'I'm Going Home:' Woman Test Drives 7 Cars. Then She Takes This Crucial Step Before Deciding to Buy

Buying a new car is an exciting experience. It’s also a chance to get swindled or snowed. But with some common sense advice, you can get a new car without the headaches.

One recent car shopper is offering tips on making sure your car buying experience is drama free—before and after the sale.

TikTok creator Shyla Mullen (@shyla.mullen) called her car buying experience “disappointing.” While shopping for 2024-2025 vehicles, she says she learned that one of the cars she test drove had recalls issued for a core driving component.

“Hey friends, I went car shopping today. So here’s an update on that situation. For starters, I test drove seven cars. Of the seven cars, two of them were 2025s,” she tells her viewers. She says that she loves 2025 vehicles.

“Love the sporty looks that are coming out with the 2025s,” she says.

Continuing, she acknowledges a gap in her knowledge. That’s because she’s been a one-brand gal.

“I’ve only ever looked at Kias. So the only car that I know about is a Kia. So pretty much any other that I’m test driving or even looking at buying, I know nothing about them,” she says.

Test Drive First, Research Later

Since she doesn’t know enough about the vehicles she’s trying out, Mullen says she’s been committed to not making a purchase on day one. Instead, she’s opted to go home and perform independent research prior to signing on the dotted line.

She adds that removing the stress of a salesperson breathing down her neck also assists in helping her make a more informed buyer.

It sounds like this method ultimately paid off. Mullen says upon test driving one of the seven vehicles on her radar, she went home to look up more information on it. What she saw left her questioning the build quality as there were several recalls issued for crucial vehicle components.

“But the quality of the way that these cars are actually manufactured is just like insane. Test drove a car today. It’s an SUV, mind you. Never owned an SUV but I loved this car. Literally would have bought the car today if I knew jack squat about it. So I get home, I’m doing my research. Recalls on so many important things,” she says. 

Transmission Woes

Mullen went on to state she found a surprising problem associated with the SUV.

“The biggest one? People are having issues with their transmission, less than a thousand miles. Like they’re buying the car and a week later their transmission is starting to slip,” she says.

Mullen was stunned.

“Like what do you mean? Now I get it, $20-$25,000 dollars is not a lot for a car in this economy,” she says. “But if I’m paying that much for a car, the least it should do is run for five years,” she says.

Planned Obsolescence?

After seeing that such a critical vehicular component was failing right off the assembly line, Mullen speculates that modern cars are being built to prioritize fast sales. She joins others who’ve hypothesized that many automakers are manufacturing vehicles not meant for long-term dependability. Rather, they’re constructed to move off the lot and leave commuters looking for a new vehicle not long after making a purchase.

”Sometimes these manufacturers create cars to just turn and burn them. To just meet quotas. This car’s cheap, it looks nice, people are gonna buy it. To me, it’s just the whole car thing. It’s just a scam,” she says. 

Additionally, she opines that often cutting edge functionality comes with an asterisk.

“Then, you sit in this 2025, you’re loving the tech that comes with it, right?” she remarks, adding, “But then what they don’t tell you is that in order for you to have all these features you have to pay for a technology package. Which adds like an extra $1,000 to $2,000 on the bottom line of the car.”

Gallery: Dealership Builds Most Expensive Chevy Silverado RST

Is Expensive Tech Causing Recalls to Rise?

Mullen further questions whether prioritizing bells and whistles over core vehicle functionality, while overcharging buyers, is a viable business strategy.

Others have similar concerns. Business Wire writes that consumers are looking for more tech in their cars. However, this desire doesn’t seem to be matched by a willingness to pay more.

Top Class Actions, a website that compiles lawsuit data against automakers, attributes the growing complexity of automobiles to why so many recalls exist.

The site adds, “The total number of auto recalls each year has nearly doubled in the last two decades.”

Motor1 has reached out to Mullen via email for further comment. We’ll update this if she responds.