Resolutions

Q I am having a problem with the used car dealership where I purchased a piece of junk. The car is a 2004 Buick and since I bought it about seven weeks ago, I have replaced the water pump, alternator and now the air conditioning is not working properly.

The car has a lot of kilometers but I was told that it was well maintained and that I should get many good kilometers out of it.

I have been back to the place I bought it four times now and they will not do anything for me. I spoke with my lawyer who said that I should write to you.

A: I shortened your letter considerably because I have only so much space, but I got the drift of your complaint. I spoke to the used car dealer, who told me a somewhat different story.

The car you purchased had just over 240,000 kilometers and your own mechanic checked it out before you purchased it. You had the car for two days and ran out of gas with it.

The used car dealer brought you gas for which you were not charged.

Four days after you traded in your 2001 Buick, the dealer noticed that there was a considerable amount of undercarriage damage when they went to safety inspect the vehicle. The damage is such that the car cannot be reasonably repaired at this time.

You did not disclose that to them at the time of sale.

They also found that you were not the original owner of the car as you indicated at the time of sale, but the sixth owner. However, they are very keen to keep their customers happy, so they have told me if you are not happy with the car you can bring it back and they will cancel the deal and give you back your old vehicle and exchange the money.

Q: I had brake work done on my 2003 Ford truck about four weeks ago and just shortly after the repair I started to have a brake problem.

The brakes would squeal and chatter on fast stops.

I went back to the garage that did the repair and they told me that the brakes were just wearing in and would get better.

They did not get better.

Just by chance one day I went back and asked the mechanic about the brakes chattering and he told me that this would sometimes happen when you put on cheap rotors. He then went on to say that the rotors he put on my truck were cheap ones and that they would not get better until I used good rotors. He did not know that I had requested the Ford manufactured rotors when I originally wanted the brake work done.

I found out that they did use the proper Ford brake pads but they did not use the Ford factory rotors, for which I paid. When I confronted the owner, he told me that the mechanic was wrong and that he was thinking about another vehicle. The bottom line is that he will not do anything for me at this time and I was hoping you would help.

A: I spoke to your garage and he admitted to me that the mechanic had made a mistake and put on the wrong rotors. He told me that he found out the problem when the rotors that were supposed to be put on your vehicle were still in stock. He was surprised that you were writing to me because he said he left several messages for you to come and have the proper rotors installed.

He told me that the Ford rotors are there, waiting for you to have them installed at no charge to you

Do you have a query for Dennis O'Sullivan?

Send your questions by email to: dennis.osullivan@cogeco.ca, or by mail at

Box 10019, Winona, ON, L8E 5R1.