Truck engine bought online - bait and switch??

[terry714_us]

I live in St. Augustine, Florida and I bought a 3.0L engine from an online company based in Jacksonville. The invoice specified a 2001 Mitsubishi Montero engine with 90 days warranty. And the salesman did say that the engines were always Dyno-tested as well as e-mailing me specifying the same. I was also told the engine I was receiving had less than 40,000 miles. This mileage was not in writing. The engine I received had tags on the krate that had info of the vehicle the engine came from with the vin number of the vehicle. When I traced the vin the engine was traced to a 2002 Montero with a mileage of 229, 207 miles. This was later confirmed by the original auctioneer in Wisconsin in an e-mail he replied to.

LONG STORY SHORT..
I bought the engine online and filed a lawsuit in small claims and their attorney wants to change venue to Duval County where the business is established.
They want to ARBITRATE it

I am suing for the full amount of $5,000.00 plus court fee's. This amount will cover removing and replacing with a good engine.

SHOULD I GET A LAWYER AND GO FOR MORE???

 

[cyjeff]

Yes, get an attorney.

By the way, the miles on the car and the miles on the engine are two different things...

After all, when you replace the engine of the vehicle YOU own, the car and the engine will have two different mileages, right?

 

[terry714_us]

Something I should mention...

Well I am assuming that the parts supplier that purchased the whole vehicle from a salvage yard in Wisconsin disected the auto and parted it out. The engine had tags with a description was:
2002 Mitsubishi Montero with 180 day warranty

The invoice was for:
2001 Mitsubishi Montero with 90 day warranty.

I have e-mails promising 65,000 miles but like I said I traced the vin to the original auctioneer who confirms the motor of which the vin has 229,000 miles.

Something I should mention is that my mechanic hhad a concern with the engine when we received it and did not want to install it. He called me, I called the salesman and the salesman called my mechanic and told him the all the engines are dyno-tested, blah, blah and to go ahead and install it.

AND NOW there is a hard knocking at the lower end of the engine (OF WHICH THERE IS NO WAY TO TEST FOR COMPRESSION). And there is also a hard whining sound as if there is no power steering fluid in it. All fluids are good.

 

[racer72]

AND NOW there is a hard knocking at the lower end of the engine (OF WHICH THERE IS NO WAY TO TEST FOR COMPRESSION).

You don't know anything about engines do you? A compression test has nothing to do with the lower end of an engine. A compression test can be done on any engine that turns over, it doesn't even need to be in a vehicle.

 

[terry714_us]

I stand corrected

Actually what I meant by this is that the company told my mechanic that all of their engines are dyno tested and that if he wanted to perform a compression check prior to installation it was completely up to him. BUT THE COMPRESSION TEST WOULD NOT DETECT WHAT THE KNOCK IN THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE WAS COMING FROM. I JUST SIMPLIFIED IT.

 

[Zigner]

So, you received an engine that was LABELED as something different than what you ordered, yet you went ahead and had it installed?

Don't expect to get that labor covered in a court action...

 

[terry714_us]

Yes But....

When my mechanic received the motor he called me telling me that he had concerns. I then called the salesman and he called my mechanic telling him that all of their engines are dyno-tested and that there should not be any problems and to go ahead and install it.

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[Zigner]

When my mechanic received the motor he called me telling me that he had concerns. I then called the salesman and he called my mechanic telling him that all of their engines are dyno-tested and that there should not be any problems and to go ahead and install it.

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Ahh...in that case I'd have to say the following:

So, you received an engine that was LABELED as something different than what you ordered, yet you went ahead and had it installed?

Don't expect to get that labor covered in a court action...