New car dilema/question

[pac1085]

My friend bought a 'new' 2004 cavalier from a large dealer yesterday. It was sold to him as a new car. After signing the paperwork and all, he finds out that is has 1500 miles on it. When test driving it the digital odometer said 50 (apparently it must have been on the trip setting...) and figured that was normal mileage for new car. But it was on the trip setting..the car actually has 1500 miles on it. A dealer cant sell a car like this as new, can they? It obviously isnt. Anyways, hes going in today to talk about it/find out more info, etc. Didnt know it had that mileage on it until after he signed all the papers since they were selling it as new, and you wouldnt think a new car would have that kind of mileage.

 

[CChaos]

I really don't see anything wrong with the deal.

 

[Gothgar]

Originally posted by: pac1085
My friend bought a 'new' 2004 cavalier from a large dealer yesterday. It was sold to him as a new car. After signing the paperwork and all, he finds out that is has 1500 miles on it. When test driving it the digital odometer said 50 (apparently it must have been on the trip setting...) and figured that was normal mileage for new car. But it was on the trip setting..the car actually has 1500 miles on it. A dealer cant sell a car like this as new, can they? It obviously isnt. Anyways, hes going in today to talk about it/find out more info, etc. Didnt know it had that mileage on it until after he signed all the papers since they were selling it as new, and you wouldnt think a new car would have that kind of mileage.

if the papers said it had that many miles, your friend is SOL, cause he signed em.

 

[nakedfrog]

Is that what the odometer statement paper said?

 

[DivideBYZero]

meh, I have the flu...

 

[NutBucket]

If it was never titled then its "new".

PS: Friends don't let friends buy Cavaliers.

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: NutBucket
If it was never titled then its "new".

PS: Friends don't let friends buy Cavaliers.

PS motion seconded

 

[dman]

Sadly, I don't know what's worse, that the friend bought a cavalier or that they're upset because it's not new as advertised. Well, Good luck, perhaps they'll throw in an extended warranty for the confusion...that'd be an option.

 

[Vic]

It's legal. How? By law, a car is considered "new" until it is titled or until it has 3k miles on it, whichever comes first.
Your friend is an idiot. How? Not just because he bought a Cavalier, possibly the worst new car for sale in America today, but because if he looks at the paperwork he signed, he'll find that the 1500 mileage is stamped all over it. He might try actually reading documents before he signs them. Not reading and then bitching afterwards about being "screwed" is quite possibly the weakest, lamest thing in the world. Grow some freakin' balls or something.

I'll do something I shouldn't and be nice. Did the dealer ever make a representation as to the car's mileage to your friend? If so, he might have a legal way out. His first course of action would be to call the dealership, speak with the manager, and complain (politely!) about the misrepresentation. It is extremely unlikely that the dealership will do anything, so don't expect anything. Next step, Better Business Bureau, then your state attorney general's office, then his attorney.

Life is so much easier when you actually read before you sign. I doubt your friend will be successful in fighting this. Chalk it up as a lesson, hopefully one he will learn.

 

[Colt45]

What does it matter? the second he drove it off the lot it lost half it's value.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: Colt45
What does it matter? the second he drove it off the lot it lost half it's value.

It's a Cavalier, not only a very crappy car to begin with, but a discontinued model that is being replaced. It basically has zero resale value.
But that's not the issue in these cases. The issue is that he lost 1500 warranty miles, and that he doesn't know where the car was or how it was treated during those 1500 miles. Very likely it was a demo for the dealership though.

 

[ViperSSD]

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: Colt45
What does it matter? the second he drove it off the lot it lost half it's value.

It's a Cavalier, not only a very crappy car to begin with, but a discontinued model that is being replaced. It basically has zero resale value.
But that's not the issue in these cases. The issue is that he lost 1500 warranty miles, and that he doesn't know where the car was or how it was treated during those 1500 miles. Very likely it was a demo for the dealership though.

unfortunately, many dealers will demo one car and/or trade cars with other dealers and it is a lot cheaper to drive the cars from dealership to dealership than to transport them and as long as the car isn't titled, it is considered new.

this almost happened to my dad when he was looking at new trucks, the one he test drove had 500 miles on it since it was traded with a dealer from new york, after the dealer refused to discount it since we claimed it was used, we simply left and didn't look back.

bottom line is that you just dont know how the car was treated during those early miles which can be really critical to the engine and transmission life.

 

[pac1085]

Apparently it was one of those 24 hr test drive cars...went to the dealer and got it figured out. Its a totally loaded cavalier ls, was 12g after tax title liscense all the other bs...for a simple winter beater, you cant do much better (with a new car, not used)

And to all the morons that trolled the thread saying the cavalier is a piece of shit, I know it is. But its a point a to b winter car for him when hes not driving...this 650rwhp

oh and before you guys even say it! LT1 sucks, pontiac sucks, gm sucks, get a rice burner vtec is so much faster!!!!, etc etc!

 

[NutBucket]

That's still no excuse to buy a Cavalier. If all you want is a POS winter car why buy a new one of anything to begin with?

 

[PricklyPete]

Who the hell buys a NEW cavalier? A used one is a bad enough investment...but a NEW one? Did he shop any any other dealership? I'd take a Kia over a Cavalier any day of the week.