You could always put a nice big sign in the bed of the truck stating your problems with the dealership and park it out front. They're sure to like that.

 

Consult an attorney - contact the owner as well let he/she/them know what the situation is and that you are contacting an attorney - someone above stated something about a safety issue - I would look into that more in depthand take it back to the local dealer thathad the tech that refused to drive the truckand have them do a write up of what is wrong and get the tech/serv. manager as well as the GM to sign it - (more signatures never hurt - and if you can get the GM signature it carrys more weight).

Don't know if any of this will work but it is worth trying considering the cost of repairs.

Goodluck.

 

good luck getting them to sign anything.

 

If your state has a vehicle inspection station or better yet a local site for DOT, it would be very good for you to contact them and see if they can help. You were obviously sold a vehicle that was unsafe to drive on the highway by a "reputable" dealer. Its very possible they may take up your cause. Make sure you absolutely document everything, no matter how minor or small you may think it is.

DOT and NHTSA are very strict when it comes to vehicle safety on the roads, especially when you recieved from a dealer in the condition it is.

 

Bmunsonco,

I am not sure if Iunstood this correctly "Their mechanic who inspected the truck said it was the cleanest truck he had seen in a year and foundno mechanical defectsother than two ball joints which he replaced.He even walked me personally through the vehicle while it was on the rack and assured me that it was in excellent mechanical condition", but it appears you may have a claim.If you paid substanially below market, it would be hard to prove you thought it was a "creampuff."

That said, in New Jersey, the Division of Comsumer Affairs falls under the Attorney Generals Office. A seller cannot misrepresent the condition or quality of an item being sold. Since they provided their mechanic to describe the condition to you, they cannot use the excuse that a salesman is not qualified to give an opinion on the mechanical condition.

I know this will be a he said/he said situation and they most likely made you sign a disclaimer that you were told it was sold "AS IS" with no implied warranties. This does not relieve then of fraud if the said mechanic was aware or should have been aware of the mechanical defficientices. He is an agent of the dealership.

I would frist check with your state's Division of Consumer affairs to see if you have any rights when a vechicle is sold "AS IS." Also check with your Better Business Bureau to see if any similar complaints have been filed against the dealership. Then find an attorney to write a letter to the dealer stating that it appears the condition of the truck was intentionally misrepresented and how are they going to correct the problem.

I know attorneys are expensive, so ask your friends and family if they know of one who would do them a favor. The attorney can be a recent grad or on a company staff. The idea is to get their attention. An attorney's letter shows you are serious and it becomes a game of chicken since they do not know how far you may take it. Since this is a new car dealer who makes most of their profit from service, they do not need any bad press. Hopefully, they may try for an accomodation. Just be reasonable if they do that sineyou will not likely get everything you feel you deserve.

Best of Luck

 

Sorry you got a raw deal, but how did the truck perform on your test drive?
A dealer can not sell a car/truck that is not in a safe condition to operate,

 

Thank you for all the advice! I have an appointment set up with a prominent attorney. I am not done talking with others at the dealership either. I will also contact Tom Martino, as well as the state. I'll update this post to let everyone know what happens. I definately didn't pay less than market value for the truck, so they can't make the claim that I should have known better. It's no wonder no-one likes the car buying process when you have to always be on guard.