I recently purchased a 1997 Chevrolet Astro van with 88,000 for $6,755 from Berge Ford in Mesa. The purchase was a fairly pleasant experience, compared to some of the other used car dealers here in the Phoenix area. During the purchase of the vehicle the Sales Manager, Joe, explained that I would receive a 30 day 1,500 mile warranty. I even asked Joe to repeat this, because all other used car dealers in the Phoenix area only include a 15 day 500 mile warranty with their vehicles. But Joe assured me this was standard practice with their dealership. After the sale was complete, Joe folded up all the paper work into this nice little folder and I drove the van home. I never bothered to look at the paperwork, because I had reviewed and read everything twice during the sales transaction.
I drove the vehicle to San Diego over the weekend and had my best friend, who has been an auto mechanic with Kearney Mesa Ford for the past 10 years, take a look at the van. He said everything was fine except for the water pump, which showed signs that it may be going out soon, by intermittently leaking. He said this component which is part of the engine cooling system is definitely covered under the warranty and that I should take it back to the Berg Ford dealership to have it replaced.
After contacting Joe at Berg Ford and explaining my findings to him, he first told me the water pump is not covered under the warranty. I then told Joe that a mechanic with another Ford dealership assured me that this is covered under the warranty. I then asked Joe if I should just keep driving the van until the water pump failed and caused major engine damage, then should I bring the van in. At point Joe informed me, if I had driven the van to San Diego, my 500 mile warranty was probably no longer in effect. I corrected Joe and explained that he told me that I and a 1,500 mile warranty. I looked at my paper work for the first time, and wouldnt you know the warranty paper work was no longer in my folder. Joe the informed me that according to his paper work on the computer I only had a 500 mile warranty. I then told Joe, I really thought they were different from the other car dealers (scam artist), and that I would never do business with Berg Ford again.
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