I bought a 2002 Acura RSX from Legend Auto (in Dallas TX) and they told me the car had come from NJ, never been in a wreck, and it only had 40,000 mi. on it. I checked the Carfax and it was all good. I spent $14,000 on it. 3 months later my two back tires blew out. After I got new tires, the wheels couldn't be aligned because the frame was bent! I took the car to a mechanic and he said it had obviously been totaled (not so obvious to me!). So I hired a lawyer and paid him$1,000. That was a year and a half ago. He never returned my calls and his office is never open. Should I just spend the money to fix the car, or try to find another lawyer?
2006-12-03 23:44:54 · 13 answers · asked by Lauren 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Buying & Selling
You bought the car almost two years ago. You did not have it checked out by your own mechanic prior to purchase. Three months after you bought the car (most likely well after the warranty expired) you had a problem with the two tires blowing out? Did you hit something? It is would be very rare that two tires would blow out at the same time.
You say yourself that you had a carfax check done, and at the time of purchase, there was no indication that anything was wrong.
Rather than paying to have the car repaired, you hired a lawyer, who you now say will not return your calls. Has the car been off the road for all this time?
There are two issues here. The first is the car, which you need to get fixed. Do you have any proof that the dealer knew that the car had been a total loss. Do you even have any proof, other than the one mechanic's comment, that there was body work done to the car, and it was not done properly? It is well out of warranty, and unless you can prove that the dealer knew of the problem, you will have to pay to fix the car yourself.
The second issue is the lawyer that took your money and has not provided a service. File a complaint with your local Bar Association! They will help you get the money back if possible and it should not cost you anything else!
2006-12-04 01:27:28 · answer #1 · answered by fire4511 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
First off, file a complaint with the state bar association about that lawyer's conduct.
Now, pull another CarFax report and see if something shows up on it now. If the writeoff does show up now, contact CarFax about filing a claim with them. Make sure you have your original CarFax report and the receipt for payment.
As you now know, a CarFax report is only part of the due dilligence work when buying a used car. You need to get an independant inspection as well. If the frame is obviously bent now, it would have been obviously bent when you bought the vehicle.
By the way, a bent frame does NOT mean that the vehicle had been totalled, only that it was involved in an accident. That kind of thing may not show up in CarFax if it wasn't totalled. A high-dollar vehicle such as an Accura would need a pretty hard hit to be a write-off.
2006-12-04 11:09:23 · answer #2 · answered by Bostonian In MO 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Its unfortunate that the vehicle you bought was in a wreck. Its also unfortunate that the dealer didn't tell you, or didn't know himself.
Ask yourself this: If you were involved in an accident with a vehicle that you owned, then had it repaired at a reputable body shop, and never had another worry about it. Do you tell your salesman about the accident when you trade it in?
If you sell it yourself, do you tell the prospective owner about the accident, or do you let it "slip your mind" because, it was repaired correctly?
Answer that for yourself, then rationalize how this could happen to someone who bought a car off a lot?
Also, a CARFAX report only indicated if a vehicles title has been registered as SALVAGE or a TOTAL LOSS. Not wether or not it has been in an accident.
Also, did you go back to the original dealer and talk to them about the bent frame? Did the offer to help? Did they say "sorry you're on your own?" what?
2006-12-04 08:25:24 · answer #3 · answered by glenspot 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You do have recourse against the dealer and your lawyer. Report the lawyer to the state bar and the dealer to your Department of Motor Vehicles. Just because you bought the car "As-Is", the dealer has a responsibility to disclose the history of the vehicle that they knew or should have known. A bent frame has to be disclosed, and, since car dealers are experts, it is reasonable to assume that they should have known the frame was bent. Also, I would hire a real lawyer; there are ones that specialize in automobile dealership. They know how to research the history of the car and if it was really ever totalled.
Good luck.
2006-12-04 11:18:04 · answer #4 · answered by Confused 3 · 2⤊ 2⤋
get another mechanic - you should always be able to align - if it had been totaled your title would show that. it is possible it has been in a wreck but most used cars have been - you bought it as is. just fix the car or trade it in if you don't care for it any more
2006-12-04 12:06:30 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Report it to consumer affairs. Then report the lawyer to the ethics board that regulates attorneys. If you can't get any satisfaction thru them, have another attorney and sue the first attny. If the title of you car doesn't specify that it's a rebuilder (Totaled) or if you don't have proof that they said it was never totaled, I'd at least take them to small claims court and try to get some of my money back. Good luck.
2006-12-04 07:56:46 · answer #6 · answered by Cal 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
How do you know a used car salesman is lying? His lips are moving.
It doesn't matter what a used car salesman says, it matters what's on the paper that you sign. If it says "as is" it doesn't matter if he said it was only driven by a little old lady on sundays or it was driven hard and put up wet by an 18 yo idiot.
You have no recourse that I know of, unless the car was actually totalled by an insurance company, then, you "might" be able to get by your purchase price back, but not the cost of any improvements or repairs. In Florida it is a law that you must be informed if a vehicle was "totalled" or "salvaged". In fact, in Floria the VIN is changed to reflect that.
As for the lawyer, report him to the bar. It's that simple.
Oh, and as for Carfax...They SUCK!
My car has been in 3 bad wrecks, I know because I was driving it, none of them show up on a Carfax.
2006-12-04 07:58:49 · answer #7 · answered by timc_fla 5 · 0⤊ 5⤋
I'm sure that a city as bigas Dallas has a television station that would love to see LEGEND AUTO squirm on camera. It's time to boost the TV stations ratings by calling in their CONSUMER PROTECTOR local news guy.
Call the big TV stations and speak politely. No swearing. You do not want to come across as some HICK who couldn't make a good decision. YOU were cheated by USED CAR guys. Few will take their side, especially if the story in on camera.
2006-12-04 07:50:51 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 3⤋
Check your contract with the dealer. It is against the law for them to sell you the car without them notifying you of the accident. The best advocate you have is the DMV. The DMV takes all reports against dealers seriously. And yes, you should get another lawyer.
2006-12-05 18:58:45 · answer #9 · answered by PATRICK M 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Good luck with trying to sue an attorney.
Just fix the dam car.
Don't buy any more cars from out of state.
2006-12-04 09:02:43 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋