Leading car mechanic Scotty Kilmer has warned drivers that they should be more wary than ever when it comes to buying a used vehicle
A popular mechanic has urged motorists to think twice before splashing out on certain second-hand vehicles. The expert warned that used electric cars bring “more uncertainty” as their values plummet dramatically compared to petrol and diesel alternatives.
He claimed many EVs remain “unproven” with drivers already stung by massive price crashes. This has resulted in owners losing nearly two-thirds of their investment within just a few years – a devastating blow for budget-conscious buyers.
Scotty Kilmer shared his guidance on his YouTube channel, where he dishes out top tips and tricks for motorists, reports the Express. It comes as another mechanic named two specific cars people should avoid buying in the UK.
He explained: “In the pandemic the prices of used electric cars were insane. People were selling used Tesla’s for more than new ones. But that’s not the way it always has been.”
The renowned car mechanic disclosed that five years ago, a customer in Houston snapped up a second-hand Tesla Model S for £35,500 ($47,000).
Yet the motor had originally been priced at over £96,000 ($129,000) when it rolled off the forecourt brand new just years earlier. Scotty acknowledged the model was valued at merely one-third of its initial cost despite clocking up just 15,000 miles.
Scotty continued: “Now prices are all over the place. Generally, the price of vehicles classically is the ones that are good and last a long time like Toyota’s, have high resale value”.
“But the prices of unproven electrical cars, they’re starting to come down. They might go right back to where they were five years ago.
“You can pay one-third of what you pay for a new one. So just what you need more in electric cars, more uncertainty. Which makes me think most people should be rather uncertain whether they should buy an electric car or not.”
Fellow drivers swiftly flocked to the comments section to commend Scotty for his guidance, with some admitting they had fallen into the trap. Others even vowed never to purchase an electric vehicle, with many declaring their loyalty to petrol engines.
YouTube user @TeijoKhanfan said: “Gee I wonder why? It’s almost like people want a car they can take on long road trips and not have to worry about not only finding a charging station but how long they’re gonna have to wait to even get into that station.
“And then taking a half hour to an hour just to charge it back up so they can drive another couple hours.”
@AmericanMan2000 added: “I will never own another EV…ever!” While @edwardb5501 said: “Definitely don’t buy an electric car. You’ll regret it later on.”
Another YouTube commenter wrote: “I’m not ready for a 100 percent electric car, unless I build it.”