QuestionI just bought a car yesterday..June 21, the lady I bought it off said that all the car needed was a muffler clamp and new brake lines, so i decided to buy her, the sale was as is where is however the day after i bought her I took her to the garage to get her inspected and he told me that the chassy is rusted and she is not safe to be put on the road, What I am wondering is she obligated to give me back my money is a certain time frame.....This was a Mazda MX-3 Precidia.
The car was purchased 4 hours away from where i live. if you could email me back and give me some info it would be greatly appriciated, I am only 18 years so all this car buying is new to me.
Also the car was purchased through a private sale.
I am writing from Newfoundland
AnswerI'm sorry to hear about your situation, but it sounds like you're learning about life the same way that I did at 18; by living it. Hopefully, you're not as strong willed as I was and will learn the first time around.
I am not aware of any US state having a law to protect an individual who is purchasing a car from another individual and would be surprised if it were any different there. It is, "as is, no warranty". You cannot hold her statements as a warranty as she is not likely an automotive professional.
First hint that the underside was rusted out? You live in the arctic. Second is that it needed brake lines and a muffler clamp. Rust is about the only thing that causes these parts to. I didn't know cars lasted more than 10 years up there...
I'm sure I don't need to tell you this but will throw it out there for other readers. The time to have a mechanic check out a car is before the purchase, not after. For some reason though, I get a call or email at least once a week from someone in this same situation.
On the upside, maybe your mechanic exaggerated things. If there are holes allowing exhaust into the car, then you'll need to take a crash course in body repair using fiberglass. However, it can look really ugly when your done and no one but you and your mechanic will see it. It likely does need brake lines and I'm surprised that you drove it home like that. Get yourself a tube bending/flaring set and have another learning experience.
Now, if the suspension/engine mounting areas in the structure are rusted out, then you need to cut the roof off and make it into a planter and use the engine as a coffee table base.
One other word of advice. If you're buying really inexpensive cars, you're almost always taking a huge gamble. However, you can at least minimize the amount of money at stake by buying them really really cheap. I don't know what you paid for this Mazda, but had you gone to the local municipal tow yard action, it would have gone for a couple of hundred dollars. Still a big risk, but at least then you'll can get the money back by selling the parts on Ebay.
For now, if this car is hopeless, hit some auctions and find another with a blown engine and good body. Then you'll have one to fix and one for parts.
Good luck!
