• FreeAdvice has a new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, effective May 25, 2018.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our Terms of Service and use of cookies.

Used car purchased from a private seller out of state

Accident - Bankruptcy - Criminal Law / DUI - Business - Consumer - Employment - Family - Immigration - Real Estate - Tax - Traffic - Wills   Please click a topic or scroll down for more.



Shawmaris1

Junior Member
Massachusetts
On 10/8 i put a down payment on a car in Nh for $640. The deal was the seller would hold the vehicle until i came up with the remaining balance by 11/3 ($1950 total). In addition to holding this vehicle for me they agreed to cover any damages that may occur while the vehicle remained in their possession. On 10/27 i gave the remaing balance of $1310. He informed me that in addition to replacing the windshield, he also had the brakes changed. As i drove the car home from Manchester,nh i noticed there was a grinding sound. But since he had the brakes changed i assumed that maybe it was the rotors. I drove the car from Manchester,nh to Fitchburg ma, leominster,ma, and Gardner,ma (where i reside) within 3hrs if purchase. I made a stop at my job in Gardner before heading home. As i was about to head home, i noticed i couldnt stop the vehicle from moving and had to crash the car into a rock wall to keep from rolling into traffic. I was able to reverse the car into the parking area of my job, but the E-brake wasnt good to stop the vehicle, so i had to rely upon the natural foundation of my workplace property to keep my vehicle from moving. I informed the seller of the inconvenience and they offered to have their mechanic fix the problem if i could find a way to bring the vehicle back to nh. The next day i managed to find the source of the problem and the part costed me less than 20 bucks, but i need a mechanic to finish the job. I asked if could be reimbursed after i get the car seen by a mechanic near me since i could not afford to tow the car back to nh. He refused, stating he did not want to pay $80/$90/$100+parts to someone when he could get his mechanic to do the job for $20. He again repeated if i could find a way back to nh with the car, his mechanic would fix it for free. It doesnt seem practical to me. Im carless until i get paid on 11/10 and thats if im able to get the car fixed after i pay rent and other bills. Am i able to take legal action or am i stuck with the Bill?
 

Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
If you can't afford $100 now, then it's very unlikely you have the resources to pursue any legal action.
 

HighwayMan

Super Secret Senior Member
So what was this mystery $20 part which caused your entire brake system to fail?

YOU managed to diagnose a problem with your brakes and you are sure that you found it? Maybe it's just me, but that doesn't sound very believable.
 

Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
So what was this mystery $20 part which caused your entire brake system to fail?

YOU managed to diagnose a problem with your brakes and you are sure that you found it? Maybe it's just me, but that doesn't sound very believable.
There are some things I can think of that could be bought for around that price that could cause this issue under the right circumstances. I'm not going to say what things those are because I don't want to give the OP any ideas before s/he responds.
 

Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
One other thing I'd like to point out is that the OP drove the vehicle KNOWING there was an issue with the brakes. It's entirely possible that, by doing this, the OP caused a great deal more damage than had s/he stopped immediately to deal with the problem.
 

Shawmaris1

Junior Member
So what was this mystery $20 part which caused your entire brake system to fail?

YOU managed to diagnose a problem with your brakes and you are sure that you found it? Maybe it's just me, but that doesn't sound very believable.
So initially i thought maybe the car needed brake fluid. I empty a big bottle of brake fluid in the car. It did nothing. It went empty. So then i looked around for a leak. I noticed a leak coming from my back passenger tire. Took the tire off to check the brake pads and you can see how all the brake fluid was easily coming out. I dont remember the name of the part. Im not familiar with it, and i know a little bit about cars. Its some kind of cylinder thats suppose to hold the brake fluid or something like that. I took a picture and showed it to a guy at autozone.
 

Shawmaris1

Junior Member
One other thing I'd like to point out is that the OP drove the vehicle KNOWING there was an issue with the brakes. It's entirely possible that, by doing this, the OP caused a great deal more damage than had s/he stopped immediately to deal with the problem.
Its the rear wheel cylinder that was leaking my brake fluid.
 

Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
Its the rear wheel cylinder that was leaking my brake fluid.
You've got more than $20 worth of parts to deal with if the fluid leaked out of the brake calipers. You also have a problem in that the caliper could have been fine when you got the car and then gave out catastrophically. Brake calipers aren't changed when a brake job is done.
 

HighwayMan

Super Secret Senior Member
A leaking wheel cylinder doesn't cause a grinding noise when applying the brakes as far as I know.
 

Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
A leaking wheel cylinder doesn't cause a grinding noise when applying the brakes as far as I know.
Agreed - but it was the caliper piston, not the wheel cylinder. That doesn't change what you stated, just the part that failed.
 

Find the Right Lawyer for Your Legal Issue!

Fast, Free, and Confidential
data-ad-format="auto">
Top