How NOT to buy a car.
Me and my friend, two girls, arrived in Sydney three months ago and bought a car from the apparently traveller friendly 'Traveller's Auto Barn'. They assured us that, for $4500 (a 1986 Nissan Stationwagon), this car was reliable, safe, and would get us through the outback NO PROBLEMS! Within two days we broke down with a blown head gasket. GIve them their due, they paid for it (but only after we contacted Fair Trading Standards and complained, since they had told us our warranty was only valid within a certain radius of Sydney) . When we took it to the mechanics, they were all for Traveller's AutoBarn. They assured us that cars from there came to their mechanics all the time and they were usually very reliable. Yes...which is why they would be at the mechanics in the first place...
So we got the old banger through the outback, only to have it completely fuck up as we reached Port Augusta, the first proper town you reach going down from Alice Springs. This time, it wouldnt start, and wouldnt even rev. We had quite a few mechanics tell us that it was fucked. Luckily (yay!) we had guaranteed buyback. Now this guaranteed buyback is what i like to call ' a heap of shite ' . Mainly because once they look over it and see how crap it really is, they decide to deduct probably more than what you paid for the car. You end up with minus buyback.
Just a friendly warning to all you lovely travelling people. We got completey ripped off, and we wouldnt like anyone else to go through what we did. I mean, all of this is our opinion, they could sell lovely reliable cars! But everyone we've heard from disagrees. DONT RUIN YOUR HOLIDAY/TRAVELS!
Reply to this We hired a campervan from Travellers Auto Barn in Cairns, travelled all over Eastern Australia (Queensland, NSW, Victoria, SA) for 5 months and had no problems whatsoever. As it was a long rental, we got it for a great price ($50 per day) and so worked out it was just not worth buying a car and all the hassle that goes with it. Sorry you had a really bad experience, but it really is luck of the draw.
Reply to this Yeah, renting would probably have worked out better, and a lot lot cheaper too, buying a car when you're travelling is too risky i think. But Ive heard so many complaints about them and yours is actually the first good review Ive heard. I just don't think it's worth the risk!
Reply to this $4500 is a hell of a lot for a 20 year old car which has probablly been around the country a couple of times, going extended periods without much maintainance work being done. Like any used car, you take a bit of a risk. Looks like you got the lemon, bad luck and hope it doesn't put you off returning to Australia some day.
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