WA lemon law- private party Q.

[Bhealy]

Hello all, recently purchased an 87' Dodge raider SUV (date = 6/2) from a man advertising on craigslist. I had the car inspected by a mechanic beforehand and he said everything was in fine condition for a car with 170k miles on it. What he didn't know was that the engine had extreme wear on the inside (bad ring seals, heavy gouging on surfaces on cylinder head, etc.) that was covered up when I purchased the car. This all warrants a total engine replacement.

The wear and damage was discovered after I purchased the vehicle and wanted the mechanic to look at the engine because I had blue smoke coming from the tailpipe.

The man I purchased the vehicle from had probably attempted to fix the engine himself- so the mechanic tells me, because someone had opened up the engine and left certain items un-tightened and sealed it with improper materials. The mechanic also told me that there were attempts at covering up the damage with stop-smoke type lubricants that mask the signs of faulty piston ring seals. I am positive the man who sold it to me knew of the engine's condition and was trying to pawn it off on someone else without their knowledge. Cost for car= $1,200, cost for repairs will = $2,800

Do I have any rights under WA lemon law, or any grounds for a case in small claims court? I'm a college student, so money is tight, but if it isn't worth wasting my time trying to get money from this scum-bag, please let me know. Thank you.What is the name of your state?

[AnotherMoron]

You realize the car is 21 years old, right? How good of condition did you expect the engine to be in?

It sounds like your mechanic didn't do a thorough inspection.

[racer72]

The lemon law for the state of Washington specifically excludes used vehicles over 2 years old. All sales of used cars in the state are considered "as-is" unless you are given a written warranty. $1200 for a used vehicle like the one you bought sounds about right for something on it's last leg. You have no case.

[Bhealy]

I have a 37 year old car as well, yes I know what to expect. But then again my Dad has a mitsubishi montero with 260k on it. It is all about how you take care of the engine, and one cannot determine how the inside of an engine looks in an hour long inspection.

I didn't expect to have a case, but in the rare instance I did, I thought it would be helpful to know. Thanks for the replies

-Brian

[BL]

Read the original Ad .

Was there any significant misrepresentations ?

That would be your only hope at some compensation , " IF " the sale receipt did not state " AS-IS " .

[racer72]

That would be your only hope at some compensation , " IF " the sale receipt did not state " AS-IS " .

Not relevent in the state of Washington. Did you read my post?

All sales of used cars in the state are considered "as-is" unless you are given a written warranty.

No "as-is" reciept required.