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A MOTHER and son bought a used SUV for $17,000 – they could have discovered the prior condition of the vehicle from home.
After buying the vehicle under a certain legal condition, a lawyer said there wasn’t much they could do.
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Moise Nshizirungu and his mom bought a 2018 Nissan Rogue SUV from Lee Auto Export a few months ago in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Moise went as a translator for his mother, an immigrant, who was ecstatic to buy a car.
They only had it for a short while before a deer crossing the road revealed a dark blip in the vehicle’s history.
Nshizirungu took their new-to-them car to a body shop, where they were shocked by the employee’s prognosis.
Read More about Used Cars
“When the collision shop was trying to fix (the damage from the run-in with the deer), they told us it had been in a bad accident (before),” he told NBC affiliate WOOD-TV.
“They couldn’t fix it because it had prior damage to it.”
According to the history behind the VIN, Lee Auto Export bought the vehicle from an auction for almost $3,800, but the family paid $17,000 at $500 per month.
Kado A. Kado, the owner of Rapid Auto Repair and Collision, said the cost the family paid was “heartbreaking,” as the previous repairs would have never come from a reputable shop.
“It’s not rebuilt correctly,” Kado said.
“There are screws that aren’t supposed to be here, just to hold the parts together. As you can see, there’s exposed metal here. There’s rust. So, this should have been replaced. You can kind of cover all of this up by just putting a bumper on. In this case, that’s what they did.”
Reporters ran the VIN through Google, which showed an extensive report of the history.
The Rogue was totaled, and when Lee Auto Export bought it from auction, the public documents revealed the retail value for it was $17,728.
It also listed a repair estimate of $13,208.
Molly Pham, the general manager of the used car dealer, said the repair estimate for the previous damage seemed high.
“I don’t know why they said $13,000 need to be repaired,” she said.
“That is a lot….I have not seen that paperwork.”
There are screws that aren’t supposed to be here, just to hold the parts together. As you can see, there’s exposed metal here. There’s rust. So, this should have been replaced. You can kind of cover all of this up by just putting a bumper on. In this case, that’s what they did.
Kado A. Kado, collision repair expert
Her mechanics “fixed” any damage before declaring it rebuilt and ready for sale.
She also pointed out that the family bought the car “As is,” and signed an acknowledgment that the Rogue came with a salvage title.
“I have them sign and make sure they understand it has been in an accident, and I show all of them what damage on the car and what needs to be replaced,” she continued.
“The thing is, I try the best I could to help out. I understand that sometimes you’re unhappy about the car. If you’re not happy with your car, you can always trade-in with another car. I always go the extra mile to make sure have customers happy.”
Pham remarked that she was licensed in collision-related mechanic repair after passing a test through the state, and had the vehicle inspected by an independent part before it was sold.
A LAWYER SAYS ‘BEWARE’
In addition to not looking up the VIN before buying the car, Adam Taub, a consumer attorney, said buying any car “as is” makes it nearly impossible for customers to win any sort of legal case.
“When you buy a car ‘as is,’ it doesn’t matter whether that car is unsafe,” he explained.
“It doesn’t matter whether that car is worth one-tenth of what you paid for it. ‘As is’ means you fix it, and you may not be able to afford that.”
Therefore, it’s important to know exactly what to ask for before signing any papers.
“Make them check the box that says warranty and make sure the warranty covers at the very least the drive train,” he advised.
Tips on buying a used car
When looking to buy a used car, U.S. News & World Report experts have a few tips before walking onto the sales lot.
- Set a realistic budget. Some cars are more expensive to insure and register than others depending on engine type, body style, weight, and the amount of doors. Before being swindled by a crafty salesman, it’s important to know what you can and can’t afford.
- Researching what car would fit best into your lifestyle can save a lot of time. Would a sedan work better for your garage or narrow street? Would a truck meet hauling or towing needs? Knowing what suits your needs can narrow down your options.
- Look into certified pre-owned cars. Certified pre-owned cars are backed by the manufacturer and come with comprehensive warranties at affordable prices. Some manufacturers have better deals on CPO cars, so research diligently.
- Not all financing options are created equal. Depending on where you look to finance, if that’s on the table, be very careful about who you finance with. Your best option would be to get preapproved by your bank before going in to give you an idea of what rates are affordable, and to give a dealership incentive to meet or beat those rates.
- Consider a used car inspection. Depending on where you’re buying a vehicle from, you can opt to pay roughly $200 for a used car inspection to have key components examined by an expert.
- Consider a vehicle history report. When things get close to signing, buying a vehicle history report based on the VIN can help clarify the previous owners, maintenance records (if it was taken to a dealership), title status, and more.
Source: U.S. News and World Report
“You want to get a warranty from the dealer for at least three months and at least 3,000 miles….If they’re not willing to stand behind the products they’re selling in writing, run away.”
He also issued a warning to other drivers in the Great Lakes State.
“Michigan is one of the worst states for protecting consumers,” he said.
“Basically, what the Michigan Supreme Court did was shut the courthouse door on consumers in the state.”
After the story went live, state regulators investigated the transaction, and found that the dealership didn’t do anything wrong.
In good faith, however, Lee Auto Export bought the Rogue back from the family.
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