Lots of problems..... 88k miles

T

tjstogner

New member
Edit: **To avoid confusion- I don't know much about cars nor have I ever made a used car purchase before... just wondering if this is common stuff and if I'm handling it right**

Hi guys, I just signed up for the forum after purchasing a 2004 4runner sport edition in silver from the stealership, for $14,399. Had 87500 miles, was in perfect cosmetic condition.

Drove it off the lot and as I was driving home it got dark out.... Headlight was out. A couple days later, noticed minor shaking when braking. The front tires had good tread but were somewhat dry rotted (something I missed at the dealership) where the rear ones were new. (OF course I thought... HOW WAS THIS "INSPECTED"???) Dealership had closed, so I scheduled an appt. What was wrong-

1. CV joint was torn and leaking - replaced
2. Tires were dry rotted - 2 replaced
3. front passenger caliper frozen - replaced
4. headlight - replaced

So here I am thinking... this dealership didn't even INSPECT the thing!! They simply slapped a new inspection sticker on it and wham bam!!?? So they fixed it, I drove home, and then something else.....



A couple days ago, right as I'm at 100 miles over the warranty,(Upon purchase, they gave me a 1,000 mile or 30 day warranty) the tire pressure light comes on and I'm also hearing a strange noise. I bring it back, and they are willing to fix it under warranty. Now,

1. Rear tire they are fixing (??)
2. Front passenger bearing needs to be replaced

So. I have a few questions. Would you be pissed? Is this the kind of thing that just "happens"? What would you do if you were in my shoes? I feel like an idiot here, like next week I feel like something else is going to go wrong RIGHT OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY. Should I request they extend the warranty to 3,000 miles? Should I request the moon from this dealership, and if so, what do I want? Should I bring it to an independent inspection place? Thanks for your help guys.......
 
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You did buy a used car and inspected does not mean fixed. Used car managers are generally the most bottom of the barrel type people youll ever meet. Id say yell and scream as loud as you can till you get what you what. That method usually works.
 
It is your responsibility to inspect the car, not theirs. Caveat Emptor.

Tires with dry rot, that is one of the first things you look for; because you can usually make the dealership replace them.

Honestly. You are lucky. They don't owe you anything outside of the warranty.

I think you are getting off easy, as the dealership has agreed to fix an issue outside of warranty. Not sure if you have ever bought a used vehicle before, but it is your responsibility to have it inspected. None of the things you have listed are serious issue. Tires rot. CV boots tear. Brakes warp. It happens, and if you had done an anywhere near complete pre-purchase inspection, you would have found it.

Did you even test drive it? How did you not notice shaking while braking before taking it home? Lights? Come on man.


Sorry. I doubt you will find any serious sympathy. Chalk this up to a good life lesson. Everything you have listed are minor annoyances, that could have been negotiated in the contract to buy. Happens all the time. I will buy it, but you will replace the headlight, tires, etc. Since you did none of that, and bought it as is; they owe you nothing.

You can yell all you want, If I were the dealer; I would politely explain that you agreed tot purchase the vehicle from them as is. Hell, they even gave you a warranty for 1 month, far better than most used dealerships.


Sorry if my tone comes off a bit harsh. But, you seem to have a wholly unrealistic concept of car buying. You didn't buy a NEW car that is expected to be perfect. That costs more money. People buy used because it is cheaper, well that comes with risks. Learning how to minimize that risk is part of being a grown up adult. You never purchase a used car without having an independent mechanic, one you trust, go over it. Dealers will have no problem allowing this and I have always gotten it done. Don't expect a used car to be perfect. They won't. Someone drove them. It is ok for there to be issues, and if you are a good negotiator, you can likely get the dealer to correct some of them.

I always get new tires on any car I buy. I have never had a dealer, upon seeing cash in hand, refuse this. EVER.


If you want the dealer to help you. To do more than is required, you need to be nice. Not mean and not offensive. They don't OWE you anything, but as any business, they like to build positive relations. Use this to your advantage... and they might help. Act like a spoiled child and they will tell you to shove it.
 
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DC runner said:
It is your responsibility to inspect the car, not theirs. Caveat Emptor.

Tires with dry rot, that is one of the first things you look for; because you can usually make the dealership replace them.

Honestly. You are lucky. They don't owe you anything outside of the warranty.

I think you are getting off easy, as the dealership has agreed to fix an issue outside of warranty. Not sure if you have ever bought a used vehicle before, but it is your responsibility to have it inspected. None of the things you have listed are serious issue. Tires rot. CV boots tear. Brakes warp. It happens, and if you had done an anywhere near complete pre-purchase inspection, you would have found it.

Did you even test drive it? How did you not notice shaking while braking before taking it home? Lights? Come on man.


Sorry. I doubt you will find any serious sympathy. Chalk this up to a good life lesson.
Click to expand...

Not looking for sympathy actually, and yes this is the first time I've ever made a used car purchase. Simply looking for advice because I'm not sure if this kind of stuff is to be expected or not. I thought who better to ask then a forum of knowledgeable people such as yourself.
 
Did you even test drive it?

No it's not supposed to be expected. You bought a poorly maintained used car.
 
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I don't know? Tires rot after 4 or 5 years. It is a 2004, could very well be the original tires.

CV boots rip. As for the wheel bearings, that one is less maintenance and more luck of the draw?

I haven't seen anything that is HORRID and screams the car is going to explode. It is a bunch of little things that someone who likes being in new cars would use as an excuse to trade in for a new car. Tons of people do it.

Yes. You should take it to a mechanic and say, take a look, what needs to be done.
 
Welcome to the forum. Sory to hear about your troubles.

It doesn't sound to me like you did any type of inspection prior to purchasing. You didn't notice the headlight or the brakes? I understand its your first used car purchase, but you got to do some research prior to making a purchase.

As stated, an inspection means nothing in terms of them fixing anything.

It sounds like they are already working with you, and going out of their way to make you happy, so I wouldn't be too pissed. And they are fixing the tires and bearing outside of the warranty. What more can you ask for?

You can always request an extended warranty, but that doesn't mean they will give you one. Either way, its a used car, and things are going to happen. If you wanted a worry free purchase, you should have bought new.

Chances are if your warranty has expired and you now take it to a shop and come back to them with a laundry list of issues, they are going to turn you down. Get the tires fixed, and wheel bearing replaced, and if they give you an extended warranty, great, if not move on.

These aren't huge issues, and I doubt your engine is going to have any major issues, or your tranny fall out. I just had my CV boots replaced at 90k miles. Tires rot, thats what they do. Bulbs burnout. You had all that fixed, at no additional cost, if you asked for that prior, they would have raised the price.

In the future, have an independent shop inspection prior to purchasing to either get them to fix issues, or negotiate in price and have the issues fixed yourself. Don't assume because it's at a dealership they are going to fix anything or be honest with you. You can still have an inspection done, just so you know what your dealing with.

Good Luck!
 
it's all relative man. your issues... they're all very ez to fix. when an accelerometer blew on my brand spanking new rover, if not for warranty, it would've cost me $2000 ez. and i was just driving down a local road at 35mph nice and smooth with 3K miles on it. don't sweat it.
 
THEROK said:
it's all relative man. your issues... they're all very ez to fix. when an accelerometer blew on my brand spanking new rover, if not for warranty, it would've cost me $2000 ez. and i was just driving down a local road at 35mph nice and smooth with 3K miles on it. don't sweat it.
Click to expand...


Oh Land Rovers, so pretty and shinny and such horrible pains in the ass.... :)
 
Have to agree with the others. None of the problems you listed are huge problems, and things you can discover by carefully inspecting yourself.

When I bought my '06 in April this year, they happened to have placed new tires on it before I got there. I test drove and felt some pulsation, but I was not concerned and ended up replacing both front calipers/rotors/pads (as well as the rear rotors/pads) right after purchasing. I knew it needed some brake attention, but it didn't concern me a bit. (And it only had 33.5k miles!)

Forgot to mention that I also need to replace the CV boot clamps as well. The inners are starting to squeeze a little grease out of them. These things happen and are not a concern of mine at all. Oh, and I also got the Sulfer TSB done at a dealership after buying (different dealer) under the emmissions warranty.

Those are not big issues at all. You paid a good price and now have a good vehicle. I'm nothing but happy with mine!
 
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For even more peace of mind you should probably get the fluids changed out: coolant, differential(s), engine oil, transmission; and maybe power steering and brake fluid. Oh, and grease the drive shaft, too. Just a suggestion.
 
It's a numbers game and dealers play it all the time.

They took the chance on this car because for them it was cheaper NOT to spend a couple hours inspecting it. Multiply that by the 100+ used cars they buy and sell a month and the costs add up.
 
Well, you can have problems even with a new car off the lot.

Case in point...bought a brand new '99 Olds Alero in FL. Less than a week later had the following issues:

Front end misaligned
subwoofer amplifier missing
Driver side windor regulator went out
had severe swirl marks on the hood (it was black)

Even with inspection, I believe it is still 50% luck...buying a used car.

I bought a used 2000 Jeep Cherokee (XJ) when I was living in Cali. (2006) It had 118,000 miles. But since owning it, I've only had to replace the brakes, tires, radiator and hoses and fluids. Even now with a cracked head, it has nearly double those miles and is still running...

In my opinion, the dealership has been generous in fixing your issues. Most places would tell you to take a hike after you drive off the lot.

I agree with others here...live and learn and be all the wiser next time.
 
As it was said, you have numerous repairable problems. Find a good shop and have them take care of everything. Once corrected, you will have one of the best, most reliable vehicles on the market.
 
I bought a used 07 sport v6 at 36k miles and at 40k miles, tranny took a dump. Lucky for me toyota covered it. In most places the dealer used or new has to give a you a 30 day warratny, the lemon law. The 1000 mile part doesnt matter. I bought a used tahoe one time. 2 weeks and it had a bad bearing in the engine. Dealer owed me a motor but only a used one out of a wrecked vehicle with 80k miles. He said he could get one installed for $800. I said give me the $800, ill get a crate motor and install it myself. Thats what i did. You do have some rights in this purchase but only for 30 days. Get it all fixed quick. And they only owe you used items as you bought a used vehicle. So far there being good to you.
 
Not disagreeing, but different states have different laws. Also, your Toyota appeared to be under the manufacturer warranty. Nothing to do with the dealer. Toyota payed to have your transmission fixed as your power train warranty was still in effect. Very different circumstance here. A used car, out of toyota's warranty.

Lemon Law America

If you are curious as to state by state rules. Some states are very protective, others not so much.
There is a Federal Lemon law, but it only applies to new vehicle and you must have the same problem (defect) X amount of times, over Y period. Used cars, in particular, those outside of a manufacturer warranty usually have the least protection. Lemon laws, as it is commonly defined, also is usually between the car owner and manufacturer.

I don't know what state you are in, I just wanted to clarify that.
 
Yuk on your transmission issue. I just went back and read your thread about when it gave out.. That sucks! And we still don't know what happened either. Oh well.. I'll just keep hoping my trans will last through the years!
 
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