I've been doing a lot of online vehicle shopping recently, scouring 48 (sometimes even 49) of our 50 United States for deals. But, in my digital travels, I've noticed something: Some of these states seem like truly terrible places to purchase a used vehicle. Road salt, potholes, salt air, harsh sun, cars really care about the conditions in which they're kept — and the conditions from which they're kept safe.
So, today, I'm asking for the states you'd absolutely never buy a car from. Whether it's the rain of Washington, the sun of the Southwest, the floods of Florida, or the snow of New England, everywhere in the United States has some reasons you shouldn't buy a car there. That means that I'm expecting 50 unique answers to this question by day's end, and I want all the best reasoning — or ownership horror stories from times you didn't follow your own rules — that you have.
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For my pick, I wouldn't want a car from Massachusetts. Not only is the state covered in snow for much of the year, necessitating the use of rust-provoking salt, but it has more potholes than any other location on Earth that I've ever experienced. It's a state of bent wheels, plugged tires, and worn-out suspensions, and I don't have the money to fix any of those.
I wouldn't buy a car from my northeastern neighbors, but what about you? Does the hurricane-induced flooding in Florida turn you off, or do you not want a car that's run on Colorado's thin atmosphere? Leave your top answers in the comments, and I'll come back and read through them this week. Bonus points for your own true ownership horror stories, like stuck bolts or water-ravaged electrical systems — tell me that you've learned from experience why never to purchase a car from a given state.
