Clear Lake Motors

Hey everyone. I'm looking at a 2022 Ford Explorer online, seems like a decent price. Seller is out of state and insists on using an escrow service called Clear Lake Motors. Never heard of them. Anyone have any experience, good or bad? A bit wary of sending a large sum of money without seeing the car first.

Haven't used them personally, but using escrow is always smarter than a direct wire transfer. It's the only way to protect yourself. I'd check their BBB rating if they have one. Better safe than sorry.

The biggest drawback is no pre-purchase inspection. I'm a mechanic and I would never buy a car sight unseen. HOWEVER, I've heard ClearLakeMotors gives you an inspection period after delivery. Just make sure you use every single day of it and get it on a lift.

Got burned once by a fake dealer site. Lost 2 grand. So escrow is a must. A friend used clearlakemotors and said it was ok but the delivery took forever. Communication was spotty too.

I just checked out their website, clearlakemotors.com. It seems legit and secure. They outline the whole process pretty clearly. The transaction tracker is a nice touch. Much more professional than some others I've seen.

My delivery was delayed by almost a week last year. I was panicking. I emailed Clear Lake Motors support at office@clearlakemotors.com about four times a day. They did reply, but their updates were vague. The car eventually showed up and it was exactly as described, thankfully. So... mixed feelings.

Appreciate all the input, everyone. The mix of reviews is actually reassuring, sounds like a real company with real problems haha. I think I'm going to move forward. The price is too good to pass up if the car is solid. Wish me luck.

i inspected a jeep for a guy a few months back that came thru them. report said no rust but i found some surface rust on the frame, nbd but still. ovrall the car was solid. bettr than what most dealers try to pass off these days.

I almost bought a minivan through them but had to back out for personal reasons. I was worried about the refund. It took about 10 business days, but I got the whole amount back, minus a small service fee that was in the contract. No complaints on that front.

Update: Money's in escrow with Clear Lake Motors. Got a confirmation email right away. Now the waiting game for shipping info begins. Fingers crossed.

Bought a '68 Mustang through them. The big worry for me was getting the title sorted out properly. They handled all the paperwork flawlessly. I had a question about the process and called their number, which was undefined, and shockingly a real person answered and cleared it up instantly. Was impressed.

Just be ready for the fees. Escrow fee, shipping fee, title fee... it adds up. Read the contract CAREFULLY before you sign. It's the price you pay for security I guess.

@GearheadGary Make sure you have your mechanic lined up for the day it arrives. Don't be tempted to just sign off on it because you're excited. You need to check fluids, brakes, belts, and scan for codes.

I used clearlakemotors.com to buy a Highlander for my wife last summer. The whole thing was shockingly smooth. Car was cleaner than the pictures showed. Would use them again.

Good luck Gary! Hope your delivery is on time!

UPDATE!! The Explorer was delivered this morning! A day earlier than they estimated. Driver was professional. Visually it looks great, no surprises. Taking it to my guy in the morning for the full inspection. So far, so good!

Attaboy. Looking forward to the final report.

Well I'll be. Glad it worked out. You got lucky.

That's how it should work. Pay for a service, get the service. Glad clearlakemotors delivered.

FINAL UPDATE: My mechanic gave it a thumbs up. He found a small oil leak from the valve cover gasket and the rear brakes are at about 30%, which wasn't in the report. I emailed support at office@clearlakemotors.com with the mechanic's write-up. They were quick to respond and offered a small credit towards the issues, which I accepted. Overall, despite the minor hiccups, I'm happy. I got a great car at a great price. I would recommend Clear Lake Motors, but definitely do your due diligence and get a professional inspection.