Buy Here Pay Here car dealers thrive amid hard times.
Tiffany Lee, a single mother of three worn out by two-hour bus rides to work, was desperate for a car. Unable to find a bank or dealership willing to offer her a loan, she went to Repossess Auto Sales. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Repossess Auto Sales in Hawthorne and a sister lot have sold more than 130 vehicles at least three times each since 2008, according to California Department of Motor Vehicles records. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
A J.D. Byrider lot in Visalia, Calif., one of 135 around the country. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
Tyrie Jackson of Lancaster sits in the driver’s seat of a 2002 PT Cruiser at Camacho Auto Sales in Lancaster. (Christina House / For the Times)
Advertisement
Tyrie Jackson makes a down payment on a car at Camacho Auto Sales in Lancaster. (Christina House / For the Times)
After a bad experience at Repossess Auto, Tiffany Lee plans to shun Buy Here Pay Here dealerships. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
