Isn't my car dealer at fault?

So recently i've financed my first car with my parent being the co signer. I got a 2001 Honda Civic with 188,000 miles. I don't know much about cars but i knew that it was old and had a lot of mileage but at the time i needed a car to have transportation to school which i live 30 minutes from. (lets call him Jim) I gave jim a down payment of $1,200 within 2 weeks i started having trouble with the car. It started to run hot. I took it to him and he said that my timing change and water pump was bad. I have to pay half of the expenses $200 it was in the document agreement that i pay 50/50 of what expenses cost. Today my dad calls and tell me that the car is runing hot and he is stranded. My 30 day warranty which jim is responsible for fixing the car is over on the 2 i was suppose to go up to the dealship this morning to let him fix everything again but the car is runing hot there's no way i can drive 30 minutes to deliver his car. So they are closed for the weekend and i will have to deliver it on monday the 2. So am I entitled to get another car because they keep telling me they will fix the civic but things are still deteriorating on it or do they have to give me my deposit back because i don't want to have to take this to court. EXTRA INFO: jim always tries to get smart with my dad and it seems like he doesn't want to give me another car or my money back i just want to be able to back my dad up.

Dealers NEVER return money paid. If you can't resolve the problem you will have to go to court. Make sure all matters are documented and dated.

You signed documents and you are stuck with those documents. 1200 dollars should have been the selling price since it isn't worth more than that. It's damned doubtful that the water pump and timing BELT was bad. Either way, it would cost a lot more than 400 bucks to replace. You got screwed over because neither your dad nor you know what's going on.

Taking this to court doesn't mean you'll win… In fact, the laws are on the dealer's side. Any used vehicle purchase is "as-is" unless noted to the contrary in writing.

Get it on record that you need the vehicle fixed, especially before the 2nd. This way, he can't say it expired "because he never heard anything".

However, you won't be getting your money back. You won't be returning the vehicle, as there's no law forcing the dealer to take it back. You bought a high-mileage vehicle, and it's up to the dealer as to whether or not he will give you any compensation in good faith. Again, no laws force the dealer to refund a dime, nor fix anything outside of what was agreed to in writing.

A fixed water pump doesn't guarantee a car runs at the right temperature… There are other factors, like the radiator, fan, etc. Any of these could be bad, too.

For over 10 years on here, we've preached about making sure you take the vehicle to a licensed mechanic to check over BEFORE purchase. This is a good case as to why we do so.

You can't take him to court… Or maybe you can but i don't think so… Thats how car dealers run.30 days and its not their problem anymore. You will never hear from them again… But let car cool, turn on heat open windosws

Yes, the dealer is at fault and responsible.

Sorry but nobody is entitled to anything. They will say that the bogus 30 day is over and there's no refund for having a broken car. Never go back to "Jim" or that joke of a dealer that made you finance such an old car. Go to a real mechanic at a well rated repair shop to have the car fixed properly.

Nope it's your responsibility now because the 30 day warranty that you signed in your Finance agreement has expired. These are the unfortunate challenges that people have to face when buying used cars and it's always best to take a mechanic with you to inspect it before making your decision on buying it. I'm sure most people that's reading your question such as myself has dealt with this same situation at some point in their life from buying a used car. This is when you get real creative on getting to where you need be and back.

Let this be a lesson. Lesson 1) Research the vehicle you are going to by. Financing a 2001 Honda Civic with "only 188K miles?" Suspicion #1, the odometer has been tampered with. For vehicles, approximate 30,000 miles per year, minimum, unless seller can PROVE it has been sitting in a garage. Lesson 2) Read you contract, BEFORE you sign. Dealers take full advantage of the impatience of buyers. All contracts are negotiable. Read the print, even if it takes 4 hours. IT IS YOUR MONEY! Sorry about "yelling", it is merely emphasis. Better yet, tell them you want to take a day to take the contract home for review, if they refuse, something is fishy. 3) Research the problem, especially after you get a diagnosis. Timing chain issues are indicated by rough idle, hesitation on acceleration, and other symptoms, NOT overheating alone. 4) ask for your defective parts after repair. DO NOT let the mechanic say no, and know what the parts should look like. 5) Caveat emptor (Latin) is a legal precedence, know what it means (buyer beware…)" 6) Google is you friend (research reputable websites only)

So in this case, sorry to say, the dealer has taken FULL advantage of you. Also, you will likely win in court depending on your State's "Lemon law" if any, and if you can prove the dealership mislead you. Also in this case, I would recommend small claims court. Gather evidence and file soon, in small claims you represent yourself and collect your own evidence, it is usually less than $100 to file a claim.

You either buy the car AS IS or there's a very limited warranty. Sounds like you have a limited warranty and the car is not getting fixed. Check to see if your state has any kind of LEMON LAW for cars. If he tried to fix it three times and he could not do it, you can call the car a lemon and he has to take it back and give you your money back. Then get a car and have someone help you.

You won't get any money back and you won't get a different car.

It sounds like they honored their written warranty on the timing belt and water pump, and since this is day 28 of 30 they are still required to honor the warranty on the new issue discovered today - IF you notify them within the 30 day window.

If the 2nd is the 30th day then I would not wait until then to notify him. Find a way to notify him today - preferably multiple ways - email, text, voicemail - I would even drive to the dealership (get a ride if needed) and put a letter in the mail slot with today's date.

Then follow up with a phone call immediately when they open Monday. Inform them that you have another problem which occurred during the covered warranty period. Tell him you expect him to diagnose and repair it under warranty. Since the warranty is 50/50 liability, you'll owe for half of the regular price of whatever service it needs.

The service probably won't be completed within the 30 day window, but it doesn't have to be. The fact that the problem occurred AND you notify him within the timeline means that he's liable for the repair. He can't deny the repair simply because he doesn't have any service appointments available before the deadline.

If he refuses to repair the car under warranty then your only recourse is small claims court. Get the car repaired somewhere else then sue him for 50% of the repair cost.

None of this affects your financing though. The bank loaned you money, you spent that money on a used car, you owe the money no matter what happens with the car.