Beware of Buying a Lemon

Beware of Buying a Lemon

By Wes Horrocks

Well many of you could start seeing your tax returns soon, but if you're going to use the money for a new car make sure to get it checked out. If you don't you could end up spending several thousand dollars that car dealers won't cover.

Darcy Cooper from American Falls thought she was getting a great deal on her new car, only to find out she now has to replace the engine. Mechanic Mike Speer, owner of Mike's Auto Repair explained the damage, "So this piston is broken, this piston is broken in two places, ummm, the end result is this things junk. It needs a new motor."

Speer says he's not sure how the damage occurred, but says something was stuck in the engine that shouldn't have been there. "I don't know if something got dropped through the intake, if something broke inside the car, I don't know. But something went through each one of the cylinders and broke stuff up. And if you look at the head there's something stuck in the exhaust valve and that's why the valve won't close all the way so it can't build compression."

When Darcy bought the car she was told the windshield needed to be replaced, and the seats needed covers, but nothing about engine problems. She even took the car for a test drive, but she didn't notice any problems until it was too late. "Well it started making this noise, and I was like 'Well I'll have my dad look at it when we get back into American Falls.' Well it didn't make it that far," said Darcy.

Altogether Darcy was able to drive the car for two and a half days. And what should have been a $2000 transaction will cost closer to $3500. But Darcy says the worst part is that she doesn't have any options. "It's really frustrating because now they tell me that I have to put a new engine in the car when I just put the money that I did have into buying a car."

Idaho does have lemon laws that help you get a refund if you buy a car that doesn't work, but they only apply to vehicles under a manufacturer's warranty.
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