I need help with my Carmax situation.

[shipps]

I bought my sissy ass 02' Jeep Liberty from them last Febuary some of you might remember. This car in the last week has over heated and left me stuck twice. I feel like I have been sold a lemon. What are my options here? What are they going to do for me? I dont want them to fix it anymore because its a unreliable piece of s*** car. I want a new one. I bought an extended warranty but I just want another car. They arent yet to open so I dont know what to come at them with. I am just pissed off right now !

[jasonxctf]

well you are SOL on the lemon law side...

 

http://www.ag.state.il.us/consumers/lemonlaw.html

 

 

My suggestion, go into the store, when there are plenty of customers around and make a big (and loud) stink about how they sold you a bad car, etc. Push hard on the extended warranty front.

[shipps]

well you are SOL on the lemon law side...

 

http://www.ag.state.il.us/consumers/lemonlaw.html

 

 

My suggestion, go into the store, when there are plenty of customers around and make a big (and loud) stink about how they sold you a bad car, etc. Push hard on the extended warranty front.

 

Great, so I cant go the lemon route.....s***. Thanks for that info jas.

 

Now I dont know if my best way is to go the nice guy route and see if I can get better help from them or really make a scene as you suggested. Hmmmmmmm.......this sucks nuts.

[southsider2k5]

Great, so I cant go the lemon route.....s***. Thanks for that info jas.

 

Now I dont know if my best way is to go the nice guy route and see if I can get better help from them or really make a scene as you suggested. Hmmmmmmm.......this sucks nuts.

 

Start with one, and then move into the other.

[Steve9347]

Start with one, and then move into the other.

Yes, start nice, and lose your s*** if you have to... you can't really go the other route of starting pissed and then trying nice guy. Mentioning how you will call local news stations never hurts either. They are always looking for s***ty stories like this to get the message out to the public. Maybe have some contact info with you for FOX/NBC/CBS/ABC so it seems legit.

 

Carmax has cash, and they know making you a happy customer will be cheaper than trying counter negative publicity.

[Chisoxfn]

I bought my sissy ass 02' Jeep Liberty from them last Febuary some of you might remember. This car in the last week has over heated and left me stuck twice. I feel like I have been sold a lemon. What are my options here? What are they going to do for me? I dont want them to fix it anymore because its a unreliable piece of s*** car. I want a new one. I bought an extended warranty but I just want another car. They arent yet to open so I dont know what to come at them with. I am just pissed off right now !

You are pretty much screwed. I believe the lemon law only applies to new cars. However, the fact that you have your extended warranty should cover you. I also should piont out that Jeep is notorious for having serious issues with there products. I know there will be people who will tell stories about there jeeps that have worked well, but in general, they build a very very poor product. The reason it is popular is because of the uniqueness and the Jeep Wrangler is a fantastic off-road vehicle.

[nitetrain8601]

You are pretty much screwed. I believe the lemon law only applies to new cars. However, the fact that you have your extended warranty should cover you. I also should piont out that Jeep is notorious for having serious issues with there products. I know there will be people who will tell stories about there jeeps that have worked well, but in general, they build a very very poor product. The reason it is popular is because of the uniqueness and the Jeep Wrangler is a fantastic off-road vehicle.

 

This.

[Soxbadger]

Depending on how the warranty is written you may have different options.

 

Its mainly contract law, unless you can prove that they knew it had problems, or that they some how misled you about the car.

 

Id check the warranty see what it says.

[Rex Hudler]

You bought a 2002 used car, got an extended warranty and want to blame the seller? How long did it run before you had your first problem? How long did it run between the first and second problem? What was exact problem?

 

Personally, without more info I would say life sucks, but making a scene at their place is the wrong angle. The car is 8 years old! It sucks, but to blame them to me is ridiculous.

[StrangeSox]

What, exactly, is causing it to overheat? When was the last time the coolant was checked or flushed? How many miles are on the car, and is it still the original water pump? Are the radiator fans working or not? Is the heat in the car working (no could indicate a stuck thermostat)?

Edited June 16, 2010 by StrangeSox

[DrunkBomber]

Dont call them grease monkeys

[iamshack]

You are pretty much screwed. I believe the lemon law only applies to new cars. However, the fact that you have your extended warranty should cover you. I also should piont out that Jeep is notorious for having serious issues with there products. I know there will be people who will tell stories about there jeeps that have worked well, but in general, they build a very very poor product. The reason it is popular is because of the uniqueness and the Jeep Wrangler is a fantastic off-road vehicle.

I had a jeep wrangler back in the day and I blew a hole about the size of my fist in the engine and the sucker still ran...

[shipps]

You bought a 2002 used car, got an extended warranty and want to blame the seller? How long did it run before you had your first problem? How long did it run between the first and second problem? What was exact problem?

 

Personally, without more info I would say life sucks, but making a scene at their place is the wrong angle. The car is 8 years old! It sucks, but to blame them to me is ridiculous.

 

I had it 4 months and the relay fan needed to be replaced so they say. Then a week later (yesterday) it over heated again with no indications that anything was wrong until it started smoking and then the thermostat went to hot right away. Now I dont know what they are going to say. I could see if I payed 5 grand for the car but I payed over 10 so I would expect to not have to tow it once a week after four motnhs of having it.

 

What, exactly, is causing it to overheat? When was the last time the coolant was checked or flushed? How many miles are on the car, and is it still the original water pump? Are the radiator fans working or not? Is the heat in the car working (no could indicate a stuck thermostat)?

 

There is 79,000 miles on the car and when I first had the car to overheat along with some leakage of fluids my dad who used to be a mechanic for 25 years said he thought it was the water pump. I told them to please...please...please make sure its not the pump before they give me the car back. Sure enough the thing overheats again.

 

 

A this point I am thinking I am going to fix my car and have it appraised and then to sell it back them to upgrade to a newer car. I just have no faith in owning this vehicle anymore for obvious reasons and I want to wash my hands clean of it. (yes that quickly). I really should have bought a brand new car as I always have done.

[Tuna]

I may be the only one, but I think you paid too much for a 2002 with 70K+ miles on it. I could be wrong but it seems expensive for an 8 year old car.

[iamshack]

I may be the only one, but I think you paid too much for a 2002 with 70K+ miles on it. I could be wrong but it seems expensive for an 8 year old car.

That ship has kind of sailed though, hasn't it?

[Tuna]

indeed.

 

I mentioned it because he was going to use this as a solution...

 

"A this point I am thinking I am going to fix my car and have it appraised and then to sell it back them to upgrade to a newer car."

 

He may not hear good news on this.

 

or he may get great news, I'm not a car salesman. It was just a simple observation.

 

 

[LittleHurt05]

I just clicked on this thread thinking that it was a new post regarding Steve's Carmex situation.

[shipps]

indeed.

 

I mentioned it because he was going to use this as a solution...

 

"A this point I am thinking I am going to fix my car and have it appraised and then to sell it back them to upgrade to a newer car."

 

He may not hear good news on this.

 

or he may get great news, I'm not a car salesman. It was just a simple observation.

 

I probably did pay a couple thousand too much but the car was in great physical condition and under the hood looked okay as far as what my dad could see.

 

Carmax are the ones who are going to appraise it. So if they offer me some crazy ass low offer than what they sold it to me for I am going to snap up in this b****.

[Rex Hudler]

I think this is a classic lesson in that when you buy a used car, there are risks. I still think buying used is better than buying new, but if you don't have the constituion for some out of pocket repairs, maybe new is the route you should go. I understand the situation is frustrating, but think about it. You bought an 8 yr old car with 79,000 miles. You drove it for four months before its first repair. Carmax checked the car out and it worked for four months. It is what it is. I have bought two used cars. A '98 Lexus ES300 in 2001 that had 46k miles and had very few problems. Drove it over 110k miles and finally had about $2k in repairs and decided at that time it was time to get a new one. I just recently bought a 2005 Acura RL with only 17k miles. I got it certified from the Acura dealer and paid a few more dollars, but got a pristine car with very few miles. I'm hoping I have very few repairs on it, but I know anything can happen.

 

My suggestion to someone buying a car is to find a reputable used car dealer who sells wholesale. Ask around. Buy a car 3-4 yrs old with 30k to 50k miles (more if you are willing to take on more risk). Buy a reliable brand/model. Do your homework. Carmax is typically a place to get a decent deal on a car that has been checked out. There is still risk, however. Carmax is not a place to get a great deal. That typically takes patience and research, even a little luck. That doesn't help you now, I know.

 

Expect Carmax to offer you less than you think for your car. There is a legitimate difference between a retail price and trade in value. That is how dealers make money. They may help you a little in this situation, but know they are going to get their money. If they give you a fantastic price, its because they have enough in their other cars that they will make it on your new one. That's just business.

[joemg311]

If the fan was bad and this caused your car to overheat and you drove it around a bit, it is quite possible that the tempature could have weakened or damaged your radiator causing this newest problem. Its a pain, but you have a warranty incase problems like this come up. You never know, even if you did someone get into a different car you could have even worse luck.

[shipps]

Okay so they tell me that the connectors were bad that run the fan and thats what they had to replace. I hope that is the real problem,seriously. I dont want to lose out by selling this car for nothing to them or getting another car from these bastards for more on the monthly payments. I will always get a new car in the future. I am sorry but that is the way to go for me.

[Texsox]

If you are wondering if you paid too much, Kelly Blue Book is a decent source to check, but use it as a guide. When I have bought a used vehicle I went shopping for a specific vehicle that I did my homework on. I am planning on picking up a 3/4 ton pickup to tow a travel trailer. I know which models I want from Toyota, Chevy, and Ford. I've narrowed it down to a couple model years and packages. Now I am watching listed prices on a few sites and in the classifieds. By the time I make a move at the end of the year, I will know as much, if not more than the salesperson across from me. It may also allow me to buy out of state where pickups are not in as high demand as Texas.

[bigruss]

Shouldve gotten a CarFax, not the Car Fox.

[shipps]

So I had to take the car in for the third time last night because of over heating. Its been the same problem and I havent even had it 6 months. I dont know what to do. I have no legal options so it seems.

[Chisoxfn]

So I had to take the car in for the third time last night because of over heating. Its been the same problem and I havent even had it 6 months. I dont know what to do. I have no legal options so it seems.

It is still covered by warranty right? Maybe take it to another mechanic that you trust, get a diagnosis and than ensure that the dealer fixes it.

 

Sounds to me like it might be the same problem and they just haven't figured out how to fix it. It really might not be as bad as it sounds, but who knows.