skeptical and didn't go. I love my car, except the paint, which is not as sturdy as other cars we have had. We plan to have it repainted next year, so the exterior will match the still beautiful interior.
 
I had a similar experience getting a letter from my Mazda dealer saying they would pay top dollar for my 2008 MX-5 which had almost 40,000 miles on it. Although I was underwater on the car (which had 44 payments to go) I figured "what the heck" and went in. They asked me what I would like to see happen. The salesman wrote down my desires and called me back about a week later with an offer. It was everything I wanted plus some. It included not only a $250 per month lower payment (39 month lease) but cash to me. I have no idea how they made it work, but they did.

George
 
I get these a lot. Seems people are really keen to buy my 13 year old Buick!

I have no motivation to have a car payment again, but they have plenty of reason to want me on their lot as certainly they can "show me the way" by having a brand new car.
 
We routinely get similar letters from the Lexus dealership about a 2007 Lexus that we sold in 2008.
 
rickandcindy23 said:
I agree with the others. This is a sales tactic, and if you hate the car, you take the letter with you and get your best deal on something else.
. . .
Click to expand...

I'd take the Explorer and letter and leave with the $24,000, but since the letter says there's no obligation to purchase another, then I'd leave without a new car. Maybe a low-mileage used one, maybe not.
 
I get those letters all the time. For our Chrysler vans (which please God we'll never own again) and for all our various Hondas. I can almost understand the Honda Elements. Since they stopped making them in 2011 and all the 2011s were automatics, the Element lovers that want manual transmissions are going to be on the prowl to find used ones. I wish I had a new one. Both of ours have over 60K on them now. Maybe by the time we wear them out in another 10 years or so, there will be something else we like just as well.

Sheila
 
Too bad our local mattress manufacturer never sends these out, wanting my sleep number bed. I so hate that thing!:p
 
laurac260 said:
Too bad our local mattress manufacturer never sends these out, wanting my sleep number bed. I so hate that thing!:p
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My son keeps saying my husband and I need one of these. May I ask what you dislike?

Thanks,

Sheila
 
sfwilshire said:
My son keeps saying my husband and I need one of these. May I ask what you dislike?

Thanks,

Sheila
Click to expand...
We have a king bed . Dh and I both have a well on each side of our bed . It happened about a month after we purchased it. We called sleep number and they sent us bevels or fillers or something to fill the space, which worked for a time, but the well is more pronounced than ever. You cannot rotate these mattresses so the well just gets deeper. I wake up stiff and in pain every morning . I sleep on my side, and if I don't position myself in the center of the well my upper body rolls into the well. I wake up in a weird twisted fashion with my legs still in my side sleeping position and my upper body flat on my back . Since I typically sleep in my left side I now have a problem where I even stand in this twisted position, with my legs pointed forward and my torso pivoted to the right . So now I am trying to constantly correct this. Never had back problems before this bed, but do now. We bought it for dh who does have back problems, and his back hurts worse now than ever before .
 
laurac260 said:
Too bad our local mattress manufacturer never sends these out, wanting my sleep number bed. I so hate that thing!:p
Click to expand...
Our daughter just hated hers, too. They bought a nice set, a Serta Black Label or something like that. The Sleep Number gave our daughter terrible backaches, no matter what setting she tried. It was junk.
 
We have friends that bought a used Toyota for their teen son a number of years back. Then the Toyota safety scandal/recall happened. Toyota sent them a letter wanting to buy back their son's truck...the amount offered was for more than they purchased. It was a no brainer for them.

Not exactly the same situation as yours Ann Marie, but this was my first thought when you posted.
 
The fact of the matter is new cars are too expensive, and demand is way down. So dealers, in an effort to maintain profitability, are doing whatever they can to load up on quality used cars. The manufacturers are cutting productio way down, and parts suppliers are falling to bankruptcy left and right. This causes the manufacturers to be short on certain parts so they are only building models equipped with what parts they can procure from their vendors. It goes unnoticed to the general public but working in the business we truly are treading water so-to-speak in the auto industry.
 
Usually these are scams, but as written above, there actually is a shortage on some used cars and also parts. In some cases, you can get a really good deal if you are interested. But, as advised above, keep it simple. Check what they'll give you, verify the true value, go from there. I did this a couple of years ago with a truck I no longer really wanted, got a great deal and walked away happy.

BigTom
 
We got one of those letters yesterday for a car we haven't owned in 4 years.

Apparanetly their marketing division isn't as connected into the DMV as they should be if they are going to be sending out these mailings.
 
Pens_Fan said:
We got one of those letters yesterday for a car we haven't owned in 4 years.

Apparanetly their marketing division isn't as connected into the DMV as they should be if they are going to be sending out these mailings.
Click to expand...

while I suppose that registrations are a matter of public record, I would be angry if my tax-supported BMV was facilitating outside company marketing.
 
geekette said:
while I suppose that registrations are a matter of public record, I would be angry if my tax-supported BMV was facilitating outside company marketing.
Click to expand...

In Texas, the state actually earns money by selling these lists.

elaine
 
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