Answers to your car questions

QUESTION

Good day Mr. O’Sullivan! I enjoy your column weekly and have read some very good information. Can you use after market rust protection on all electric vehicles and hybrids? Dealers are saying no and that it will void the warranty. Is this true or not? If you can’t do after market rust protection, how do you protect the vehicle from rust? Thanks for your information.

Frank from St. Jacobs

ANSWER

I have not found any literature that states rust protection from an after market source or the new car dealer, would void the factory warranty. If the dealer is telling you this then ask to see where in the owner’s manual and/or in their directions from the manufacturer, does it state that rust protecting your electric vehicle would void the warranty. Where you might run into problems is when the company, that is applying the rust protection, does not cover or protect sensitive electrical components and this results in any electrical part failing. The manufacturer could then deny you their factory warranty. I recommend that if you do decide to have the car rust protected then make sure that it is done by a reputable after market rust protection company or by a new car dealer who does rust protection.

QUESTION

I purchased a car privately simply because I could not afford to buy from a used car dealer. The car was a 1999 Honda that had just over two hundred and forty thousand kilometres but was in excellent condition. The person from whom I bought the car was great to deal with and told me that he had maintained the car well over the years that he had the car so I believed him. He took me to the Service Ontario to get the ownership changed over and also put twenty dollars of gas in my gas tank. Two weeks after I purchased the car, the engine quit on me while I was travelling to school in Kitchener. My parents purchased CAA for me and I had the car towed to a service garage in Kitchener. My heart sank when the garage told me that my engine was, in their words “shot”. I tried to contact the person who had sold me the car and after about two weeks, I was able to reach him. His name and phone number is enclosed. He told me that I must have driven the car low on oil because it was running fine for him over the years that he had it. The car is now sitting in my parent’s driveway and I cannot afford to get it fixed. Can you do anything for me?

Martha from Simcoe

ANSWER

You purchased this car from a curb sider, which is a term used when someone sells you a car pretending that they own the vehicle when they might not and/or are selling it on behalf of someone else for a profit. In a case such as this, you do not have any recourse especially when you have paid fifteen hundred dollars for the car and only paid tax on five hundred dollars. This person went to Service Ontario with you so that you would not see that the vehicle was not in his name. The person, that the curb sider purchased the vehicle from, knew that the engine was bad and sold it for a scrap price of two hundred and fifty dollars to the curb sider. The curb sider then sold the vehicle to you for fifteen hundred dollars. I was not going to pursue this for you because I have over the years warned my readers that if their hands are not clean, I will not help. I have also warned my readers about buying privately without doing their homework or at least having your own technician look at the car before you purchase it. You did neither but it just so happens that I know this curb sider so I have decided to help you. I can do nothing about the cost of transferring the car in your name. I have however, suggested to him that it is in his best interest that he return the fifteen hundred dollars back to you because this transaction was not above board. If he has not corrected this with you in one week, contact me again.

UPDATE: Martha has had thirteen hundred dollars of her fifteen hundred dollars returned to her on February 23, 2023 and the car is no longer on her parent’s driveway.

I told Martha that she could call an auto recycler to get the other two hundred dollars for scrap price but she did not want to do that and was glad that she got most of her money back.