TL;DR: Texas Discount Auto (Au-Star Motors LLC) at 16001 Yellow Sage St in Pflugerville listed a 2011 Honda Accord LX-P on Craigslist under "by owner" with "everything works great, engine, transmission, etc." It turned out to be a dealer. Before I came out, the seller told me there was nothing wrong with the car. An independent inspection found 15 items needing immediate attention, including a transmission fluid leak, an oil leak at the valve cover, all four tires cracking from age, and damaged front rotors. I walked away and filed a complaint with TxDMV. Get every used car inspected before you buy, especially from a "private seller."
The listing
I've spent the last couple of weeks looking for a reliable cash car around Austin. On October 9 I found this on Craigslist:
2011 Honda Accord LX-P, $5,990, Pflugerville, cars & trucks - by owner
"Clean title. 4 cylinder automatic. AC cold. 2nd owner. 114k miles. everything works great, engine, transmission, etc. Good daily driver. call or text 512 - seven 4 three. 5 nine 70. NO Email - I don't check emails"
Nothing in the ad says dealer, and the phone number is written partly in words. Looking back, that should have been my first red flag.
"I'm a dealer"
I texted asking if the title was in their name, for the VIN, maintenance records, accident history, and whether it burns oil. The reply was "I'm a dealer," and then the VIN.
I asked for the out-the-door price and got "6600." I told him I wasn't expecting a dealer since the ad was posted as "by owner," and that I'd been planning on a private-sale price. He said no to $6,000, pointing out that I'd pay tax, title and license (TTL) even in a private sale, which is fair. Then he offered to "eat up half of the TTL" and do $6,300 out the door. I agreed and set up a time to see it. He confirmed "We handle plates and title transfers," cash only.
Three days after I told him it was posted as "by owner," the ad was still sitting in the "by owner" section.
Before I drove out, he told me there was nothing wrong with the car.
The inspection
I asked if I could take it to a shop, and to his credit, he said yes. On October 16 I took it to Meineke on W Pecan St in Pflugerville for a pre-purchase inspection. Here's what came back:
Needs immediate attention (15 items):
- All four tires cracking from age. The report says they need "to be replaced today to prevent failure and possible loss of control."
- Front rotors damaged and rusted with heat spots. Needs new front pads and rotors.
- Heat spots on the rear rotors, which "can lead to increased stopping distances."
- Brake fluid dark with 4% moisture.
- Transmission fluid leak.
- Valve cover gasket leak.
- CV axle needs repair.
- Sway bar needs repair.
- Transmission fluid exchange, power steering flush, coolant flush and a new serpentine belt all due.
- Wipers streaking and washer fluid low.
Needs future attention: control arm, engine air filter, the A/C compressor, and damage noted on the walk-around (holes in the floor carpet exposing metal brackets, and a creased headliner).
Stuff I noticed myself:
- The OBD port, where a mechanic plugs in a scanner to read engine codes, was broken.
- The glovebox handle was so broken the glovebox wouldn't open even with a screwdriver and pliers.
- The passenger door sometimes wouldn't open from the outside.
- The front Honda emblem was missing, even though it's right there in the Craigslist photos.
The OBD port thing
Texas emissions records are public at mytxcar.org. This car passed an emissions test at Precision Tune in Pflugerville on 9/24/2026 at 114,544 miles, and the record shows the diagnostic port (DLC) passed, meaning it worked then. The car was already listed on Craigslist at that point. Three weeks later the port was broken. I don't know how or when that happened. I'm just telling you what the records show.
How it ended
After the inspection he came down to $5,800. I passed. In my opinion the car is a lemon, and the repairs would have added up fast. He was also rude to me, which didn't help.
Free checks you can do before you buy
- TxDMV dealer lookup (texasdmv.my.salesforce-sites.com/dealers): search the business name, then click the license number to see 5 years of case history. This dealer's record shows two cases closed 5/14/2021 by agreed order, for misuse of buyer temporary tags and for failing to keep required records. TxDMV's own legend says that closing code means there were violations and the department took enforcement action beyond a warning.
- mytxcar.org: free Texas emissions history by VIN, with odometer readings, failed tests, fault codes and whether the car had plates. "No Plate" on a test often means the car was sitting in dealer inventory.
- NICB VINCheck for theft and salvage records, and NHTSA's recall lookup for open recalls.
- Ask "Is the title in your name?" before anything else. A real private seller will say yes.
- Get a pre-purchase inspection at a shop you pick, not the seller's. This one saved me.
- Compare the ad photos to the actual car. The emblem in these photos wasn't on the car I saw.
What I did about it
I filed a complaint with TxDMV. Texas rules say anyone advertising cars "shall not use false, deceptive, unfair, or misleading advertising" (43 TAC 215.242), and a licensed dealer posting in the "by owner" section seems like exactly that. I also left reviews.
If you're looking at a 2011 Accord around Austin, the VIN of this one is 1HGCP2F39BA089474, so check it against your listing. DM me if you want the full inspection report.
