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rather than a link, here is my story copied and pasted:
Last May I started car shopping and found this 92 volvo 960. I test drove it and checked it out and really liked it. The mileage was 115,000 and this was my first car so dad and i were a little bit skeptical and said just that. The dealer (not volvo dealership) and the only guy working that day popped the hood and said "as you can see by this gooey sealant (surrounded the engine cover) the timing belt has just been changed, so really you're in good shape, this car could go over 200,000 miles easily" or something to that effect. NO, i dont have it in writing....but my dad was my witness and so far that has worked for me. I brought the car to my mechanic feeling good about the timing belt. My mechanic checked the car out, and then told me what he thought and what he found, most stuff was cosmetic, but his number one point was "the only thing i would question is the timing belt, because with the mileage, you would need it". I have the bill with that concern typed on it. i said not to worry, i was assured it was just done, and the gooey sealant shows it. off i went back to the dealership and I told them what my mechanic said about the belt, and the same guy was like "well we already know that its a new belt, so we dont need to worry about that" and i bought the car the first week of June.
In November while driving to my intern the timing belt snapped. I called my cousin near by who owns a tow truck company and they towed it to the mechanic they use, which was conveniently close to where the car broke down. The mechanic diagnosed the problem as a snapped timing belt, and then said it is the original belt. While he had the car, my father and i went to the dealership and told them what happened and that i guess its the original belt and i had been lied to, they played dumb, saying they doubt the timing belt would do that much damage yada yada yada......said to come back when the guy who sold us the car was there. We kept calling and showing up and the guy NEVER worked again and has since died (am i supposed to feel bad?...i dont know if i can) Still without my car the mechanic says the timing belt is fixed but it bent all valves when it snapped, and because it was thanksgiving week his company couldnt get to my car to get into the engine. I had the car towed to an engine repair shop who contacted the dearler telling him how extensive the damage is, and suggested the dealership might want to look around for a used engine to put in. When the dealership was unresponsive to my attempts as well as the engine repair shop I decided to file with small claims court. You can only sue up to $2000 on my type of case, so I did. At that point i had spent around $2400 for labor plus engine plus towing. I also looked up some stuff on the internet and sent a 30 day demand letter to the dealership stating they had violated a particular massachusetts consumer protection law and now i am at a loss of $2400 and they have 30 days to respond or they could possibly have to pay double or trebble damages. They responded with a letter that just said you have no case we'll see you in court. Off we go to court this past April and I never even got to mention the consumer protection law and the 30 day demand letter (which means no double or trebble damages to be awarded because the judge didnt even know about the letter and consumer protection law). In court the dealer said they did not tell me the timing belt had been changed (eventhough the guy in court wasnt THERE the day I was told) and that they would never tell me that, because since its a volvo I would have been fine with much more mileage on the car before i needed the timing belt changed. I know i'm naive but i KNOW thats not legit. they also said they offered me an extended waranty, which i said i was advised not to purchase private company exteded waranties only ones given out by the manufacturer of the car. The dealership also questioned why i took it to get the timing belt fixed BEFORE telling them. And to that I said i needed my car back asap because i'm in college and need to get to my intern for a class. I had all sorts of documention and letters to submit but the judge didnt want anything. I left thinking I lost, and then get a letter saying I am awarded the full $2000 plus interest and the small claims filing charge I had paid.
Now, i get a letter saying they are appealing, and their reasons are:
1) the car was not under waranty
2) there was no representation made regauding changing the timing belt, only that it had been CHECKED
3) I had the vehicle inspeded by my own mechanic prior to purchase, my mechanic could have checked the belt himself
4) i changed the belt after it broke and and only then, after it failed to opperate I returned to the dealership. (why would i return to the delership if the car was opperating correctly???)
i swear these people saw me coming......... i believed people were honest, such a naive girl!!!!
i probably wrote way more than the allowed amount here, but if anyone has any input by all means....... i return to court on june 28th
then today was the appeals where he didnt show up, and the judge dismissed the case and said the original judgement stands and the appeal is dead.
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