Whenever people think about which car to get, there are plenty of things experts say you should consider — the Carfax report, certification, and more. But recently, a salesperson on TikTok reminded her viewers that for some drivers, even the smallest detail can make them give up a car — and that’s exactly what happened with a 2025 Subaru Crosstrek.
A TikTok creator from Seattle, @keyswithcarmen, showed a Subaru Crosstrek that had just arrived at her lot with an astonishingly low 177 miles on it. Carmen immediately asked her followers to guess why the owner had sold the car — smirking as if she already knew no one would guess the real reason.
Carmen does acknowledge that when it comes to buying cars, you have to do your due diligence — checking whether the car comes with all the extras, confirming the odometer reading hasn’t been tampered with, and making sure it isn’t under any open recalls.
Still, Carmen explained that many of the cars that end up on her lot come with very specific stories that actually make sense once you hear them. Like the man who trades in his car before it even reaches the 10,000-mile mark. Or the grandmother who bought a 4Runner to shuttle her grandkids around, only to trade it in after her son moved to another city — leaving her with no use for an SUV. So, not everyone trades in a car early because something’s wrong with it. In the case of the Subaru Crosstrek, the “problem” was simply the color.
One commenter chimed in saying, . “We had a customer who traded in a limited hybrid with 250 miles because she decided she NEEDED ventilated seats that only come on the touring. This customer traded in the white crosstrek because he planned on wrapping it & his guy told him the finish would look better with a black exterior. There are so so many reasons there are pre-owned low mileage cars on the lot & most are really good cars!”
@keyswithcarmen If you were my customers, what would you think?!
♬ original sound – KeysWithCarmen#dealershiplife #carsales #carsaleswoman #womeninsales #usedcars
Motor1 later added context for buyers who might find themselves in a similar situation. It’s easy to assume that getting a car with such low mileage is a steal — and usually, it would be. But it all depends on whether there’s solid documentation to back up the story you’re told by the salesperson, no matter how honest you think they are.
There’s also the issue of how long a car has been sitting at a dealership. Cars that remain idle for too long can develop their own problems — they can attract rodents that chew through vital parts, the battery can die, and the rubber and seals can dry out and crack. The list of potential issues from disuse is long.
So, the name of the game is still vigilance. You can’t get a bad deal if you don’t let the important details slip past you. If color doesn’t matter to you, a deal like this could be great. But in reality, a car in such pristine condition would likely still be priced close to its original sticker value. Then again, these days, even a few thousand dollars off can make a big difference.
