Engine Trouble 1 Day After Purchase

[taymaesmom]

So angry right now. We bought a 2002 Chrysler Sebring Convertible yesterday and today the oil light is flickering on and off. Dh looks up the problem and found out that this is a common problem and when this happens the engine usually quits completely with in a few months. Ugh, so angry. We do have a limited warranty on the powertrain but I'm afraid they are going to try and keep "fixing" it when it actually needs a new engine. So by the time the car quits the warranty will run out (only 3000 miles).

I feel like I was completely duped at the dealership. We even had our own mechanic look at it and it all seemed fine. The problem is engine sludge that is next to impossible to see until its too late. And this car had the engine completely cleaned and the oil changed before we looked at it so the "sludge" warning signs were all cleaned away.

Not sure what we can do to fix this but in Illinois there is no lemon law on used cars so our money is just gone. All I can do is pray that the car quits before the warranty runs out so they will have to do something for us.

 

[disprincessatheart]

Is there no grace period? Here we have 3 days to cancel a sale on a car as far as I know. Good luck! I had a car that had the same issue for two years. They never could fix it.

 

[Kellydelly]

I would go right back to the dealership on Monday and complain. You won't get any resolution if you don't at least try! Good luck.

 

[MSLRAC]

Is there no grace period? Here we have 3 days to cancel a sale on a car as far as I know. Good luck! I had a car that had the same issue for two years. They never could fix it.

Unless there was fraud or deceit on the part of the dealership, there is no 3 day rescission law that applies to motor vehicle purchases. A buyer can't drive a vehicle for a couple of days and then return it because they have buyer's remorse, decided it doesn't meet their needs or that they can't afford it. Once you purchase the vehicle, it's pretty much yours and you assume responsibility for it.

That said, if you bought it at a reputable dealership, you shouldn't have too much of a problem getting this situation rectified. But you need to decide what you want...do you want to allow the dealership to attempt to fix it or do you want a different vehicle? Once you decide that, contact the sales and service mangers of the dealership. I would do that in person, simply because it's harder for them to avoid you if you are standing there looking at them. Do not be rude or demanding but be firm and stand your ground.

 

[MSLRAC]

I would also add, that not all dealers are shady and out to rip you off. It is very possible that the dealer had no idea that there was anything wrong with the car. I have seen many vehicles go through a full service and multi-point with absolutely no sign of any problem at all. Only to be sold and have an issue before they get out of the lot or within the first few days of ownership. Dealers can only do so much with used vehicles and it really is a leap of faith when you buy one.

 

[Disneybuckeye]

I just wanted to wish you good luck and I hope all turns out welll. Stories like this are why I am hesitant to buy used even if you do save a lot of money. You did everything right and it still may be a problem.

 

[kydisneyfans]

The laws vary by state, some have a 3 day period where the car must be accepted back with a mechanical issue. Most reputable dealers will stand behind their vehicle at least for awhile, the internet has changed things dramatically and their reputation is important to them.

I would take it back Monday and talk to them.

 

[kt_mom]

I agree with the PP about going in and talking to the dealership. But don't go in there ready to go off. Just explain the issue and see what they will do to help you out. You may be pleasantly surprised at how far they are willing to go to make sure you have had a good experience at their dealership. But if you go in angry and demanding you may not get a good response from them.

You mentioned yourself that what you "think" the problem is involves sludge that is difficult to detect until too late. Your own mechanic didn't find it so its possible that the dealership didn't know it was there either.

Purchasing a used car involves some risk as they are going to have more problems. And this is a ten year old car.

 

[MSLRAC]

The laws vary by state, some have a 3 day period where the car must be accepted back with a mechanical issue. Most reputable dealers will stand behind their vehicle at least for awhile, the internet has changed things dramatically and their reputation is important to them.

I would take it back Monday and talk to them.

It is actually a common misconception that vehicles are covered under the 3 day right to rescission laws. The only state that covers vehicles bought at a dealership is CA and it is an option that has to be purchased at the time of sale. Some other states will cover a vehicle that is purchased 'off lot'. Off lot could be an auto shows, trade show, off location tent sale, fair grounds, etc. I work in vehicle finance so I am very familiar with this process.

The cooling off laws mainly come into play with home equity or line of credit loans, mortgage refinancing with a different company and contracts signed in the home.

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

Here is my story................just add it to the list of possibilities---
Bought a 2 year old car with 30k on it. Had a 100k warranty from the factory. It was a certified previously owned vehicle. At 80k the oil light would flicker at idle. They verified a low oil pressure condition. We had changed the oil every 3000 and 5000 miles since we got it.

They took apart the engine and it was clean as a whistle, but many of the internal bearing surfaces has many light scratches on them. Nobody could really put their finger on the root cause, but agreed that we had done nothing wrong while we owned it.

So..........at 80 k we got a new engine from the manufacturer and that one now has an additional 125k on on it. Yes, the car's odometer now reads 205K.

Keep your cool and talk to the dealer in a calm manner. If they have any sort of reputation, they should also be shocked at the situation and should try to fix it.

Remember............their cost for parts and labor is a lot less than what you or I pay.

 

[taymaesmom]

I already tried to contact the salesman but being Sat they were gone for the day. I did get through to the service department, explained the situation and have an appointment for Monday morning to bring the car in. I'm praying that they will help out with the problem.

I knew the risk buying a used car, even went as far as to put a hold on it last week and have it inspected by my brother who is a certified Chrysler mechanic and he saw nothing major. But with engine sludge once you find it, it is too late normally to do anything. Unfortunately for me, I'm out the money. We were looking for a low mileage car for my husband to drive back and forth to work, and this one fit the bill. Thankfully we still have his other car but we are out a large amount of money.

 

[MSLRAC]

I already tried to contact the salesman but being Sat they were gone for the day. I did get through to the service department, explained the situation and have an appointment for Monday morning to bring the car in. I'm praying that they will help out with the problem.

I knew the risk buying a used car, even went as far as to put a hold on it last week and have it inspected by my brother who is a certified Chrysler mechanic and he saw nothing major. But with engine sludge once you find it, it is too late normally to do anything. Unfortunately for me, I'm out the money. We were looking for a low mileage car for my husband to drive back and forth to work, and this one fit the bill. Thankfully we still have his other car but we are out a large amount of money.

Who is backing the warranty? Is it Chrysler or the dealership? If it is the dealership, do you have to have warranty work done at that dealership or can you take it to any authorize Chrysler dealership? If you can take it elsewhere, then do it. Another dealer is not going to lie to you about what is wrong because they have nothing to lose in the matter.

 

[NYEmomma]

I had something similar happen to me with a Mazda3 I bought several years ago. Light came on as we were driving it home but we had closed out the dealership signing all the papers so everyone left as we were leaving. I initially didn't think it was a big deal but after the dealership we bought it from was completely unhelpful, we took it to a Mazda dealership that was closer to us.

Thank god the thing was still under warranty (it was only 2 years old... had around 30k miles on it) because our local Mazda dealer found in the service records that it was a reoccurring problem that no one could figure out & the previous dealers just kept resetting the warning light. They ended up never being able to find the real problem and just replaced the whole engine. It was 3 months from the time that I bought the car that I was actually able to drive it.

 

[msmayor]

Not trying to minimize your problem here, but I think you're overreacting just a tad.

It sounds like the only diagnostic you've done is look something up on the internet, and you're ready to believe you need an entirely new engine. I think you should wait before jumping to any conclusion until you've given the dealership a chance to examine the problem.

It might be a big problem...or it might be a loose wire...or it might be that you're a quart low on oil. Give them a chance to fix it.