Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  05/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I put down $1800.00 dollars on a used car. the service engine light came on the next day so I took it too a mechanic to look at but there specialist was not available . so I called the dealer and he sent me to there mechanic he chalked it up to a loose battery cable and sent me on my way well the service engine light came back on the next day so I parked it for a few days went to drive it to town and the service engine light started blinking. I turned around and come back home and when I pulled up in my drive way white smoke was boiling out of the tail pipe. So I had it towed to his mechanic when he called to tell me the engine was blown because it had been run hot I told him that it was'nt me because the car never registerd hot. Any way he said what do you want to do about it? I said I want you to put me in another car he said I would have to come up with more money I said no so now I'm out ?1800.00 dollars no car that I only drove a week. Not to mention my husband is a 100 percent disabled vetran I want somthing done about this guy I'm not the first person he has done this to!!! I got the car on April 15th

  Business response

  06/07/2023

  **** ********** did purchase a **** ********* *********** on April 19, 2023.  She did put $ 1800.00 down.  She called me a couple of weeks later and told me her vehicle was broken down in her yard.  I asked her what the vehicle was doing.  She told me that she had white smoke boiling out of her tailpipe.  I told her if she had white smoke coming from her tailpipe it was an indication that her vehicle has been run very hot and probably had blown her head gasket which would mean that she would need to replace the motor.  **** ********* informed me that she had not driven the vehicle much and that it had never registered as running hot.  I told **** ********* if she would have it towed to my location I would have my mechanic check it out.  

  When **** ********* purchased the vehicle the miles on the odometer was 123,161.  When towed into my location the odometer read 123,528.  This indicates the vehicle had been driven 367 miles.  The first thing my mechanic did was check for water in the radiator.  There was none.  The next step was to pull the oil dipstick.  The oil was creamy which the vehicle had been run hot enough and long enough to blow the head gasket which let oil into the motor.

  My mechanic then added water to the radiator, started the vehicle and let it run log enough to check the temperature gauge.  The temperature gauge was registering and continued to rise to the hot position.  While the vehicle was running white smoke was coming out of the tailpipe.  All this indicated that the motor would have to be replaced.

  I called **** ********* to inform her of the fact that she would need another motor.  I asked **** ********* if she wanted me to call and get a price for a motor or did she want someone else to do it.

  She did not want that.  She wanted me to put her in another vehicle.  I told her I could possibly do this but I would have to have money for the taxes and fees on the next vehicle. I did not ask her for another full down payment and the vehicle would have to be of the same or lesser value.

  **** ********* did not want to do this.  She returned to my location and got her personal items out of the the vehicle and told my mechanic we could just keep the vehicle as she was not going to have it fixed.

  Before the sale of any of our vehicles the customer must drive the vehicle and we encourage all potential customers to have the vehicle checked out by their mechanic or anyone they trust before purchasing.  If they do purchase a vehicle we encourage them to check into a used car warranty if their vehicle qualifies as all of our vehicles are sold AS-IS with no warranties.  The vehicle **** ********* purchased did qualify.  We do not sell used car warranties but we do give them the names of a couple of companies and tell them they can check online for quotes.

  I am sorry that this happened to **** ********* but I was willing to work with her and am still willing.

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