A DRIVER spent thousands of dollars on a used car only to discover it was unsafe.
Several customers who purchased vehicles from the Canadian dealership reported safety concerns with their used cars.
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Customer Sydney Blanchard purchased a used 2012 Honda Civic from Garage Plus Auto Center in June 2022 for less than $11,000.
However, it wasn’t long before she discovered there were problems with the car.
“I felt like he sold me a piece of junk,” Blanchard told Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
She told the outlet she first came to the Ottawa-based dealership to avoid a private listing, as dealers typically have higher selling standards.
“I honestly thought I was going to get a better car,” Blanchard said.
“They told me the car was secured.”
“Safetied” is a casual term for a vehicle that has undergone an inspection and certified safety standards.
The check, done by a licensed repair shop or mechanic, is required by law in Ontario when selling used vehicles to confirm that the car meets the area’s minimum standards.
Just weeks after the sale, Blanchard noticed that her car stalled when she tried to accelerate – and the problem got “significantly worse.”
She said that one day, in a “really scary” incident, her car engine lost power and turned off while she was in the middle of an intersection.
She took the car to a local Honda dealership to find out the cause of the stalling – and was shocked to discover the truth.
After a month of testing, mechanics replaced a faulty transmission, but did not solve the problem.
The dealership then concluded that it suspected a “possible fracture or defective component within the engine” due to the car’s history of collisions.
Garage Plus Auto Center only told Blanchard that there was minor damage to the car in a collision “such as a cosmetic fender bender” that prompted a $1,023 claim, according to its invoice.
What are the lemon laws?
Lemon laws protect consumers from defective cars.
The Lemon Law applies when at least one manufacturing defect substantially affects the safety, value, or usefulness of the car.
Laws require dealerships to buy back or exchange a defective or unsafe vehicle if it has been damaged a certain number of times within a specific period of time – which is usually in accordance with the terms of the vehicle’s warranty policy.
Dealerships will make a certain number of repair attempts before Lemon becomes active, Forbes reports.
Candidates must prove problems with the vehicle.
Lemon laws vary by state.
However, Honda’s CARFAX report told Blanchard it was “moderate damage” after a rear-end collision that cost $11,513.53 — but insurance paid out $1,032.
“I felt so stupid…[that I] took him at his word,” Blanchard told the channel.
The Honda dealership concluded that the next step for the car would be to disassemble and replace the engine, estimated to cost more than $6,000.
Blanchard said a Honda specialist told her the car was unsafe to drive.
Because the inspection occurred after the 30-day warranty period had ended, Blanchard was unable to use Lemon Law with Garage Plus Auto Center, which is a dealership and repair shop.
She ended up selling her vehicle for parts.
Garage Plus Auto Center told CBC in a statement that the dealer “attempted to amicably discuss” this matter “with the customer, without success.”
“It appears that some issues remain unresolved, unfortunately,” they said.
US Sun has reached out to Garage Plus Auto Center for comment.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
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