Tino’s Low Cost Cars

Was looking for a reliable commuter car. Found myself a 1 owner sweetheart here! Professional, knowledgeable dudes. They had an answer for all my questions and definitely made me feel comfortable buying from them. There were zero surprises when I came to check out the car and the paperwork was kept simple and there were no loose ends. Couldn’t be happier with my wheels!

These folks aim to please, I’ll give them that.
Tino’s business model is to buy low mileage cars on auction, then sell them. Not a bad thing necessarily, and they are up front about this.
But you don’t have much to go on in terms of car history, there are no records except for Carfax or Autocheck.
On the Craigslist ad, it said for sale by owner, not dealer. I think this is misleading. I see a low mileage older vehicle for sale by owner, and I picture a little old lady driving the car to the grocery store once a week. I see the same from a dealer, I am more cautious and will be less likely to call.
In our case, we saw the ad, called and eventually purchased a very low mileage, extremely clean-​looking 90s era accord. Clean Carfax and Autocheck. We neglected to have it inspected before buying — that was our mistake.
A couple days later when having a known issue repaired at Honda, it was revealed to us that the car had in fact been in an accident, as evidenced by some body repair that is apparently obvious to the trained eye. Lesson learned, things do not always make their way to Carfax or Autocheck!
The next day, the car overheated due to a radiator hose leak. This was after it was checked out by the dealership, so I can’t really say it was an issue known by the seller.
Still, I was discouraged and disappointed that I seem to have purchased a lemon.
I called Anthony and let him know what happened and what we discovered about the car.
Despite the fact that I had signed an AS-​IS waiver at the time of sale, he immediately offered to take back the car and refund the money.
I accepted and it was a hassle-​free return. He was cordial, friendly and seemed genuinely eager to make the situation right.
I believe that this business does aim to satisfy their customers. Even the lady at the bank where I got the cashiers check said nice things about them.
So give them a shot — just know that, as with all used vehicles, buyer beware and ALWAYS get an independent inspection.

Just bought my 74 year old mom a 1993 Acura Integra from Tino. Car was priced fairly and all information like carfax and smog certificate was available. Tino is easy to deal with, friendly and patient (especially with my mom:)) I would recommend him if you are looking for a fair priced, reliable commuter car.

Tino’s operates through Craigslist, although they do have an office. When I bought my car from them, I was presented with clean carfax and low mileage, and told that the clutch had recently been replaced. The car seemed like a great deal. Well, then the trouble began… Tino’s had purchased the car at auction. That should have been my first clue — that is where they get all their cars (… better to steer clear of auctions). The car couldn’t be registered, because it turned out the carfax info was not up-​to-​date, and the state wanted to issue a SALVAGE title. The car was not advertised (and NOT PRICED) as a salvaged vehicle. Tino’s worked with me to get the registration taken care of, which took six months, and they were very nice about it, paying the fees. They even offered to buy the car back from me, because of the mistake.
Turns out I should have taken them up on that, because even though the clutch had been replaced, whatever problems causing the clutch to fail also f***ed up the transmission, which just failed. Six months after purchasing this lemon, the car is dead, I am out the money, and will never again buy a used car through an independent dealer.

I needed a car for little cash and Tino was the man with the plan, I left the lot with a great car and extra cash to fill my tank. The paperwork was quik and easy with no hidden fees Tino even took care of the DMV stuff. I will never go any place else I have already got two cars from Tino he is honest with integrity that is rare in the care sales business.

I bought a 1 owner 91 Accord with 107K original miles from ebay. The ad had a detailed video of the car. It was described perfect. when I picked the car up I was very happy. Smog was done CARFAX was ready. Paperwork went smooth and I was on my way. They specialize in 1 owner cars with miles and condition you wont find at any other dealership. Anthony was a great help and very professional. I will be a customer with them for years to come if I ever need a car or truck. Great job!!!

This place is amazing! Great, honorable service with no hidden fees or sneaky paperwork.
I had been looking for a used car for about 2 months. One person after another on Craigs List was screwing me over and I was feeling really discouraged. Then I found a car being sold through Tinos on CG.
The car dealer has a set of cars in Albany. What was different is that they already had printed out the Carfax report.
He was very upfront with the cost of the car. The price included CA sales tax, title transfer fee, smog, and registration. All the cars for sale are only 1 or 2 owner cars which I have learned is very hard to find with used Hondas or Toyotas.
I got a very reliable 1996 Honda Civic DX 4Dr stick with 169K miles on it. The car had 1 owner, smog good for 2 years, vehicle registration good for 1 year. The car only has some oxidation on the roof and no AC.
He had no problem with me taking the vehicle to an outside mechanic. I’m so grateful I don’t have to keep looking for a used car. I highly recommend this used auto dealer. Also, they can help you find a model and make in your price range, even if they don’t have one in stock.
Check them out at
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DON’T USE CRAIGS LIST!