Complaint Review: Leroy & Carol Armstead

My 17 year old son got his first part time job and needed a car so he wouldnt have to depend on others for transportation. He found an ad (I think on the Internet) for Carol J. Armsteads, 1991 Ford Taurus and we went out to look at it (10/21/01).

The car was presented by Carols husband, Leroy. He said that it was his wifes car and the car was in good condition. The oil was changed every 3000 miles and he said there was a list posted in the car window of all the services that had recently been performed on the car. The list showed the car's transmission had been serviced 1500 miles, previously.The cars exterior was in reasonably good condition.

We had Leroy start the car up and it started readily. Leroy did not offer us to take it for a test ride and mistakenly we did not request one. We said that we would buy it, even though the car was high priced ($1500) for a 1991 model. We thought that we were getting a safe car in good condition.

I bought the car the next day (10/22/01) and my son and wife came with me that evening to pick it up.
The Armsteads were not at home. My son drove the car home (to Westland, Appx 10 miles). He pulled into the back yard, cleaned out the interior and then went to take it to the car wash. He drove away from the house and the transmission quit. The engine was racing and the car would not move. If you shut the car off and re-started it, it would go a few feet and then the transmission would quit again. He managed to get the car home.

I tried to get hold of Leroy Amsbaugh. Nobody answered the phone until later the next day, after I persisted in calling their house. I told Leroy what happened and he said that he would call me back and let me know what he would do about the faulty car he sold me. He never called back.

I called back the following day. Leroy said that he had decided he would do nothing. I bought the car As is and since the car made it to my house it wasnt any fault of his. I asked him if he didnt feel any responsibility for selling a car that didnt last an hour. He said that the same thing had happened to him and I should live with it and hung up on me.

I called a friend of mine, who had worked for Fords as a mechanic for over 30 years. He confirmed that it was the transmission. He also noted that the transmission fluid was clean and had recently been changed.

My son talked to an instructor at the William D. Ford Career-Technical Center (automotive training school) and was told that if he could bring the car in they would diagnose the problem. My son, his brother and a friend pushed the car manually to the automotive center where it was confirmed that it was the transmission. They said that this was not a condition that had just instantaneously happened.

We priced a few transmission shops and the best price we could get was around $2000. None of the transmission shops would commit themselves to a price on paper. I went to the local Ford Dealer, North Brothers and they gave me a written estimate of $3031.05 (see attachment) for a rebuilt transmission. I didnt want to spend more for repairs than the price I paid for the car so I havent got it fixed. I wound up buying my son another car.

I think that Leroy knew the car was defective and fraudulently represented it because:

He insisted that he wanted cash. It would have been easier for me to get a check but I paid him in cash.

He and his wife seemed nervous and anxious when they had me sign an as is receipt for the car. Carol even signed in the wrong place at first. I signed the receipt because I thought the car was in good condition and figured they were only protecting themselves down the line.

Any honest person would be concerned if they sold someone a car and it only lasted a couple of hours and was driven only 10 miles. Leroy wasnt.

On Leroys list he stated that the transmission was serviced 1500 miles ago. I asked him where he had it serviced at and what did they do. He said he and his son had looked at it.

Why was the transmission oil clean? Someone had recently changed the transmission oil.

It also seemed funny that Leroy and his wife purposely werent home when we picked up the car and also wouldnt answer their phone.

I think that Leroy and Carol knew the car was defective when they sold it to me and falsely presented it. I dont feel that I should have had to pay for a car that had to be scrapped.

John
Westland, Michigan
U.S.A