Southwest Discount Car Company sold me a previously wrecked vehicle Mesa Arizona
On Friday June 29, 2007, this dealership sold me a 2004 Ford Expedition with 32,700 miles. I arranged my own financing and purchased the vehicle. When I walked out of the dealership and attempted to get in I noticed that the break light was on on the dash board and advised the salesmen. His employees had just gone to put gas in the vehicle so I am certain that they saw it. As he was in the vehicle trying to figure out what was going on with the brake light I notice the running board on the drivers side appeared buckled and the vent in the rear of the vehicle did not work. He promised that they would get this problem fixed.
Despite my better judgement I drove off in the vehicle and not even a quarter of a mile down the road I discovered a serious problem with the alignment. I turned around and went back to the dealership and was told that they would take care of this as well if I bring it back on Monday. Upon getting the vehicle home my husband noticed some inconsistencies in the paint on the truck. I had asked the salesman if the vehicle had been wrecked and he advised me no.
I also pulled the carfax history report which suprisingly showed no accidents. The salesman called me later and said the owner authorized him to pick the vehicle up and bring me a loaner and they would take it to Meineke the following morning to have the alignment done and the brake light problem addressed. He also stated that he ordered all the parts from Ford to repair the vent on the rear window, running board, and the busted interior door panel.
On Saturday I had not heard from them regarding the status of the repairs so I called them and was advised that they would call Meineke and call me back. I did not hear from them so I called Meineke and they told me they were done over an hour ago. I called back to Southwest Discount Car Co. and was advised the saleman that I dealt with had an emergency and left for the day. We picked up the vehicle Monday around 1pm and the signs of trouble were more apparent once the vehicle was washed.
We took the vehicle to a local body shop and were very upset to find that this vehicle had been wrecked on both sides! The guy from the body shop showed us where even the original doors were no longer on the vehicle and someone did a bad job at trying to patch it back together. The floor is not flush anymore because it had such extensive damage it should have been sold as a salvaged vehicle.
On Tuesday morning I called my lender and advised them that I would be returning the vehicle and they told me I needed a reverse bill of sale from the dealership. I contacted the salesman at the dealership and he advised me that he would need to speak with the owners of the company to authorize this and that they would be in around 12pm. I went to the dealership at 12pm and was advised that they would not be in as they are off for the 4th of July holiday. Now it is quite interesting that he can sign a bill of sale but not a reverse...and that he supposedly left urgent messages for the owners and they did not call him back. I asked him if I may leave a message for the owner and he dialed a number that I am certain was not that of the owners, did not allow me to hear the greeting on the call and handed me the phone.
Buyer beware of this dealership!!! If I do not have a resoultion from them by Friday I will seek legal action against them.
Chimyere
Chandler, Arizona
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Car-repair-insider
Anytown,Arizona,
U.S.A.
Repair shop reports
#4Consumer Suggestion
Wed, August 22, 2007
I worked at one of the repair shops they take their garbage to. The owner of the repair facility a good man but one who needs the money told me to just mind my own business. I would get cars in from their guy we'll call him car-loss and would want repairs to them. We would fix them and get them to pass smog or what ever the situation was. On one occasion a ford focus came in and was a real mess. Nothing lined up. The struts were totally out of whack, the fuel pump was bad and such. I told the owner of the repair shop this this is dangerous. I showed him the welds holding it together. He told me say nothing. Well I had to. This this was a death trap. I told car-loss of its problem and he then said don't fix it. We'll auction it off.
You see they aren't really a bad dealership but they too are victims of bad mechanics and greedy mechanics. So if they aren't told of a problem going in they can't deal with it on the out. So I hope this helps a little to those out there who have purchased cars from used car dealers.
It may not all be them (although it mostly is) it is sometimes the people they deal with too.
As for me I quit when I got my check on Friday. Jack asp.
Chimyere
Chandler,Arizona,
U.S.A.
legal action
#4Consumer Comment
Thu, July 05, 2007
If you do not have a manufacturer's warranty of any kind you may be entitled to compensation for violations of consumer protection laws that fall outside of the "Lemon Laws". The following is a list of some of the problems and/or issues which may be present in your vehicle. Your vehicle may be/have a:
Laundered lemon (or prior history of mechanical problems known to the seller);
Previously salvaged or wrecked;
Fraudelently rolled back odometer;
Rental car, police car, taxi, etc.;
Stolen, stripped and rebuilt; and/or
Involved in a flood.
What You Should Do If To Find Out You Were Sold A Misrepresented or Compromised Vehicle?
One or more of the following procedures may prove to be useful in discovering whether there is something about your vehicle that you were not told:
Call 1-888-4-Car Fax or go to www.carfax.com.
Do a Title Search.
See a body shop mechanic to determine if your vehicle was wrecked;
Have your Insurance Company run your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on their computer (may be called a C.L.U.E. report) to see if an accident claim was ever made with another insurance company; and/or
Go to an authorized dealer and have them check the computer to see if it was wrecked or to let you know what the mileage was every time the vehicle was in for repair.
John
Rhinelander,Wisconsin,
U.S.A.
legal action
#4Consumer Suggestion
Wed, July 04, 2007
Not sure what legal action you can take. you said yourself there were problems but you took the car anyway. You can forget what the salesman said about it not being in a wreck unless you got it in writing.
A tough lesson but you don't have a legal leg to stand on.
Good luck.
J