how do you dispute claim for a car you have to let be repossessed due to incapacity

What is the name of your state? Arizona

In 1998 I was financed for a car. A couple years into the payments (don't think this specifically qualifies as a lemon but was unsure where to post) the head gasket had to be replaced, I paid $1,200. Then less than six months later it went out again, the shop I took it to showed me a piston (? I think thats what its called) from my car and compared it to what it should look like had the previous mechanic fixed it properly. It looked like I would have stood a good chance in small claims court had I been able to pay another $1,200 to have it fixed again & keep paying $300 a month payments (while I saved up the $1200) until it went to court.
I am now trying to get another vehicle financed and I was advised to dispute (fight) this past claim. I have no idea how to go about this or if I even can at this point. Please advise, I'd really appreciate some help.

[DrewfromCA]

So, I will assume it was a used car, either that or you drive so much the warranty expired in 2 years...

Does the mechanic or shop that fixed the car the first time have a guarantee? Did you talk to them about it? I would talk to them and see what they say, but if there are no guarantees, then you may be out of luck. Even if you have some sort of legal recourse(which may or may not be the case), it may mean wasting a lot of time and effort.

Anyway, I hope things work out, and let me give you this advice... New cars are great, they come with a warranty, and are often worth the extra money you pay. And, if you get any work done on a used car, dealerships are good because even though you pay more, they are likely to fix any problems should they arise(at least that has been my experience).

Good luck!

[smorr]

You don't mention how old the car is. I have a 93 Ford that I've been told needs head gaskets. One thing about head gaskets and older cars. Unless the car is in that much need, it is (or would have been) better off not to change the gaskets, unless the car overheats - mine doesn't - not yet, anyway. Getting that deep into an engine can always cause more problems down the road, no matter how good the previous mechanic was or is. Yes, changing the head gaskets most likely will eventually cause more problems - deeper in the engine - like the pistons. They're probably black with carbon - which means you now need piston 'rings' - eventually you'd need valves too (upper part of the engine, but just as important!). At this point - my opinion is the engine is a loss - it would be just as expensive to rebuild it as it would to keep dumping money into fixing one thing at a time. If you can get enough money for a financing on another car, but really like this one more for whatever reason, why not save a few more dollars and just get financing for an engine rebuild?