What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Virginia
I'm a resident in Virginia and bought a used car from a private seller. The seller assured me the car is in excellent condition and recently had an oil change.I asked if there were any problems or issues recently worked on and seller said no. I hadn't drove it a couple days after the purchase and when I went to get inspection and emission done, the warning lights for brake and abs turned on (it was not there during the test drive and when i drove the car home). I brought the car to a mechanic and he compiled a list of issues: valve leak, oil pan gasket leak, power steering and hose leak, two front seats were broken and can't move, abs need control module. The mechanic was also unable to connect the car to his computer system to do a thorough check and suggested something was done to the car that prevented this. I contacted the seller about these issues and seller denied knowing them and insisted they do not exist, saying she adjusted the seats fine. Seller also said that I shouldn't trust my mechanic because hers said the car was in great condition. I send over the invoice of the issues and seller said they weren't important. She then told me that the brake and abs warning lights were always there and just needed to be reset and nothing was wrong. However, my mechanic told me the abs problem is a safety concern. I'm trying to figure out if there's any action I can take since I can't afford to fix the car (would cost more than the price I paid for the vehicle) and really need transportation for work and school. I can't buy another car and do not want to sell this to someone else who will encounter the same problems. Thank you for the help!
I'm a resident in Virginia and bought a used car from a private seller. The seller assured me the car is in excellent condition and recently had an oil change.I asked if there were any problems or issues recently worked on and seller said no. I hadn't drove it a couple days after the purchase and when I went to get inspection and emission done, the warning lights for brake and abs turned on (it was not there during the test drive and when i drove the car home). I brought the car to a mechanic and he compiled a list of issues: valve leak, oil pan gasket leak, power steering and hose leak, two front seats were broken and can't move, abs need control module. The mechanic was also unable to connect the car to his computer system to do a thorough check and suggested something was done to the car that prevented this. I contacted the seller about these issues and seller denied knowing them and insisted they do not exist, saying she adjusted the seats fine. Seller also said that I shouldn't trust my mechanic because hers said the car was in great condition. I send over the invoice of the issues and seller said they weren't important. She then told me that the brake and abs warning lights were always there and just needed to be reset and nothing was wrong. However, my mechanic told me the abs problem is a safety concern. I'm trying to figure out if there's any action I can take since I can't afford to fix the car (would cost more than the price I paid for the vehicle) and really need transportation for work and school. I can't buy another car and do not want to sell this to someone else who will encounter the same problems. Thank you for the help!
