QuestionI bought a used '02 Ford Explorer with low mileage from a dealer. When I took it for inspection the mechanic said the car was in a flood and to take it back. The suspension was rusted, the brake and fuel lines were rotted, along with a rusted chasis. I took it to the dealer telling them what the mechanic told me and I didn't want the car. They pretty much blew me off. I had a report and there was no flood damage in the report
Is there anything I can do or am I screwed?
Answer
car guy
Hi Jeff,
Sorry to hear about your problem with your explorer...the 02's with the new updated systems and body are normally a great choice of rigs. Your issue is more of a legal issue than a car type issue but in as much as it sort of sits in the middle i willgive you my 2 cents from the dealer perspective and tell you what i would do to get a resiolution you will be happy with.
1. First off you don't say whether you bought this car from a Ford Dealer or another branded dealer or if you got it from xyz motors (independant dealer) a franchise dealer is more likely to want a resolution that makes you happy. I will assume you bought it from a non franchised dealer
2. Did you finance this vehicle thru a bank or finance co>? or did you pay cash?
3. How much time transpired between the time you bought it and the time you had it inspected?
4. when you ran a carfax report on the vehicle it showed you all of the different places the vehicle has been registered including a likely place where the dealer you bought it from got it ...if in fact he didn't get it on trade. If it lists an auction then you will have a better chance at quick success because the auction can tell us what they told the buyer when it sold. all of the cars we buy at auction are 'arbitrated' purchases ...meaning that we pay the auction 75.00 a car to have them put it on a rack and check it for frame damage and to test and verify major systems ...your problem would have showed up immediately leaving us with the option of fionalizing the purchase or turning it down ....most dealers do the same thing unless the car ran thru the 'no guarantee' lanes ...which would be telling in and of itself... if possible send me the carfax report you have on it ...if it lists an auction i will call them myself and talk car talk with them and get the whole story from the lane boss. The auction will not lie to cover anything up and if they disclosed (or the selling entity disclosed) the flood damage then you will have the guy by the balls. (so to speak)
5. I don't know of any dealer who doesn't do at least a safety check type of inspection of their own on any car they sell ...did they tell you it had been thru their shop?
My direct email address is roadloans@gmail.com if you could answer those question real quickand if possibleshoot me over the carfax report then I will have better recommendations for you.
One of the first things you should know is that with 90%+ of the people visiting the internet before buying a car .a dealers online reputation is becoming very very important tohim and his ability to sell cars. Part of the 2 pronged plan to get this deal unwound is going to be a direct assault on his business practices and online reputation. There are lots of forums to post your buying experience too ...including the bread and butter : craigslist.com the site we don't want to post too until last is ripoffreport.com because once posted it can never ...ever ...ever be deleted no matter what.
Get those answers over to me and let's go to work on this guy. Are you talking with the owner or a sales manager or the sales person? ...Try and give me an estimate of how many cars they have on their lot and that will tell me how many they are selling every month and we can gage our response appropiately. It may come to pass that they will offer tounwind the deal if you buy another car from them... the first thing they will offer is to let you 'trade it in" for another one ...No No No ... unwind/rewind omnly if you are open to that.They may also dig way in and tell us to go fuck ourselves ... the next step once you get me the info I need will be to send them an email where we will bring a glimpse of what the future holds for them to their attention...including a threat to file a report to a dealers worst nightmare ...The State DMV business regulatory unit ... seriously...it will be real interesting to see where that car came from and where it's been in it's 10 year life and if the location of the vehicle happens to match up with a major flood problem recently followed by an auction followed by our guy buying it and selling it to you then we will have the stick in our hands
