Bad Advice, Good Intentions

If you have heard me stop dead in my tracks on my radio show, it’s almost always when the callers starts a sentence with: “I heard…”

Equally as alarming is when a caller says: “Well, my brother said…” or “My neighbor told me…”

And that’s usually where the trouble begins.

I’m not saying friends and family mean harm. Most of the time, they’re trying to help. The problem is that car advice has a short shelf life, and a lot of it expires without anyone realizing it. What worked five years ago may not work today. What worked for someone else may not work for you. And what someone read online may not be true at all.

Cars, pricing, incentives, financing, and even availability change constantly. Yet advice tends to get passed along like it’s carved in stone. “Never buy the first year.” “Always wait until the end of the month.” “You can always refinance later.” “Just focus on the payment.” Those lines sound confident. That doesn’t make them correct.

Friends and family also bring their own baggage into the conversation. Someone who had a bad experience with a particular brand may swear it off forever. Someone who got burned by a dealership years ago may assume nothing has changed. Someone who prides themselves on being a “tough negotiator” may push advice that turns a simple transaction into an unnecessary standoff.

Then there’s internet advice, which is a whole different animal.

I tell people all the time not to believe everything they read online, and I mean that sincerely. The internet is great for gathering information, but it’s terrible at providing perspective. Anyone can post an opinion. Anyone can make a video. Anyone can claim expertise. And the loudest voices are often the angriest ones. Beware the keyboard bullies.

People don’t rush to forums to say, “Everything was wonderful.” They post when something goes wrong. That creates a distorted picture where rare problems feel common and minor annoyances sound like disasters. Add in outdated posts, half-truths, and clickbait headlines, and it’s easy to talk yourself out of a perfectly good car before you ever sit in it. The majority of automotive website writers love to dramatize every headline, and most are no better than the National Enquirer. Remember, most are nit judged by the quality of their work, rather the number of people who click on the story.

Another issue with advice from friends, family, or the internet is that it’s usually missing context. Your cousin’s situation isn’t your situation. Their credit, trade-in, budget, driving habits, and expectations may be completely different from yours. Advice that worked for them could be wrong for you, even if it was right at the time.

I also see buyers paralyzed by conflicting advice. One person says buy now. Another says wait. One article says this brand is bulletproof. Another says it’s unreliable. Eventually, people stop trusting their own judgment and start second-guessing every decision.

That’s not healthy, and it’s not helpful.

The smarter approach is to filter advice, not collect it. Look for patterns, not one-off stories. Ask whether the advice is current. Ask whether it applies to your situation. And be skeptical of anything that sounds absolute. In the car business, words like “always” and “never” are usually warning signs.

Most importantly, balance outside advice with real-world experience. Drive the car. Sit in it. See how it fits your life. A vehicle that works for you doesn’t need universal approval from the internet or your extended family.

I also encourage people to lean on professionals they trust. A seasoned advisor, a reputable dealer, or a long-term mechanic can help separate useful information from noise. That kind of perspective doesn’t come from comment sections.

Well-meaning advice can still lead you astray if it’s outdated, incomplete, or based on someone else’s experience instead of your own. The goal isn’t to ignore advice altogether. It’s to weigh it carefully.

At the end of the day, this is your money, your car, and your life. Gather information, listen politely, do your homework — and then make the decision that makes sense for you.

In all honesty, I am one of the few that have no agenda. I have never accepted one penny for recommending a review car or a dealership. I am not in this for the money, I was blessed with a long successful career in the car business. That makes my advice unique and unbiased, and it will always be that way.

On the other side, the worst car advice usually sounds confident, comes from a familiar voice, or shows up on a screen glowing back at you late at night. And none of that guarantees it’s right.