Negligent Vehicle Inspection

[Anna8080]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? FL

1. Test drove 2010 vehicle. Drove vehicle to get pre purchase inspection.

2. Purchased (pre purchase) complete vehicle inspection from Firestone location (A). Vehicle passed inspection with "no symptoms" notated on the service invoice. Service advisor stated that the car was in good shape for the milage. I have a witness.

3. I purchased vehicle based on the positive inspection results and my visual inspection. I am not an automotive expert. A warranty was not available form dealer. Purchase price $5000

4. Within a few days I incurred major issues with the vehicle.

5. I then took the vehicle to a different Firestone location (B). I did not mention I purchased the vehicle and I asked for a pre purchase inspection. Same inspection as the first.

6. The results from the 2nd inspection were extremely negative with $3000 in repairs. I was advise to not consider purchasing the vehicle due to the severity of repairs.

Results

1. Left Lower Control Arm Joint
2. Right & Left Tire Rods
3. Shocks and Struts
4. Cooling System Hoses
5. Alignment
6. Dirty fluids – Oil Change
7. Tire sensors missing
8. Extensive Rust​

Do I have a case for a lawyer or small claims?
Can I take a franchised / corporation to small claims?
Do I have Cause of Action since there were blatant misses of repairs?
Do I contact Firestone first with Letter of Demand? Those are expensive.

Any direction would be appreciated. Thanks for reading.

 

[adjusterjack]

Do I have a case for a lawyer or small claims?

Whether you have a case or not depends on whether or not there were any guarantees, warranties, or disclaimers in the paperwork you got with the first inspection.

Whether you hire a lawyer or handle it yourself in small claims is entirely up to you.

Can I take a franchised / corporation to small claims?

Yes.

Do I have Cause of Action since there were blatant misses of repairs?

Again, whether you have a case or not depends on whether or not there were any guarantees, warranties, or disclaimers in the paperwork you got with the first inspection.

Do I contact Firestone first with Letter of Demand? Those are expensive.

A letter of demand is a good idea. Make sure you send it to the right person. Check your Secretary of State or Corporation Commission websites to determine the owners of their location (franchise or corporate) and address it to the CEO.

Shouldn't cost you anything to write the letter. Your post suggests that you have the ability to express your grievance in writing. No need to pay anybody to do it in "legalese." In fact, you can write it exactly as you've explained it here.

 

[Anna8080]

Hey adjusterjack

Thanks for responding. I wrote a Letter of Demand and received a call back immediately.

As it turns out, the technician did in fact disclose SOME of the issues I am experiencing with the car.

The store manager claimed that information was mishandled and his supervisor did not receive the inspection results. Somehow the results were mishandled from the garage to the front desk within a 60 min time frame. However, the supervisor conducted a walkthrough with me after the inspection. He stated car is in great shape for the mileage, pointed out areas that were in good shape and had a form in his hand at the time. So what inspection results was he reading from, a blank piece of paper?

Store manager offered to repair, free of charge, any major safety repairs and to go over the the 2nd inspection results. He implied, not explicitly, that not all items on the 2nd inspection would be offered free of charge. I am assuming an item such as missing tire sensors $190.

I would not have purchased this vehicle with even half of the issues it has, not to mention a domino effect of repairs I see in my near future.



So the big question is...

Do I accept the offer to repair "some" issues?

Or do I have enough evidence to sue for the purchase value of $5000 in small claims? Would I have to surrender the vehicle?

Or is this a bigger case of negligence and consult with a lawyer? Since the store manager admitted to negligence and mishandling of information that is a major safety concern.

What type of Lawyer do I seek out?


Thanks again for your input.

A