What would you guys think about an ebook about avoiding lemon cars?

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   Rieceposted 14 years ago

   Hey guys,
   
   So here's my situation. My dad works the crappiest job as a service manager for a dealership (10-12 hr days plus 2 hr commute each way. I wanted to help him pull in some extra money and maybe relax more by using his knowledge to write and promote an ebook about avoiding buying lemon cars and how to avoid being scammed by sleazy repairmen at dealerships.
   
   I personally don't know a whole about cars. Is that a fairly run of the mill book or is that something you guys think would be useful and at least fairly unique?

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      WryLiltposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      My hubby has a book called "The Dog & Lemon Guide" and it's about two inches thick.
      
      It covers every type of car and lists all the problems that model has - so it has been done. However if you could make it a basic guide for the ladies out there, I'm sure a different spin would be good!

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      brimancandyposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Isn't Carfax.com supposed to help people avoid Lemon cars?

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         earnestshubposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Not really. Carfax is mainly in to checking past ownership and other details such as reported accident damage. They only pick up on a small percentage of lemon problems.
         
         If something has not been reported, they may miss it. Most major problems go unreported until the lemon has so many problems that the state or another authority steps in.
         You will see those cars on the TV news anyway. no need to look on carfax for lemons the data is mainstream only.

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   Always Greenerposted 14 years ago

   @ WryLilt - I've bought "The Dog and Lemon Guide" and it reeally seems to be geared towards Toyotas.  Not too objective methinks.  And all European cars are virtually sin-binned throughout the guide.
   
   @ Riece - Not sure how useful your book would be seeing as how the abovementioned Guide really does service people who don't know much about cars; so don't know if there is a gap in the market for the sort of e-book you are thinking of releasing.  Isn't the basic rule of thumb just to look for a full service history, and have the car checked by a qualified mechanic?

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   SoManyPathsposted 14 years ago

   I think it is good to write something like that. I feel bad for VWs since they will be in that fray.

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   The Answer Ladyposted 14 years ago

   Riece, I just wrote a hub on what seems like a similar topic (a fiasco after buying and trying to get my "new" used car inspected) so I think your idea sounds great!  I was only using my own experience...just one...but I think others would be interested in learning some ways to protect themselves.  In the course of writing my hub, I came across a squidoo page of a guy who calls himself Joe Slick.  He says he is still in the auto sales business but uses that account to help protect buyers using the info he has.  From what I saw, he didn't have a book but I thought it was a great idea and is somewhat similar to yours. I don't know if it was new or old or if he was keeping it up, even.
   
   I hope you read this response, Riece.  If you can write well, I truly believe you should go for it!  That's my advice and I'm stickin' to it!  LOL 
   
   As for WryLilt's comment, there are tons of books on every topic so don't let one little ol' tiny...okay...two inch thick...book scare you!  Oh...and if you need an editor, let me know.  Haha!  (I sure hope that's allowed...this is my first post in the forum.  I'm not an editor by trade...just a wanna be.  )

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   Tusitala Tomposted 14 years ago

   It's an unfortunate fact that when many people get rid of their car, sell it in the second-hand car market, it is probably because they know they're going to be up for a lot of expense if they hang on to it.  So it's a case of buyer beware.   However, if you're a mechanic whizz, probably the best time to buy a car is when you can pick one up cheap, one without any body rust. Age doesn't matter.  As a mechanically-minded friend once told me, "You can replace anything in a car except the body.  If the car body's shot, the whole car a right off."
   
   But even the occassional brand new car can turn out to be a lemon.  I recall one guy bought a car new and became so exasperated when, on taking it back to the dealership time after time to be fixed, kept getting it back without the thing being fixed.  There was a photograph in a newspaper of him burning the damn thing.   Not good publicity for the manufacturer of course.   
   
   Certainly any books, e-books or otherwise, that will help the unwary buyer must be a good thing.

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   earnestshubposted 14 years ago

   I have been in the auto business a long time, and could write a book the size of the bible just on faults in BMWs!
   
   Don't get me started on the others. Yes a well written book may get some juice, but be prepared to learn a lot about marketing it first.
   
   My hubs on design faults and recalls gets a fair amount of traffic.
   
   Parts suppliers and motor wreckers are usually very well versed on lemons, as faults re-appear in the same vehicles and they see them daily.
   My business sold spares and re-designed weak parts selling the improved ones after-market and I can assure you that at times every manufacturer has made lemons. A big book!

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