Buying used in the DR requires much more skill than you think.
Curious with this statement here... I know never to trust the odoms here,
Exactly. Rolling back odometers is almost standard operating procedure here. Unless you have the proper software program running on a laptop or scanning device (expensive) it is near impossible to detect. And if you think a CarFax/AutoCheck report will help solve the dilemma....think again. Most auto rental fleets (Hertz/Avis/Alamo/Budget etc., are all self insured...........thus their vehicles are not reported to CarFax/AutoCheck databases (usually done by insurers after an accident)...............and they are major sellers at car auctions.............to which many buyers (heavily foreign) line up to bid/buy their crashed/hit vehicles.........knowing once fixed there is no paper trail to the accident.
So called "salvage" vehicles are illegal to import.............but they are here..........and there are lots of them.
make sure they have the proper ownership and documentation and everything else,
Lots and lots of vehicles being driven by buyers who never bothered to do the transfer paperwork and will gladly sell you a vehicle they do not "legally" own.
making sure there are no electrical gremlins and making sure the engine is mechanically healthy ( scares me how they change oil here ) are we talking about the actual mechanical condition here ? or other things that become problems ?
Today's vehicles (2016 and newer) have become extremely sophisticated with lots and lots of sensors/electrical components that require professionals with the proper tools/equipment to diagnose and repair. Those professionals tend to be few and far between in the DR.............and if they are trained and have the proper equipment......are expensive.
As to oil...............all I can say is WOW. I have watched people mix/add regular oil with synthetic or vice versa............and even some add used oil.
Also, it is rather amazing how bad some people treat their vehicles or ignore the signs of necessary maintenance................not all do this...............but know there are many. Many who get to use a family members vehicle, who currently lives in the US, shipped it down to the DR, with a promise from a friend/family member they would "take care" of it..............yet do not have the funds to do so.
Unless you buy new here, or used from someone you know/trust, know a dealer personally, used car buying here is a game of chance.............and there are very few people with the equipment/expertise to separate the good cars from the bad.
That is not to say, it cannot be done..............just that the odds are often stacked against you here.............
Respectfully,
Playacaribe2