What to do if I purchased a vehicle “as-is” and was not told that it needed an major repair work but the dealer knew?

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What to do if I purchased a vehicle “as-is” and was not told that it needed an major repair work but the dealer knew?

When idling the car for 2-3 minutes, then pressing on the gas, a big plume of smoke exits the exhaust and travels with the car down the road. I called the dealer on way home who said he knew about it but not to worry because it was normal for that vehicle, and if anything, I could replace a small $300 valve. Well turns out, it is an $8000 valve seal job. I called him and he said he sold me the vehicle “as-is”. This doesn’t seem right that he knew the vehicle blew smoke out the exhaust after idling and did not tell us; yhen to say he sold it ‘as-is’ as if he managed to off his lemon.

Asked on July 3, 2012 under General Practice, South Carolina

Answers:

FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 11 years ago | Contributor

Under the laws of all state sin this country the seller of an item is required to disclose to a potential buyer of the item about all items affecting desirability or price paid known by the seller concerning the item.

If what you say is true about the car dealership then you have a case for "concealment" where you potentially can sue for costs of repairs or cancellation of the contract and the refund of your money if the costs to repair exceed the price paid for the car. I suggest that you consult with an attorney that practices in the area of automotive law and possibly making a complaint against the dealership with the local department of motor vehicles.


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