Complaint Review: Western Auto Sales - Boston Massachusetts

Dal, The lemon law is for new cars. A 1996 Altima is not going to fall under the lemon law. This I know for a fact. Also, I dont know many warranty companies that will offer much of a warranty for a 1996 altima. If they did it would not be cheap. It would cost more than the car itself. $1800 car, $2000 warranty? Use your head DAL. Spend the money and buy a real car.

Mike from Michigan to educate you on the Lemon Law, It doesn't matter if the car is a million years old, the dealer is supposed to give the buyer the option to purchase a warranty to cover potential defects. The car is also supposed to be able to pass inspection and if it costs more than 10% of the car's purchase price to repair it to pass inspection, the buyer can ask the dealer to take it back. And regarding the guy not living at the address listed, I would think that you have to list your genuine address when registering your corporation or at least update your address; Apparently not in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

please correct me if i am wrong, but does a 1996 altima purchased as is fall under the lemon law? i would assume an 11 year old car would not qualify. also, people move. if you look up a lot of people there address will not be right. i wouldnt want people harrassing me at my house if i owned a company. i really dont see where mr dell has a case.

please correct me if i am wrong, but does a 1996 altima purchased as is fall under the lemon law? i would assume an 11 year old car would not qualify. also, people move. if you look up a lot of people there address will not be right. i wouldnt want people harrassing me at my house if i owned a company. i really dont see where mr dell has a case.

I have since found out 2 things: (1) According to the Lemon Law Western Auto was supposed to have Lemon Aid Stickers in the windows of the cars they are selling and they do not (2) the guy listed as owner of Western Auto David Venditti is supposed to live at 17 Beechwood Ave, Watertown, MA 02472 and he does not. Apparently there is no problem with the owner of a Massachusetts corporation being listed at an incorrect address. I have moved on since it has been a year but I would strongly advise anyone buying a used car to stay away from Western Auto in Brighton MA. Dal

Buying a late-model used car will set you back a bit but the car will likely need few repairs. At the opposite end of the scale is the junker that you get for a few hundred bucks. The junker will need a lot of repairs, but you can afford to walk away from it if the repairs cost too much. The worst kind of car to buy is an older car that sets you back several thousand dollars. It, too, will need repairs. As you found out, you have to either loose money making repairs or loose money walking away from the car.

You should take the car to another mechanic for a second opinion. Unless the frame is rusted out or the transmission itself is bad, the car is worth repairing. "Reweld the cross member" sounds fishy. If he's talking about a piece that bolts on under the car, the proper repair is to buy a used or new cross member and bolt it on. The transmission codes may all be due to the speed sensor or its jury rigged wiring. Replacing the CV axles (if even necessary, again you should get a second opinion) should cost less than $500 these days as inexpensive rebuilt axles are commonly available.

I guess I have a different view of what a ripoff is than you do; If I am sold a car that I would not even take for free since it would cost too much to repair, I consider that a ripoff. I was out about $3600.00 after two months. If that is not a ripoff I don't know what is. Thanks, Dal

I did an NADA on it as well, figuring 100k miles. It gave me a low-end of 2,700 which is approx what you paid for it. If it was sold as-is, it's buyer beware. 500 on Cv's seems a bit high to me, but prices might be higher where you live. I've had experience with those and learned to do them myself to save 250 labor. I wish you luck.

The NADA book value (average retail) for this car with 120,000 miles (average mileage for a 96) is $3200 so there was no ripoff as to the sales price. As to the condition of the car, it does appear to br pretty worn out but when you buy a 11 year old vehicle with no warranty, it is buyer beware. This is why unless you are a qualified mechanic you MUST get the vehicle inspected prior to exchanging and money. A good mechanic will go over the car in total for about $60-$100 and let you know in advance what issues you will be dealing with; why didn't you take it to your mechanic PRIOR to purchasing the vehicle? Sorry you got stuck with this piece of junk, but I don't see where it's really the fault of the dealership. Of course, when you sell or trade this car, I'm sure you will disclose all of the faults to the buyer. JMHO