Several weeks ago, I moved to a suburb of New York from New York City.. After many years of living in a major metropolitan area where I did not need a car, I find myself in the suburbs where a car is a necessity for me and my 4-year-old daughter. I did my research to find a car that I could afford and one that would meet our needs. As a single mom, I did not need the added expense of a car note so I decided to take $10,000 from my savings to buy a car. I was very happy to see that Hertz had a 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan that was in my price range. After several weeks of back and forth with the salesperson Arthur Brown, I was finally able to purchase the car and planned for it to be picked up.
It took some maneuvering, but I was finally able to find someone who I had to pay an additional fee to deliver it. The car arrived with no temporary tags, so I had to wait several weeks to receive permanent plates before I was able to drive it. The first thing I noticed when it arrived was that the driver's side mirror was broken and was taped with black tape, It had a small nick in the windshield, the body had scratches, a dent on the right front passenger door and dent on the left passenger door.
I also noticed that the VW emblem on the front of the car was being held on with 2 plastic cable ties, the hood latch didn't work and there was peeling paint on the bumper from what appears to be a poor paint job. These are all the things that were not disclosed in the listing or by the salesperson Arthur Brown. I have tried to live with all these undisclosed issues and damages because I paid to have it delivered, and I did not know how or if it could be returned. This was also our only means of transportation.
When I took it to be inspected for my insurance, the reputable mechanic which is certified by my insurance company, told me the car had suffered front end damage which was not properly repaired and that was the reason the hood doesn't close properly. He said it would need a new hood and the VW emblem could not be repaired it will have to be replaced. He pointed out the poor paint job and the overheating of the car’s engine which made the hood extremely hot to touch even after just a few minutes of operation.
As if that were not bad enough when I took it for the first time to fill up the tank, the fuel door would not open. After both, myself and the attendant tried several times it did not open. We even tried turning the car on and off several times and pressing the unlock button and it still did not open. In the end, I had to leave without gas.
The last straw was a couple of nights ago while driving home with my daughter, the dashboard went dark. I no longer new the speed I was driving, and I was not able to see anything. Next, I had the most terrifying moments when I pressed on the brake and it didn't respond, which made it even scarier because there were utility workers on the road and I was very scared that I would hit them or crash. I am now afraid to drive this car.
Previously, I believed this company had well-maintained cars. not anymore. After many attempts to contact the salesperson, I was finally able to speak to him. I told him I was disappointed about the entire situation and angry that he did not disclose the condition of the car. He said he would speak to his supervisor and get back to me. That has not happened. He mentioned I was entitled to coverage under Massachusetts lemon law. So, therefore I am taking the next step in writing this letter.
Clearly this car is a lemon. Please do something, and by that, I mean please replace it with something that is safe and is worthy of the good money I paid for it. It is my life savings and if that is not possible, I expect to be refunded in full. I await your response so that this can be resolved quickly and with no additional action on my part.