To Whom It May Concern: 8/4/08
I am writing this letter due to West Suburban Auto Sales and their practices to sale faulty cars with sever damage to the Engine, Radiator, and Transmission. I understand that the Lemon Law does not work on my behalf, however there has to be something that can be done when consumers are being screwed over and having to pay thousands of dollars for the vehicle itself and thousands of dollars in repairs after five months of making the monthly payments and costly repairs. Here is my story:
On 2/19/08, I purchased a 1993 Ford Tempo Vin #2FAPP3XPB155175 stock # 10140. The cost of the car was $1795.00 leaving the total cost at $2221.88 with 12 payments of 143.49 at an interest rate of 29%. Listed problems of the car are as follows: Headlights, Starter, Bushings, Turn Signal Switch, and the Driver's side door. The replacements all took place on 7/20/08. On 2/22/08, the Serpentine Belt broke twice on the car. Took it back to the dealer on 2/23/08, picked it up and it broke down on the highway the same day. The car would only go as far as 10 miles before it broke down each time. This vehicle had a blown engine; the car had to be towed on 2/23/08, back to the dealer. Once the vehicle got back to the dealer there was no contact from them until I tried to file a complaint with a Lemon Law attorney on 2/25/08.
I had the oil changed at Jiffy Lube on 2/22/08 and found that the oil was very thin, black and full of grit so the mechanic at Jiffy lube told me to take the car back to the dealer and notify them of the severe damage to the engine. I asked for my trade in to be returned to me, which was a 1991 Honda Accord, the sales person Juan Herra told me that I could not have it back because of some kind of tax payment they had to make on the vehicle within 72 hours of the trade in. I took the Tempo back over to the dealer on 2/23/08 for them to check it out in full, picked it up and drove all of 10 miles and the car broke down on the highway. On 2/23/08 the 1993 Ford Tempo was towed back to West Suburban Auto Sales due to a brake down on the road. Once to the tow truck driver got to me on the road he tried starting the vehicle and told me that the engine was out of commission.
On 2/25/08 I was in touch with a Lemon Attorney, who informed me that there was nothing they could do and that he had, had some other complaints about West Suburban Auto Sales and unfortunately because of the cars age he could not do anything to help my situation. I missed several days from work dealing with the horror of this car and the sales person Juan Herra. They never made any further contact with me, I called them on 2/27/08 to find out what they were going to do to fix the situation and Juan Herra told me that he had a 95 Dodge Neon in good condition because the 93 Ford Tempo went to the junk yard due to the engine being out of commission. I picked up the 95 Neon Vin # 1B3ES27C8SD224934 on 2/27/08 and on 3/1/08, (miles recorded 102,424) I took it to Jiffy Lube for a basic oil change and the mechanic told me on that day that the car would need a thermostat soon. I took the car back to the dealer to let them know the finding of the mechanic at Jiffy Lube, and Juan Herra told me that I did not need a thermostat; however I had to keep putting Antifreeze in the radiator. On 4/2/08 the car over heated and I took it back to the dealer, on this day they put a new radiator in it at the tune of $109.00. On 4/23/08, the car over heated again and I had to have it towed and to have a thermostat put on for $75.00 by MC-A Roadrunner and Auto Repair.
On 4/24/08, I went into the dealer to let the car salesman Juan Herra know what happened with all of the things that mechanic at MC-A Roadrunner told me needed to be done to the car, Mr. Herra got angry and told me that the mechanic did not know what he was talking about. On the list of items to be replaced was the ERG valve, O2 Senor, Timing Belt, Valve Cover Gasket (due to oil leak), transmission fluid leak in which the mechanic at the dealership found that the transmission pan had a whole in it, so they torched it to give it a quick fix, and a Tune-up. Mr. Herra and I got into a heated discussion about all of the issues with the car and again I asked for my Honda to be returned to me.
I went in on 5/1/08 to make a payment and the owner had the mechanic look at the car because it was still loosing Antifreeze, I told him at that time that I should not have to keep putting the fluid in the car with a brand new radiator put in on 4/2/08 and a thermostat put in on 4/24/08. I mentioned that it had to be seeping from the radiator cap, because it says right on the top that it should only be professionally removed. So they put a new cap on for free. I had no more antifreeze leaking, however there is still oil leaking due to the Valve Cover Gasket that needs to be put on. I went in to make a payment on 7/11/08 and schedule an appointment for Saturday 7/12/08 for Tune Up and requested at that time that the Valve Cover Gasket be changed, Mr. Herra assured me at that time that it would be done. I dropped the car off at my scheduled appointment on that Saturday morning 7/12/08 for a Tune-up and the Valve Cover Gasket job, I reminded Mr. Herra of the job that had to be done, he then told me that there was no time to do that, even though I had an appointment scheduled for 10:00 AM on that day. Later that day I went to pick the car up and was told that they had put in new Spark Plugs (in which I had already told him that I had the Spark Plugs changes two weeks prior, so they did not need to be changed), Oil Filter, New Wires, and a New Gas Filter, but they do the Valve Cover Gasket.
On Tuesday July 15th I took the car over to Jiffy Lube again (miles recorded 105,910), because I do not trust them and I wanted to be sure for myself. I asked the mechanic at Jiffy Lube to make sure to let me know if any of the items had been replaced. He found that the actual oil filter had not been change on 7/12/08 it was actually the same oil filter that they put on at Jiffy Lube on March 1st. He also found that the Gas Filter had not been changed either. I called Mr. Herra and told him that they had not rendered the services that they charged me for on July 12th and that I was going to stop payment on the check of $120.00. I also found out that day that the transmission would need to be overhauled or replaced because the transmission fluid was burnt and the car is grinding into the 2nd gear, which I knew there was something going on with the transmission because of the way the car shifts.
On 7/21/08, the Front Frame of the car broke, split right down the middle on the drivers' side. I had to have the car towed to Tecno Tek Inc. And repaired at the cost of $490.00. When I went to pick the car up, the mechanic gave me the same news that the mechanic at Jiffy Lube had given me on 7/14/08; which was that the car would need a overhaul or replaced transmission. He gave me an estimate of $1200.00. On Monday 7/28/08, I took the car to Precision Transmission for inspection and they found the same issue with the Transmission as every other mechanic did. The estimate was $1100.00 to $1300.00.
The car has balance of $1577.50 still owed on it. I was charged a 29% interest rate for a total cost of 2565.00 totaling 3,226.50 with 18 payments of 143.50. Not to mention, still having to make engine repairs at the estimated cost of $500.00. I have done all that I can do to keep it up and running, I know that I signed a contract, however I can't see how any of this is fair to me to have to continue to deal with West Suburban Auto Sale or any of it's personnel. These people are business to take the consumers money and give an unfair deal. Each time the car is down I have had to take time off my job. I have attached the CARFAX information on the 1995 Dodge Neon, and the miles alone do not match any information that I have in procession.
I am asking that a resolution would be that they either make the repairs free of charge with inspection of their work by a mechanic of my own choosing, consider the vehicle paid for so that I can afford to make the repairs myself, or that I be reimbursed for all major maintenance to the vehicle. My suggestion is that all car lots be federal or state mandated to produce a CARFAX report, because people like me go innocent to car lots not knowing what to expect, however; expecting that the dealer is not out to give you a bad deal.
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