'Tried To Scam This Old Man': Dealership Claims Acura With 4,700 Miles Needs A New Transmission. Then He Gets A Second Opinion

You’d think a car with fewer miles on it than most people put on in a year wouldn't need a new transmission.

But one man says a dealership tried to convince him that a barely used car needs one. He thinks it’s in an effort to convince them that the car is less valuable than it is. Now he claims they were trying to take advantage of the vehicle’s elderly owner.

Does It Really Need New Transmission?

In a TikTok, content creator Thomas (@carsrme) stands in front of a grey Acura that he thinks is more than fine.

"Dealer tried to scam an old person,” the text overlay reads.

Thomas explains that the 2016 Acura has just about 4,800 miles on the odometer. It was owned by an elderly person who barely drove it and likely spent more money per mile on brakes, tires, timing belt, and coolant service than on actual driving.

"This thing is literally brand new," he says.

Thomas explains that he’d been trying to sell the car back to a dealership. They’d made an initial offer of $17,000 but then came back and said the car needed a new transmission, which brought the price they were willing to pay down significantly. 

After the transmission claim, they wanted to pay around $9,000 all i—an $8,000 difference.

"To say that this 4,000-mile Acura needed a transmission," he says. "They wanna put a transmission in this thing."

Thomas has a different theory about what's actually going on with the transmission. The car was driven so rarely, he says, that it spent more time sitting with someone in it than actually moving. He thinks that the transmission control module just needs a bit of maintenance.

"I think the transmission just [needs to] recalibrate and it'll be good to go," he says.

His plan is to take the car to Carvana instead, where he believes he can get a much better offer.

Warning Signs Your Transmission Is In Trouble

According to AAA Club Alliance, a transmission doesn't usually fail without warning.

The most common red flags are jerking, hesitating, or difficulty shifting gears. There can also be a slipping sensation where the engine revs but the car doesn't accelerate properly and unusual sounds (like whining, humming, or grinding) when the car is moving, reversing, or sitting in neutral.

Fluid leaks are another giveaway. Transmission fluid is typically dyed red or pink, though it can also be green, yellow, or purple depending on the car. Any oily spot under a parked vehicle is worth checking.

AAA also notes that transmission problems are largely preventable with regular maintenance, including fluid changes every 30,000 to 60,000 miles depending on the manufacturer's specifications. They also recommend avoiding "severe" driving conditions like heavy towing and prolonged idling.

Are Low-Mileage Cars A Risk?

In spite of what many believe, here's the thing about cars with almost no miles: low mileage isn't automatically a good sign.

According to Autotrader, a car that's been driven very little, especially one that spent a lot of time sitting, can develop its own set of problems that have nothing to do with the odometer.

Batteries lose charge within weeks of inactivity. Fluids deteriorate over months. Moving parts can seize. Tires should be replaced every five to six years regardless of tread depth, because the rubber degrades with age. 

The original owner may have also skipped scheduled maintenance because they weren't putting miles on it. Some maintenance items are time-based, not mileage-based, meaning the new owner could inherit a backlog of service that needs to happen regardless of how little the car was driven.

Autotrader also points out that odometer fraud is more common than most buyers realize. It’s estimated that over 450,000 vehicles sold each year have falsified readings. For any low-mileage car, it's worth cross-referencing the odometer against the title, service records, and the condition of wear items like brake pedals and tires.

A car that genuinely has under 5,000 miles should still have its original tires, minimal pedal wear, and a service history that tells a coherent story.

The Car Could Still Be a Good Investment

Most commenters were against the dealership. While it’s impossible to know the truth from the video alone, many people seem to think the dealership is using unethical tactics to get a better deal and a bigger profit.

“I guarantee they'd turn around and sell it for almost new price, if not a little more,” a top comment read.

“Re-flashing a transmission is done when you REPLACE the transmission. Re-flashing will do nothing. Change the fluid, change it again after driving 20 miles and call it a day. If it’s still having issues, it probably will need a transmission, but a reflash is just comical,” another said.

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“Sell it to Carmax and set it for pickup. You'll be set,” another wrote.

Motor1 reached out to Thomas for comment via email and Instagram direct message and to Acura via email . We'll be sure to update this if he responds.

 

 

 

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