Need help with a used car ripoff

Question

bought a car from used car dealer "as is" turned out to be a "good deal" or so I thought ....everything is fine,.... however the big oil spot in my driveway tells me otherwise....every time I looked under the car now to check it out I seem to remember the car was in a different location at the dealer

it is not even 6 hours since I picked up the car and problems.

is there any negotiation tactic short of driving the car through his showroom window?

thanks for any answers, but I don't need to hear buyer beware stuff right now.. our states DMV website for" as is vehicles" mentions about whether or not the car is safe for operation and something could be done about that......any help please?

Answer 1

check to see if your state has a lemon law

Answer 2

Well, I know you're not wanting the whole "as-is" speech, but I'm not sure what answer you're looking for.

"Lemon Laws" won't apply here. When the DMV mentions "safe for operation", they are usually referring to items that would impede the car's ability to be driven safely (an oil leak wouldn't count).

If you did take him to court, you'd get into a "he-said, she-said" battle of hearsay, and you'd probably lose, as the law is on the dealer's side.

I'd go back in the morning and calmly explain the oil leak. If the dealer refuses to help, then go to the other measures listed (BBB, posting a sign on the car, etc). I'm with the one poster who states that it might be something simple causing the leak. Find out first before gunning anyone down.

**EDIT** Freak Show -- You're right, BUT... as you stated in your example, it is very difficult to prove in court. I would bet that maybe 5% of the cases that make it to court actually are won by the buyer. And, no thumbs-down came from me.

Answer 3

theres really not much you can do. you already signed and "as-is" paper, you should have inspected more carefully. id take it to a mechanic, find out whats wrong, and fix it, and then maybe resell it if you dont want it.

once you sign those papers, theres nothing much you can do. sorry

Answer 4

Call the Attorney General's Office of Consumer Complaints and find out if your state has any sort of three-day "cooling" off period for such purchases, during which you can un-do the sale.

Other than that, you could go to the dealer with a reasonable offer, such as "take the car back" or I will do whatever I can to put black marks on your reputation, with the Better Business Bureau, with letters to the editor of the local newspaper, or simply by parking the car on the street in front of the dealership with a big sign in the window indicating that "THIS LEMON CAME FROM HERE."

Edit addition:

It looks suspiciously like a used car dealer or two is putting "thumbs down" onto ONLY the messages which encourage the  questioner to fight back or insist on his rights.  Anybody else notice this?

Answer 5

Save the speech, pal.

You didn't get ripped off, you just were stupid and have no idea about autos, so you didn't bother to inspect before buying.

Freak Show may have a point...with a new car, but that's going to involve repeated attempts to fix an issue on a new car!

Not this kind of c**p.

Answer 6

Have you had the problem checked by a mechanic? It might be something as simple as a loose oil pan plug. Or oil dripping from the frame after a recent sloppy oil change. Or it could be something more serious.

Regardless, when used cars are sold "as-is" it usually means you have no recourse if you find problems later, which is a good reason to have used cars inspected by a mechanic before you buy -- as well as getting a CarFax report.

Lemon laws typically don't apply to used cars and there are no 3-day "cooling off" periods for automobile purchases.

Answer 7

If a dealer knowingly sold you a car that was defective and tried to hide it, they are breaking the law. They know that. If they are busted for it, they can lose their dealer license. There should have been a disclosure form in the window of the car. If there are no oil leaks listed, you probably have a good case. You can also call the previous owner and ask if it was leaking oil before they traded it in. If the car is now leaking oil all over the driveway, bring it back and see what they say. If they are cool about it, then fine. If they aren't, take them to court. Whatever you do, document EVERYTHING!

Edit: Two thumbs down? You guys should really check the law because you have more rights than you think.

http://public.findlaw.com/lemon-law/car-...

"Breakdowns and other problems after the sale don't prove the seller breached the warranty of merchantability. (However, a breach occurs) if the buyer can prove that a known defect existed at the time of sale. A problem that occurs after the sale may be the result of a defect that existed at the time of sale or not. As a result, a dealer's liability is judged case-by-case."

Answer 8

You did get it mechanically checked by someone you bought it from, right?  Because noone would buy something that costs thousands of dollars without having it inspected, would they?

Why didn't your mechanic tell you what was wrong with it?