State: Pennsylvania
Bought a car from a private seller. Car is a 1995 Chevrolet Blazer. Transaction completed, with a notary witness, on Monday evening, January 9.
Tuesday, car is hunky-dory, everything is perfect.
Wednesday, start driving car, get stuck in traffic. Suddenly, transmission begins to skip gears. Pull over, tow to mechanic, mechanic tells me I need a new transmission.
Whoa! All of the maintenance for the vehicle was recorded for the past ten years; old owner was the original and sole owner of the car. So, old owner is called. Gives run-around, boyfriend calls back, and says, "well, good luck!"
No Socrates As-Is Addendum was signed. Seller said, "now, I know the rear windshield wiper doesn't work and that the stereo is blown, everything else is fine." Test drive would not have revealed the problem, as issue occurs when transmission is quite warmed up (as sitting in traffic is wont to do).
Kicker: In the maintenance records provided, it shows that the car had a complete transmission flush 2,000 miles prior to sale. Why is this important? Because no mechanic worth his salt will advise for just getting the transmission flushed. A transmission flush, unless routine maintenance (which it was NOT, as no other maintenance was documented on the same date or within the same mileage), is a last-resort step prior to getting the transmission replaced. So, she knew about the transmission issue and simply wanted us out of her hair.
Other minor issues with the car include sway bar problems, as well as the rear drums leaking brake fluid. Color me stupid, here, but this renders the car as unable to pass PA state inspection and therefore renders the sale null-and-void, private seller or huge dealership.
Less than 60 miles were put on the car between the day of sale and the transmission issue. Her boyfriend called us back, and in a very hostile manner told us that, "he doesn't know how we drive, but ..." Right. I put 20K miles on my car within a year; the 20K maintenance said that my transmission is super-duper, and didn't even need the flush that they gave it as routine maintenance.
Should I go to small claims? If necessary, I can contact her mechanic and see the records for this vehicle; in my experience, when a mechanic recommends something, they write it on the carbon-copy log/receipt before filing one copy away and giving the other to the owner.
Bought a car from a private seller. Car is a 1995 Chevrolet Blazer. Transaction completed, with a notary witness, on Monday evening, January 9.
Tuesday, car is hunky-dory, everything is perfect.
Wednesday, start driving car, get stuck in traffic. Suddenly, transmission begins to skip gears. Pull over, tow to mechanic, mechanic tells me I need a new transmission.
Whoa! All of the maintenance for the vehicle was recorded for the past ten years; old owner was the original and sole owner of the car. So, old owner is called. Gives run-around, boyfriend calls back, and says, "well, good luck!"
No Socrates As-Is Addendum was signed. Seller said, "now, I know the rear windshield wiper doesn't work and that the stereo is blown, everything else is fine." Test drive would not have revealed the problem, as issue occurs when transmission is quite warmed up (as sitting in traffic is wont to do).
Kicker: In the maintenance records provided, it shows that the car had a complete transmission flush 2,000 miles prior to sale. Why is this important? Because no mechanic worth his salt will advise for just getting the transmission flushed. A transmission flush, unless routine maintenance (which it was NOT, as no other maintenance was documented on the same date or within the same mileage), is a last-resort step prior to getting the transmission replaced. So, she knew about the transmission issue and simply wanted us out of her hair.
Other minor issues with the car include sway bar problems, as well as the rear drums leaking brake fluid. Color me stupid, here, but this renders the car as unable to pass PA state inspection and therefore renders the sale null-and-void, private seller or huge dealership.
Less than 60 miles were put on the car between the day of sale and the transmission issue. Her boyfriend called us back, and in a very hostile manner told us that, "he doesn't know how we drive, but ..." Right. I put 20K miles on my car within a year; the 20K maintenance said that my transmission is super-duper, and didn't even need the flush that they gave it as routine maintenance.
Should I go to small claims? If necessary, I can contact her mechanic and see the records for this vehicle; in my experience, when a mechanic recommends something, they write it on the carbon-copy log/receipt before filing one copy away and giving the other to the owner.