My dad got taken on a recent car purchase in FL

[robr]

He's likely hosed, I came to post about it and saw the thread already running.

My mom and dad have no $$$, they basically live on social security. Their engine on their only car blew, an approx 13 year old Sebring, and he had to get a replacement. The plan was take out a loan for the car (credit isn't that great, so high interest rate). He also applied to take out a mortgage on his condo with the intent of using it to pay off the car loan and consolidate all his bills.

He bought a used minivan from a lot somewhere in FL and it was "great" for a couple of weeks, then he started noticing things going wrong. Back hatch handle falling off, power door locks dont unlock. Now it started stalling. He took it into a Ford dealership and sent me this email:

I brought my van into a local Ford dealer because it kept stalling. There are so many things wrong with it that the repair bill will be $2700.00 !!! The A/C compressor is leaking, it needs a new cam shaft synchronizer, it needs electrical work done (the locks don’t unlock), etc.

I called the dealer from whom I bought the van and talked to the General Service Manager. He said, “The car was in perfect operating condition when it left the lot and there’s nothing he can do for me”. There is no lemon law for used cars in Florida.


So now he and my mom are without a car again and now they have car payments they can't afford and the bank turned down his application for a mortgage as well. He made a lot of mistakes here, no PPI, assuming he'd get the mortgage, etc, but at this point that's water under the bridge. Other than telling him he's f'd, any practical suggestions?

 

[ediddynsx]

I don't know your personal financial sitaution....but if they were my parents and if I am in a good financial situation, then I would just buy my parents a car or give them one of my cars if I had a extra one laying around. Of course if they didn't consult or talk to you first then theres nothing you could have done, because you didn't know.

I would probably sell that car if its not worth the repair...take a loss and get them another one.

Theres so many decent used cars out there now a days where you can buy for a few thousand bucks....example camrys, accords, or any cars from the mid 90s and up.

Also they might want to take the car to an independent shop for repair....I have to agree that dealerships charge way more than a independent shop would. So right there you could be saving bucks already on the repair work.

Get the list of things needed to be fixed and take it somewhere else....I would say fix the things that really need fixing right now.....like the locks and making sure the car doesn't stall.....the A/C compressor can wait....its not summer anymore.

Good luck

 

[flaminio]

Shoulda bought a Honda... :redface:

 

[robr]

My financial position isn't much better than theirs unfortunately, or I would have just bought them a car when theirs broke.

More info (I assume Fidelity is "U.S. Fidelis" which I just read about in this month's Car & Driver)

They gave me a 60 day “Limited Warranty” from Fidelity. Unfortunately, Fidelity has turned down all the claims saying they only covered power train. But that’s not what the warranty says and I have to go fight them as well. I asked the dealer to intervene with Fidelity but was told, you drove it off the lot. Now it’s between you and Fidelity.

They ran a Car Fax for me which I have. There is nothing there to indicate any anomalies.

Finally, Florida has no lemon laws for used cars.

 

[ediddynsx]

Sorry....man I don't know what to tell you...seems like they got shafted by that dealership.....was it some bob's used cars or was it an actual Ford dealership? Nothing much you can do except just get the repairs that need to be addressed first....and then repair the other stuff later....just get the car running and going for now.

Maybe they can consult with a lawyer and see if theres any legal recourse?

One thing they can do is give the dealership a bad review and file a complaint with the BBB?

Websites like Yelp are good at looking at reviews for different places.

Just have to remember next time to have them consult with you first and or with other friends and family before doing something like that. I know they are grown adults, but that doesn't mean they can't ask for suggestions before doing something like that.

Do they know any mechanic friends or you do that can help them out?

I mean you can help your parents source the parts and then get a couple of estimates from different shops for the best price. I am sure you can cut that bill big time on repairs just from shopping around and making the necessary repairs.

I have to say American cars have come a long way....they are getting better and better....but their older stuff from the 80s and 90s were garbage.....except for a few cars here and there.

Japanese and Euro cars weren't immune to problems either....nissan, mitsubishi's, audi's, volkswagons etc etc

 

[NsXMas]

I saw a truck the other days with a magnetic sign that read "Danny's car wash ruined my transmission".

Perhaps they could do something similar to dial up the heat on the car stealer.

 

[robr]

I saw a truck the other days with a magnetic sign that read "Danny's car wash ruined my transmission".

Perhaps they could do something similar to dial up the heat on the car stealer.

hahaha, Great idea... as soon as they have a car to drive .

The warranty company is indeed called Fidelity (not associated with the financial institution of course).

 

[Aaron94T]

Maybe they can consult with a lawyer and see if theres any legal recourse?

I would not be contacting a lawyer over a $2000 issue. You will spend as much in fees as it costs to fix the car.

Go to a non-dealer shop and get estimates on the required work. Why is it stalling? If it is the cam sensor, get that fixed. That can not cost more than a few hundred. He can live without power locks as everyone did prior to the 80s. It is FL but we are getting into a colder season so the AC can wait as well. Used is used, that is why it was so damn cheap to buy. Fix the stalling issue and drive it until summer. Work on the AC if money permits when the time comes.

 

[sahtt]

Sort of at the end of the line at this point unfortunately. Rule #1, never buy a used car from a dealer (I could write a book on this, not all of it has to do with shady dealers). Rule #2, if you need the car to be reliable. buy the most reliable car possible for your money, no other factor matters (if you doubt this, consider how useful the other priority is if the car does not run).

As previously mentioned, you can buy a reliable, fairly new car for 5-6k for the first time in a long time. Often the best bet is to buy say a 4-6 year old car with body damage that is not structural.

Although the supply of cheap used cars have increased as of late, motivation to sell a problematic car to an unknowing buy has risen exponentially as well.

 

[ediddynsx]

I would not be contacting a lawyer over a $2000 issue. You will spend as much in fees as it costs to fix the car.

Go to a non-dealer shop and get estimates on the required work. Why is it stalling? If it is the cam sensor, get that fixed. That can not cost more than a few hundred. He can live without power locks as everyone did prior to the 80s. It is FL but we are getting into a colder season so the AC can wait as well. Used is used, that is why it was so damn cheap to buy. Fix the stalling issue and drive it until summer. Work on the AC if money permits when the time comes.

I am talking just a consultation.....like in cali they have 1 hour consultations for like 40-50 bucks.....if you don't get what you want out of that then no biggie......

and Steve and I are on the same thinking....

 

[robr]

I would not be contacting a lawyer over a $2000 issue. You will spend as much in fees as it costs to fix the car.

Go to a non-dealer shop and get estimates on the required work. Why is it stalling? If it is the cam sensor, get that fixed. That can not cost more than a few hundred. He can live without power locks as everyone did prior to the 80s. It is FL but we are getting into a colder season so the AC can wait as well. Used is used, that is why it was so damn cheap to buy. Fix the stalling issue and drive it until summer. Work on the AC if money permits when the time comes.

Aaron, I realize that it seems like a simple approach to you, but the fact of the matter is there IS NO MONEY. ZERO. In fact there is negative money. My dad is overdrawn, I have helped him out for several other things as much as I'm able to with money I do not have to give him. I'm taking from my kids to help my parents. Heck, *I* don't even have a car, mine was totaled three weeks ago. 12 years ago when I bought my NSX, I was in really decent financial shape, today I am not even close to decent (and many here lived through the events of 2000-2004 with me and understand why). Right now the back hatch of the minivan will not open at all. It was a Toyota dealership he purchased from, he may be making some progress with them based on the latest email I received, so there is at least some hope.

 

[ediddynsx]

Well one last suggestion I can offer is this.....if they or you have a lot of stuff laying around that they can sell then theres ebay and garage sales.

Also you can always ask for help here.....as in asking for donations for your parents...it doesn't hurt......you can set up a paypal account and see if people are willing to donate 5 bucks, 10 bucks ,20 bucks torwards repairs....or maybe hold a fundraiser....car wash?, dinner?, I am just trying to throw out suggestions......

I am willing to put in a little money if you like........but thats just me.

 

[robr]

Well one last suggestion I can offer is this.....if they or you have a lot of stuff laying around that they can sell then theres ebay and garage sales.

Also you can always ask for help here.....as in asking for donations for your parents...it doesn't hurt......you can set up a paypal account and see if people are willing to donate 5 bucks, 10 bucks ,20 bucks torwards repairs....or maybe hold a fundraiser....car wash?, dinner?, I am just trying to throw out suggestions......

I am willing to put in a little money if you like........but thats just me.

That's extremely generous of you, and I really appreciate the offer, but I'm not quite ready to go down that road yet . I have found alternative transportation for them to get to their doctors appointments, the supermarket and pharmacy, so if worst comes to worst they can at least get those things taken care of. I was hoping that someone might be able to say 'Hey, there IS a Florida Lemon Law!' or 'I know those Fidelity chumps, this is what you need to do to get them to cover the repairs'. I'll let you all know how things pan out.

 

[NsXMas]

Aaron, I realize that it seems like a simple approach to you, but the fact of the matter is there IS NO MONEY. ZERO. In fact there is negative money. My dad is overdrawn, I have helped him out for several other things as much as I'm able to with money I do not have to give him. I'm taking from my kids to help my parents. Heck, *I* don't even have a car, mine was totaled three weeks ago. 12 years ago when I bought my NSX, I was in really decent financial shape, today I am not even close to decent (and many here lived through the events of 2000-2004 with me and understand why). Right now the back hatch of the minivan will not open at all. It was a Toyota dealership he purchased from, he may be making some progress with them based on the latest email I received, so there is at least some hope.

Wow were you hurt in the accident?

I was driving my NSX yesterday, and almost got serious hurt or killed thanks to a lady who slammed on her brakes on her SUV and missed my NSX by a couple of feet at a stop light. Damn lady wasn't paying attention, and screeched to a stop into the middle of the intersection!!

 

[robr]

Wow were you hurt in the accident?

I was driving my NSX yesterday, and almost got serious hurt or killed thanks to a lady who slammed on her brakes on her SUV and missed my NSX by a couple of feet at a stop light. Damn lady wasn't paying attention, and screeched to a stop into the middle of the intersection!!

I was lucky, walked away without a scratch (though my right arm has been going numb all the time now from shoulder into my thumb and pointer finger).

Got rear ended by a Yukon doing 40-50 while I was at a stop.

 

[Aaron94T]

Aaron, I realize that it seems like a simple approach to you, but the fact of the matter is there IS NO MONEY. ZERO. In fact there is negative money. My dad is overdrawn, I have helped him out for several other things as much as I'm able to with money I do not have to give him. I'm taking from my kids to help my parents. Heck, *I* don't even have a car, mine was totaled three weeks ago. 12 years ago when I bought my NSX, I was in really decent financial shape, today I am not even close to decent (and many here lived through the events of 2000-2004 with me and understand why). Right now the back hatch of the minivan will not open at all. It was a Toyota dealership he purchased from, he may be making some progress with them based on the latest email I received, so there is at least some hope.

Sorry, I was not trying to oversimply the problem. My only points were that dealers charge more than private shops and not all of the $2700 is necessary. I never go to a dealer for repair work unless it is under warrenty. In fact I try to do all my own work if it does not involve removing the engine.

The fact that the dealer might do right by him is great news. Are you sure the warranty company you are referring to is not US Fidelis? I see commercials for them all the time but have had no personal experience with them. I have used Warranty Direct and they offer great service. There is a mileage and year cutoff however.

 

[NsXMas]

I was lucky, walked away without a scratch (though my right arm has been going numb all the time now from shoulder into my thumb and pointer finger).

Got rear ended by a Yukon doing 40-50 while I was at a stop.

Damn...I hope the other driver and their insurance company will be paying up the wazooo for pain / suffering.

 

[HTN]

Similiar incident with my folks a few years back.
They bought a POS from a friend. Dad keeps spending money fixing it. He called me up one day asking for some financial help. Yes... to fix the crappy car they bought. I was more upset with the fact that they made poor decisions financially and comes back to me for help. Fortunately I was able to buy him a new car. I asked him to never make these decisions again without talking it over with me. Needless to say they still make poor financial decisions today without consulting with me.

Sorry that I cannot offer any useful tips to help. Perhaps you should let them deal with this on their own. It seems to be a deeper problem than just a car issue.

 

[sahtt]

Similiar incident with my folks a few years back.
They bought a POS from a friend. Dad keeps spending money fixing it. He called me up one day asking for some financial help. Yes... to fix the crappy car they bought. I was more upset with the fact that they made poor decisions financially and comes back to me for help. Fortunately I was able to buy him a new car. I asked him to never make these decisions again without talking it over with me. Needless to say they still make poor financial decisions today without consulting with me.

Sorry that I cannot offer any useful tips to help. Perhaps you should let them deal with this on their own. It seems to be a deeper problem than just a car issue.

Exactly, more often than not the helper is just an enabler with good intentions.

 

[robr]

Sorry that I cannot offer any useful tips to help. Perhaps you should let them deal with this on their own. It seems to be a deeper problem than just a car issue.

You are of course 100% correct. It's a pattern that's occurred as long as I've been alive. And it's one I used to follow as well, it took me a very long time to learn how to manage money. I'm still not great at it, but I'm glad I learned early enough that at least my kids don't have to go through what I did as a kid. My dad is very smart and very logical, but he spends emotionally. I've tried to help, but it's of no use, he's going to do what he does until he dies. So I've accepted that there is not going to be change, all I can do is try to help the next time there is a crisis, I'm just not in a position to help with $$$. It's sad, but they're my parents, you know? I have a very small family, and other than my wife and kids and one brother, they're really all I have.

 

[HTN]

Hey Rob.
Hope the folks found some relief by now. If not, perhaps they should pick up a part time job this Holiday season. I know that many companies are hiring seasonal workers. Just a thought.

BTW... I know exactly what you are going through. I am in the same boat. It's very hurtful to sit back and see your love ones suffer.

 

[robr]

Hey Rob.
Hope the folks found some relief by now. If not, perhaps they should pick up a part time job this Holiday season. I know that many companies are hiring seasonal workers. Just a thought.

BTW... I know exactly what you are going through. I am in the same boat. It's very hurtful to sit back and see your love ones suffer.

I'm waiting for an update, but it sounds like the dealer has agreed to reimburse them the cost of fixing the cam thingy and my dad had that done yesterday.

My dad did have a part time job cleaning the golf carts at the course in his condo complex, but both my parents can barely walk, they can't climb stairs, they can't stand for long periods of time. My dad's doctor told him he wants him on a walker but he refuses. He has at least been trying to be creative by selling hats and tshirts online for a few bucks. They're both on disability though, my mom was in a near fatal car crash many years back and has a lot of artificial bones that have deteriorated over time. It sucks to get old, I hope I'm like the guy I work with that's in his 70s and he's out there riding his bike and walking every day at lunch.