First off, Merry Christmas everyone!

My brother bought a 2005 Dodge Neon SXT a couple of weeks ago. I saw an internet listing and we checked it out and bought it two days after looking at it. The ad lists twice that the vehicle has ABS, once in the features, and once in the typed out text description of the vehicle.

Yesterday my brother told me that he's been locking up in the snow and that the ad said he had ABS. I went out into his car and noticed the spot where the light is/is supposed to be and did the KE/EO test the light didn't light up, and then I started the car and it didn't light up either.

I told my brother he could take it to Autozone and check to see if they could pull some codes because I've known people to pull bulbs before and I thought that was a possibility. I then started doing some research online and noticed the ABS option was $695 and upgrade to 4 wheel disc brakes, and he has drums in the back.

My overall question is, even though he bought the car as-is from a dealership, do we have a chance of recovering some money due to false advertisement? I know if the car had ABS and it was broken he would just have to fix it, but the car doesn't even have it.

We were considering asking a lawyer, but I'm putting feelers out elsewhere to see what my friends think. Thanks everyone!

 

If you be persistant with the dealership, I'm sure they'll give you a refund in the price of the ABS option, and it will either go to the bank he took his loan out of (if he did), or right to his account if he payed for the car straight up.
Threatening them with a lawyer does wonders.. Trust me. That's how I got my $1400 back when they financed disability insurance on my car loan without me knowing.

 

the quickest way to check if you have abs is to open the hood and take a look at your master cylinder. follow the lines running from it and they will hook into the abs control box. the box will be labeled with a tag that says abs and it will have an electrical harness going into it. it is normally mounted near the master cylinder then the lines will go straight to the calipers from there. thats how you know if you have abs. if the lines just go directly to the calipers from the master cylinder then you do not have abs. sorry to ramble on, but ive known people that have gotten mislead from the dealerships about having abs on a vehicle and come to find out didnt have abs to begin with. my advice is to tell your brother to try the subtle approach first. if that doesent work, then he needs to consult a lawyer.

 

dam!that sucks dude.unfortunitally the little contract you sign states that all sales are final and your now responcible for that car.i paid 9 grand for my 02 neon es and i got ripped but you go with what you pick.your best friend is the dealer so i would talk to them.keep us posted and Good Luck

 

The thing about that contract we signed is that it states we accept the car in an as-is condition, but that doesn't apply to what is advertised to be on the car mechanically.

If you bought a brand new car that was advertised to have a moonroof, or was supposed to be a SES model and they gave you a SE, or whatever, what would you do? You would take it back and tell them, listen, this car I paid for at the advertised price does not have the advertised feature(s), and go from there.

I'll be making phone calls today and I'll let the forum know how it turns out.

 

GL bro

 

Contact the general manager. I bought last year a Chevy Avalanche. One month after buying it as-is. The trans dropped, the two rear tires blew, battery died and a/c stopped! It was a 2004. After a three pager fax telling them I was out $2400, a week later I picked up a check for $1800 They didn't pay for the rear tires, and the trans cooler and shift kit, etc. I was happy. It was a "as-is" deal as well.

 

You always buy a car as-is unless you have a bill of due repair, etc., signed that says otherwise, like I got one when I bought this Neon to have the motor mounts replaced, but at the same time, you bought this one as-is supposedly *with* ABS, not without. Get copies of the ad(s) to have as evidence of this and then start talking to managers, not salesmen.

When I first bought my Roush, I was told that a new side exhaust system would be put on since the kid before took it off. They didn't and we found out the next morning as it was brought home Christmas eve night. Called the bank and had them stop payment, it was fixed within a week.

 

i work at autozone in va and we get asked the abs question almost on a daily basis. i pulled your brothers car specs up today and if you say that he has rear drums, then i am 100% sure that he does not have abs.

 

Any rear drum vehicle (that I can think of) doesn't have ABS, Neon or not.