You know that car we bought

[ElizabethBennet]

on WEDNESDAY?

Ya, it's already broken down.

From what H can tell, it's the water pump. He is called the dealership and they said if the pump was included in the inspection then they'll fix it, if not we're on our own.

I think they need to fix it regardless. We have had this car a grand total of 3 days.

[ElizabethBennet]

H says no. I wasn't there when he bought it.

[sparkythelawyer]

Lemon Law?

[Glitter Tits]

That is ridiculous. 3 days and they aren't going to fix it if it's not on the inspection list? That's bad for business. I'm sorry. That really stinks.

[ElizabethBennet]

It's a used BMW, 1999 so it's old. I'm looking at the lemon law now.

I'm pretty sure they're going to tell us they can't fix it, but I'm trying to see if they can legally do that.

ETA: It was bought at a BMW dealership.

[Captain Serious]

This same thing happened to us, and because we bought the car as is, the dealer tried to get out of paying. I told them there was no way they didn't know, which meant they misrepresented the condition of the car to us, and there fore they had to pay for it (or take the car back) under the lemon law. They agreed to pay for it.

[ElizabethBennet]

Aug 17, 2013 11:36:09 GMT -5 Captain Serious said:

This same thing happened to us, and because we bought the car as is, the dealer tried to get out of paying. I told them there was no way they didn't know, which meant they misrepresented the condition of the car to us, and there fore they had to pay for it (or take the car back) under the lemon law. They agreed to pay for it.

This is where I am. The water pump is rusted according to H. I feel like that should have at least been mentioned when the contract was being drawn up.

[thejen626]

My DH runs a car dealership. In this instance, he is under no obligation to fix it. If the customers are nice and polite, he will gladly pay for the repair. But if they are rude or start threatening, being assholes, etc, he won't fix it for them. So be nice when you call!

I have to ask...you buy a 14-15 year old bmw and expect it to be in good condition? Honestly? You're going to be pouring money into that thing until you sell it. My BFF drives a 2003 Toyota that she bought new, and it barely passes DEQ and requires all kinds of fixes. Good luck with your Beemer!

[ElizabethBennet]

Aug 17, 2013 11:42:32 GMT -5 thejen626 said:

My DH runs a car dealership. In this instance, he is under no obligation to fix it. If the customers are nice and polite, he will gladly pay for the repair. But if they are rude or start threatening, being assholes, etc, he won fix it for them. So be nice when you call!

I have to ask...you buy a 14-15 year old bmw and expect it to be in good condition? Honestly? You're going to be pouring money into that thing until you sell it. My BFF drives a 2003 Toyota that she bought new, and it barely passes DEQ and requires all kinds of fixes. Good luck with your Beemer!

Really? How is this at all helpful?

Yes, we KNOW that we will be putting money in this thing. We did not expect to this car to never have any problems. However, we have had the car for THREE DAYS. I think it's reasonable to expect that we are not needing to repair the car after 3 days when they TOLD us that it was in good running condition and everything that needed replacing was replaced.

They ignored a rusted water pump. They also delivered the car to us. They drove 60+ miles. The water pump went out and caused two separate belts to snap after us driving it, maybe, 10 miles. There must have been something going on on the drive over here.

[melindafelinda]

Aug 17, 2013 11:42:32 GMT -5 thejen626 said:

My DH runs a car dealership. In this instance, he is under no obligation to fix it. If the customers are nice and polite, he will gladly pay for the repair. But if they are rude or start threatening, being assholes, etc, he won't fix it for them. So be nice when you call!

I have to ask...you buy a 14-15 year old bmw and expect it to be in good condition? Honestly? You're going to be pouring money into that thing until you sell it. My BFF drives a 2003 Toyota that she bought new, and it barely passes DEQ and requires all kinds of fixes. Good luck with your Beemer!

Does your face always look like you tasted something sour?

[Jalapeñomel]

Did you have it inspected by their mechanics or yours? Do you have the inspection in writing?

How does a mechanic miss a rusty piece? I'd be pissed.

[zelda25]

Aug 17, 2013 11:42:32 GMT -5 thejen626 said:

My DH runs a car dealership. In this instance, he is under no obligation to fix it. If the customers are nice and polite, he will gladly pay for the repair. But if they are rude or start threatening, being assholes, etc, he won't fix it for them. So be nice when you call!

I have to ask...you buy a 14-15 year old bmw and expect it to be in good condition? Honestly? You're going to be pouring money into that thing until you sell it. My BFF drives a 2003 Toyota that she bought new, and it barely passes DEQ and requires all kinds of fixes. Good luck with your Beemer!

Ah, of course. We should stop demonizing the poor used car dealer--he's the real victim.
*app eyeroll*

Sent from the infernal device.

[thejen626]

Aug 17, 2013 11:49:09 GMT -5 ElizabethBennet said:

Aug 17, 2013 11:42:32 GMT -5 thejen626 said:

My DH runs a car dealership. In this instance, he is under no obligation to fix it. If the customers are nice and polite, he will gladly pay for the repair. But if they are rude or start threatening, being assholes, etc, he won fix it for them. So be nice when you call!

I have to ask...you buy a 14-15 year old bmw and expect it to be in good condition? Honestly? You're going to be pouring money into that thing until you sell it. My BFF drives a 2003 Toyota that she bought new, and it barely passes DEQ and requires all kinds of fixes. Good luck with your Beemer!

Really? How is this at all helpful?

Yes, we KNOW that we will be putting money in this thing. We did not expect to this car to never have any problems. However, we have had the car for THREE DAYS. I think it's reasonable to expect that we are not needing to repair the car after 3 days when they TOLD us that it was in good running condition and everything that needed replacing was replaced.

They ignored a rusted water pump. They also delivered the car to us. They drove 60+ miles. The water pump went out and caused two separate belts to snap after us driving it, maybe, 10 miles. There must have been something going on on the drive over here.

Look, I've bought used cars. I get it. It sucks when they break. That's why you buy a warranty. I just can't believe that you would buy a brand that is notorious for breaking and being expensive to fix, and a 14 year old car at this point, and then be flabbergasted that it broke. I bought a ~7 year old Honda many years ago, and something was wrong with it, we couldn't figure out what it was, and spent a ton of money fixing it. We basically replaced the whole engine. It ended up being a $20 ignition switch.

So 3 days is too soon to break. When is it ok to break? 10 days? A month? 6 months? When you buy a used car, especially an older model, I think this comes with the territory.

Did your DH look at the engine before he bought it? Did he have his mechanic look at it?

[ElizabethBennet]

Aug 17, 2013 11:59:48 GMT -5 thejen626 said:

Aug 17, 2013 11:49:09 GMT -5 ElizabethBennet said:

Really? How is this at all helpful?

Yes, we KNOW that we will be putting money in this thing. We did not expect to this car to never have any problems. However, we have had the car for THREE DAYS. I think it's reasonable to expect that we are not needing to repair the car after 3 days when they TOLD us that it was in good running condition and everything that needed replacing was replaced.

They ignored a rusted water pump. They also delivered the car to us. They drove 60+ miles. The water pump went out and caused two separate belts to snap after us driving it, maybe, 10 miles. There must have been something going on on the drive over here.

Look, I've bought used cars. I get it. It sucks when they break. That's why you buy a warranty. I just can't believe that you would buy a brand that is notorious for breaking and being expensive to fix, and a 14 year old car at this point, and then be flabbergasted that it broke. I bought a ~7 year old Honda many years ago, and something was wrong with it, we couldn't figure out what it was, and spent a ton of money fixing it. We basically replaced the whole engine. It ended up being a $20 ignition switch.

So 3 days is too soon to break. When is it ok to break? 10 days? A month? 6 months? When you buy a used car, especially an older model, I think this comes with the territory.

Did your DH look at the engine before he bought it? Did he have his mechanic look at it?

I'm not even bothering.

[thejen626]

I'm not trying to be a bitch and I'm sorry if I'm coming across that way.

Like I said, good luck getting your car fixed. Also, if they won't pay the full repair, ask them to pay 1/2. Or ask if it's too late now to buy a warranty to cover additional repairs.

[Deleted]

This happened to me with a car I bought a few years ago. Two days after I bought it, it was in the shop getting a new water pump. The dealer refused to pay for it because I purchased it as-is.

[Deleted]

I was sort of thinking what Jen said (and biting my tongue, though apparently not successfully). I understand being upset, but buying a 14 y/old BMW without having your own mechanic inspect it first is asking for trouble.

[weelass24]

Because a warranty on a 99 BWM is totally worth the expense. <eyeroll>

What state do you live in?

[gretchenindisguise]

A co-worker bought a bmw of a similar age off craigslist without a mechanic clearing it first. He's spends more each month on repairs than if he had bought new and had a car payment. He would never do it again.

[thejen626]

Aug 17, 2013 12:25:34 GMT -5 weelass24 said:

Because a warranty on a 99 BWM is totally worth the expense. <eyeroll>

What state do you live in?

For a car that will be in the shop constantly? How is that not worth the expense?

[weelass24]

Aug 17, 2013 12:26:52 GMT -5 thejen626 said:

Aug 17, 2013 12:25:34 GMT -5 weelass24 said:

Because a warranty on a 99 BWM is totally worth the expense. <eyeroll>

What state do you live in?

For a car that will be in the shop constantly? How is that not worth the expense?

Do you have any idea what a warranty for that car would cost?  About $3K, likely more depending on the miles.  Which is probably just under what the car is worth. 

So, yeah, not worth it.

[Jalapeñomel]

Aug 17, 2013 12:25:34 GMT -5 weelass24 said:

Because a warranty on a 99 BWM is totally worth the expense. <eyeroll>

What state do you live in?

Well it sorta seems like it is, considering it's in the shop already.

[thejen626]

Aug 17, 2013 12:29:28 GMT -5 weelass24 said:

Aug 17, 2013 12:26:52 GMT -5 thejen626 said:

For a car that will be in the shop constantly? How is that not worth the expense?

Do you have any idea what a warranty for that car would cost?  About $3K, likely more depending on the miles.  Which is probably just under what the car is worth. 

So, yeah, not worth it.

Yes, and I'm curious how much they will spend on repairs in the next 2 years if they keep the car. At least a warranty is a fixed expense that they can budget for, instead of pricey mechanic bills every month. I'm just saying, might be a good idea on such an old needy vehicle that is expensive to repair.

[ElizabethBennet]

We live in Ca. Look guys, we did buy this car just to have something to go from point A to point B. we never expected to take this on long drives or for it to last forever with no repairs. We know full well what were getting into.

However, when we are told buy the dealership that everything has been replaced I think it's reasonable to expect that we're able to drive the car more than 10 miles before it needs something replaced. A rusted part should have been taken care of. It would have been on thing if it was mentioned in the contract that the water pump would need to be replaced soon, but it wasn't.

To answer some questions I missed:

Yes, H looked under to good before purchasing. The part that needs replaced is under something else that requires tools for removal.

No, we didn't have out own mechanic look at it. This was immensely stupid on our part, I realize that. We do not have a mechanic out here yet as we haven't needed one and have been in this area less than a year. We will be asking around for recommendations for a good mechanic ASAP.

Yes, the car was inspected by the dealership's mechanics and H was specifically told that everything was in working order and they replaced everything that needed replacing. Rust doesn't magically appear after 3 days and less than 10 miles of driving.

[gretchenindisguise]

btw - I agree with you @elizabethbenning - if it was inspected by the dealership - and they missed a rusted out part - they need to pay for it.

I would be raising hell until they did. I would start off nice, but the more push back I got from the dealership - the more hell I would raise.

Coworker did his deal off craigslist - I'd expect a lot more responsibility from a dealership.

[ElizabethBennet]

And FWIW.

We have the carfax on the car. It has had one owner and was well maintained.

We did not buy this car from a shady, street corner used car lot.

[ElizabethBennet]

And for all you saying we weren't expecting to put money in this car, I'd like you to point out where I said that.

[panamajane]

I've had a BMW. Whatever you were planning on spending on repairs, triple it. At least.

[thejen626]

Please update with what the dealership says. I'm hoping that they'll fix it for you or pay 1/2 of the cost.

When you call the dealership ask to speak with the "desk guy", he is the one that will have the authority to fix it. Don't waste your time with a salesman. Then go up the chain from there if needed.

[ElizabethBennet]

And thanks for all the advice guys.

H is going to ask them to purchase the parts because it is a repair that he can do himself. Hopefully they'll go for that over having to tow the vehicle to the dealership an paying for labor in addition to the parts.