WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — South Florida mechanics said they are seeing more older cars than new ones these days because the price of new and used cars are up right now due to inflation and supply shortages.
A white Jeep sits in the driveway of Yesenia Maura’s Palm Springs home.
“It’s not the car that I originally intended to purchase or that I paid $3,000 for,” Maura said.
She planned on purchasing a 2021 Mazda CX-5, which was selling for a good deal with a local auctioneer.
“Three weeks later, he backed out of the deal and even though I wasn’t happy, and wasn’t happy with the reasons he was giving me, I said well I still need the car, so I need the money back,” Maura told WPTV.
However, Maura said that never happened. She said the auctioneer stopped replying to her and then blocked her number. She filed a police report and they are now investigating.
It was an unfortunate setback because finding an affordable new, or used car these days isn’t easy due to inflation and supply chain issues.
“I went car shopping at three different dealers. The prices were ridiculous. The price of a used car was the price of a new car pretty much,” Maura said.
With no money to put down upfront, Maura is now spending $700 a month for her Jeep.
“We’re really not seeing as many new vehicles that we used to,” said Ron Katz, owner of Midas in West Palm Beach. “The price of new cars have gone up so much in the last two years between the chip shortages, inventory shortages, that now dealers are demanding more for their cars.”
So Katz and his crew are busy fixing up older cars that he said his customers are driving for a lot longer these days.
“It used to be people would keep their cars eight years, then it was 10 years. Now, it’s 12-14 years the average person is keeping their car for. That’s a long time,” Katz said.
Maura warns people who might be searching for a good deal online that this route may be your best bet.
“What if that was the last bit of money I had? What if I had no way to feed my children after this or something? I’m so lucky that I’m not in that position and that I have a wonderful supportive family. What if somebody didn’t have that?” Maura said.
Maura also wanted to warn others that if they plan to use an auctioneer, they should do thorough research.
