2017 Mazda CX-9 Sport

The Seller’s Situation

This was not a case of someone deciding it was time to upgrade. The sellers had been put in a position they did not choose, and the cost of getting out of it was climbing.

Their options were to pay for a repair they believed should have been covered, sell a car with a known and undiagnosed coolant leak to a private buyer, or keep a vehicle they had lost confidence in.

Selling privately was the worst of the three. A car that cannot be test driven is close to unsellable in a private sale, and disclosing an unrepaired engine issue to a stranger invites either a very low offer or no offer at all.

The sellers wanted a clean result without:

• Paying for a repair they believed should have been covered
• Explaining an unrepaired coolant leak to private buyers
• Offering a car that could not be test driven
• Arranging transport for a vehicle they did not want to drive
• Spending more time on a situation that had already been stressful

The priority was speed and finality. For sellers with a car that needs work before it would sell privately, our page on selling damaged and unrepaired cars explains how we approach it.

Initial Vehicle Assessment

Abdul attended the dealership at approximately 8:30am the morning after the sellers made contact. Inspecting a car on a dealer’s forecourt is not our usual setting, but in this case it was where the vehicle sat and where the sellers wanted the matter resolved.

While onsite, dealership staff asked what we were paying. We kept the figure confidential, as we do with every purchase. What a client sells their car for is their business and nobody else’s.

The condition notes were:

• Small dents and scratches around the exterior panels
• Coolant leak present in the engine bay
• Vehicle could not be road tested
• Full service history available
• Interior in reasonable condition for its age

The car presented reasonably well overall. The problem was not what we could see. It was what we could not: with no road test possible, there was no way to confirm how the engine behaved under load, at temperature, or over distance.

Mechanical Inspection and Findings

A full visual inspection was completed onsite. A road test was not possible given the coolant loss.

• Coolant leak confirmed in the engine bay
• No road test possible due to the vehicle’s condition
• No additional faults identified
• Full service history supporting the maintenance record
• Cosmetic wear including dents and scratches

The leak appeared to be originating from the cylinder head area. On this engine that points to significant labour rather than a cheap part, which is consistent with the repair quote the sellers had already been given.

That assessment had to be made on a visual inspection alone, which is the crux of this purchase. We were buying a car we could not drive, with a fault we could identify but not fully scope until it was on a hoist.

Valuation and Offer

The valuation was based on:

• Strong demand for Mazda CX-9 family SUVs
• Low kilometres for its age at 105,000 km
• Full service history
• Mechanical repair requirements
• Inability to road test prior to purchase
• Cosmetic condition and reconditioning costs
• Transport, given the car could not be driven away

We offered $8,000 and it was accepted.

The figure reflected genuine risk rather than a soft market. The CX-9 is a strong seller and this one had the history and the kilometres to support it. What it did not have was a road test, and everything unknown about the engine had to sit somewhere in the number.

Outcome for the Seller

The sellers were relieved to have it resolved quickly after a stressful few weeks.

The inspection, agreement and paperwork were completed efficiently, and payment was made immediately by OSKO bank transfer. Funds were received the same day.

As with every purchase, we did not collect the vehicle until payment had been fully confirmed. On a sale like this one, where trust had already taken a knock elsewhere, that order of events matters more than usual.

We also handled the tow, so the sellers did not have to organise transport for a car they no longer wanted responsibility for.

What Happened After Purchase

The CX-9 was towed to our workshop and reconditioned properly before it went anywhere near a resale listing.

The work included:

• Coolant system repair completed
• Mechanical servicing and inspection
• Tow and transport logistics handled internally
• Cosmetic dent and scratch repairs
• Full professional detail
• Retail preparation and quality control

Once the leak was repaired and the car had been serviced, checked and detailed, it was positioned for resale as a clean, practical and reliable seven-seat family SUV. The fault that made it unsellable for the previous owners was, for us, a known cost to absorb rather than an unknown to be afraid of.

Key Takeaways

The useful thing about this case is what the sellers were actually stuck with. The car was not worthless. It had low kilometres, full service history and sat in a segment with genuine demand. What it had was one fault that made it impossible to sell the normal way, because no private buyer will hand over money for a car they cannot drive.

For Perth sellers, the key lessons are:

• A declined warranty claim can leave sellers needing a fast alternative, not a better argument
• A car that cannot be test driven is close to unsellable privately, whatever it is otherwise worth
• Full service history still supports value even when there is a known mechanical fault
• A buyer who can absorb the repair and arrange the transport removes the two hardest parts of the problem
• Payment confirmed before collection matters most when trust has already been tested

If your car has an unrepaired fault or cannot be driven, we can still make an offer on it. Our how it works page sets out the process.