DENNIS O’SULLIVAN

ANSWERS TO YOUR CAR QUESTIONS

It looks like a happy ending for a distressed mom whose student son bought an overheating lemon from a used car dealer, thanks to Dennis’s intervention.

QUESTION

I am writing to ask for your help for my son who attends school in Waterloo. He purchased a used car, which I paid for, from a used car dealer in Guelph. They told my son that the car was lady driven and that they would give him a thirty-day warranty that nothing would mechanically go wrong. He did not have the car for more than three days when it started to overheat while driving to school. He stopped in a service station and called me and I in turn called the used car dealer where he purchased the car. They had the car towed to the dealer and after four days, I had to call them to find out what was the status of the car. They informed me that the engine was shot and that my son drove the car overheated and that they would not cover the cost of the engine repair.

I told them to call the gas station where my son stopped with the car and that they will confirm that the car was still running and had not overheated but the engine light was on.

I checked with the gas station and they told me that the used car dealer did not call them but the used car dealer is still refusing to change their mind about the warranty on the car that they gave to my son. The car has been in the garage now for over three weeks and nothing is being done.

I spoke to our lawyer and he told me that they would have to take the used car dealer to small claims court but that cost would be more than the car is valued at.

I do not know where else to turn but my son told me about someone at his university that you helped a year ago so we are asking that you please help my son get his car back. Eva from Carlisle ANSWER

I have spoken to the used car dealer and after some persuasion, they have agreed to take a second look at the car to determine if the overheating problem had really damaged the engine or not.

I received a call back that same day and I am happy to inform you that their first diagnosis was wrong and that the car only needs a radiator and a fan belt.

Apparently, someone at the shop that they use for service put too much Stop Leak in the radiator to stop a leak and that plugged the radiator. I did not bother to question their reasoning but I did ask them to make sure that they also flush out the coolant system, which they have agreed to do.

The discussion then went on to what your son should pay. The used car dealer wanted your son to pay for the new antifreeze, but again, after some discussion, they agreed that the nickel-and-dime approach would not benefit them so your son is getting his car back free of charge, most likely before this comes to print.

I give your son high marks for taking the car into a shop immediately upon noticing a warning light indicator. QUESTION

Do you have any influence at the flea markets?

I purchased a set of used snow tires on rims at a flea market about two weeks ago and was assured that they would fit my van. The man at the booth even told me that the tires and rims came off a 2010 Dodge Caravan, which is the type of vehicle that I have.

I took the van into the shop to have the snow tires put on and the rims do not even come close to fitting my van. I went back the next week with the tires and rims and the person was not there who sold the tires but his partner was. He told me that his partner would not have told me that the tires fit on a 2010 Dodge because the tires came off his car, which was a Chevy product.

He then had the nerve to tell me that he would give me thirty dollars for the two tires knowing that I paid his partner sixty dollars for the two tires just a week ago.

Is there any thing that you can do to take the smirks off the faces of these two bandits?

Thanks, Don from Waterdown

ANSWER

Used tires are very difficult to sell. You should have taken the thirty dollars as a learning experience to be careful as to what you buy at a flea market, especially something as important as safe and reliable tires.

Most things that are sold at flea markets are not returnable so there isn’t anything that I can do for you.