What would you do?

[robhurlburt]

I purchased a '07 4runner with 55k mi on it yesterday. the wife drove it home (1.5hrs), and we then took it out when we went to dinner last night. I noticed the temp gauge fluctuated quite a bit, more than i felt an 07 vehicle should. i checked the coolant level this morning and it was low so i went directly to napa and topped it off. Then i went to lowes and the temp gauge shot right into the red. shut it down and let it cool off. Got it cool enough to where i could drive it home (1mi or so) and changed out the t-stat on it. T-stat fixed the issue as far as i can tell, drove it around for 45mins or so and the gauge was perfectly centered the whole time.

I didn't get it inspected by an independent mechanic, i bought it from a reputable nissan dealer who said they do a 100+ point inspection when they take a car in on trade and found no issues. I bought it as-is, no warranty.

Should i contact the dealer and complain? What are the chances there are other things that were over looked, or did the t-stat just die like that?

really they hold no responsibility since i bought it as-is, but i didn't know if there was something else i should do in-case.

pretty pissed, pretty bummed. i'm supposed to enjoy a new car purchase, not worry.

[patrikman]

I wouldn't let it slide. You took delivery yesterday?

Raise hell...ruined your weekend/wife didn't put out/missed a family party, etc. etc.

[Zstampe]

I'd take it back to the dealer for sure. I'd have them re-imburse you for yout time and parts, I'd also have them do a full leakdown test on the engine because the v6 in these is prone to have headgasket issues after over heating. Make sure they give you the results of the test as well for good measure.

Good luck,
Zach

[volkstyle]

I bought my GTI from a Chevy dealer 1 hour away. Next day the check engine light came on. I called immediately and let them no how disappointed I was and they needed to get it fixed at no cost. The pressure worked and they were pretty good with it.

[onebadbug]

You could call the saleman and let him know but the main thing you should do is check over a vehicle BEFORE you buy it.

Hate to be that guy but the chance of it being low on antifreeze before you signed the papers is huge.

I will admit though that buying a fairly new car these days can encouragge you to let your guard down. Gotta pretend they're all 1975 Novas with 117000 miles.

[robhurlburt]

I bought my GTI from a Chevy dealer 1 hour away. Next day the check engine light came on. I called immediately and let them no how disappointed I was and they needed to get it fixed at no cost. The pressure worked and they were pretty good with it.

did you take it back to them an hour away?

I hate the fact that i would have to drive all the way back for them to work on it, i just don't have the time.

and yes it did ruin my weekend, i was supposed to be at the pool today, not fixing an overheating 4runner

[JettaGT8V80]

as far as i know dealerships are not held to as-is they cant legally sell them as is they all carry at the very least a 30day

[robhurlburt]

sales manager wasn't there today, said i have to call back in the morning

[curvedinfinity]

Demand a new Golf R

[volkstyle]

did you take it back to them an hour away?

I hate the fact that i would have to drive all the way back for them to work on it, i just don't have the time.

and yes it did ruin my weekend, i was supposed to be at the pool today, not fixing an overheating 4runner

Yes I took it back, not knowing the job was going to take days... I was never told the estimated time so I didnt plan ahead. When they said It was going to take 2-3 days, I told the guy at the desk "you should of made me aware of that" and they had somebody give me a ride back. They offered me a truck to drive around but I was not old enough. In my case going through the trouble was well worth it, im sure the intake flapper modds would of cost me in the thousands.

[lojasmo]

as far as i know dealerships are not held to as-is they cant legally sell them as is they all carry at the very least a 30day

Varies by state.

[bryangb]

Demand a new Golf R

This.

[MightyDSM]

Demand a new Golf R

(I think I spend too much time on TCL, because I know what he's talking about)

[NashGTI]

Take it back and most likely the dealer will help you out with the situation, though believe it or not you'd have been better off letting them fix it.

Also, knowing full well I'm going to be flamed for saying this, bear in mind that just about everything works just fine right up until it breaks. I'm not saying there was no flaw with the vehicle when the inspection was done, just remember that it's possible that there was no flaw.

[Grey Mouser]

Take it back and most likely the dealer will help you out with the situation, though believe it or not you'd have been better off letting them fix it.

Also, knowing full well I'm going to be flamed for saying this, bear in mind that just about everything works just fine right up until it breaks. I'm not saying there was no flaw with the vehicle when the inspection was done, just remember that it's possible that there was no flaw.

But it's more than likely this flaw existed and what a reason the owner was trading it in.

[pknopp]

I would let them know but it's not necessarily incompetance on their part. The car may have sat for awhile and the thermostat simply stuck. Unless it was taken for a longer drive it wouldn't have been caught.

I would ask them to pressure test the system. Odds are that you are fine but it's the least they could do and they are only out a little coolant and time.

[ThreadBomber]

Demand a new Golf R

[c0mmon]

its not a big deal but ya bitch and get free money. im jewish btw

[Mr Miyagi]

You let it go because the problem is ****ing solved.

[robhurlburt]

Also, knowing full well I'm going to be flamed for saying this, bear in mind that just about everything works just fine right up until it breaks. I'm not saying there was no flaw with the vehicle when the inspection was done, just remember that it's possible that there was no flaw.

agreed. i can't blame them. maybe they knew about an issue, or maybe there wasn't one until i drove it. i can't prove anything, but a little help would be appreciated. how would i have gotten it back to them to fix it though, tow it? who foots that bill?

But it's more than likely this flaw existed and what a reason the owner was trading it in.

thats my guess

I would let them know but it's not necessarily incompetance on their part. The car may have sat for awhile and the thermostat simply stuck. Unless it was taken for a longer drive it wouldn't have been caught.

I would ask them to pressure test the system. Odds are that you are fine but it's the least they could do and they are only out a little coolant and time.

thats what i am going to do. unfortunately i am going to have to take time off work to drive it up there. i am traveling the next 4 weekends

Varies by state.

any idea if KY is on that list?

[BRealistic]

(I think I spend too much time on TCL, because I know what he's talking about)

Link to? I must have missed that one.

And OP- let them know what happened.
You might get a free oil change out of it.

[retro_rocket]

Demand a new Golf R

Impeccable

Anyhow, it can't hurt to go back and let them know what happened. Be calm and reasonable about it and you might get farther than you expect. Don't go steamrolling in there and start making a scene. Like others have said, while it's entirely possible they glossed over the issue before putting the car on their lot, it's also entirely possible that it was working fine when they had it, and it coincidentally happened to fail right after you bought it.

[bronson75]

Late last year, I helped my mom buy a 2001 Tacoma from a Toyota dealer in Chicago. It was sold as-is, no warranty. I did a VERY thorough inspection, and looked at the "$700 invoice for work perfomed" before we bought it. Everything checked out, before she signed the papers, I asked the salesman if we had any problems after the sale, would we have any recourse, and the answer was a resounding 'no'. As is, no warranty, meant just that. Once it was off the lot, it was her truck, her problems (he was a little pissed, we shopped the truck very hard, and got a TON of money off the asking price). But, they'd be MORE than happy to service it for her after the sale!
If you fixed the issue, I'd call it a done deal. I doubt you'd have any luck talking to them, unless you're a repeat customer, or if they're feeling generous. Chances are they didn't make enough money on the truck to get them to check it over again.

[C4 A6]

(I think I spend too much time on TCL, because I know what he's talking about)

I remember that thread. Was funny.

[Grey Mouser]

hances are they didn't make enough money on the truck to get them to check it over again.

This is laughable. I've seen a dealer take a car I traded in and mark it up 4-5k. They make more money on used vehicles than new most of the time.

[jepva]

If you fixed the problem and so far there's no signs of other problems, I wouldn't worry about it. The 4runner is a great reliable truck and I doubt you'll see any big issues. However, I would call them and just let them know, and be a bit inquisitive to see what they say. That way they at least know about it.

This is laughable. I've seen a dealer take a car I traded in and mark it up 4-5k. They make more money on used vehicles than new most of the time.

Very true. A lot of the dealers are surviving on used cars right now. There is a "shortage" because that is what all the dealers want to sell. The new car market is very tight, with almost all of them selling at invoice or even below. Even with hold-back if a dealer makes $1000 on a new car, that's good money. Sometime it's only $500. So when they get a used car on trade that they can make a 3k+ spread on, they're all over it.

[Venom6]

This is laughable. I've seen a dealer take a car I traded in and mark it up 4-5k. They make more money on used vehicles than new most of the time.

True that. my friend traded in a tC for just under 6k, and a week later it was on sale for 9k. They did do a real good job detailing it inside and out though!

[2.0_Mazda]

Demand a new Golf R

It's a Nissan dealer, I would demand GTR or 370z.

Don't know where you live but in Quebec, I think you have up to 30 days for any problem

[robhurlburt]

This is laughable. I've seen a dealer take a car I traded in and mark it up 4-5k. They make more money on used vehicles than new most of the time.

it was a trade in, so i bet they made some cash. we made an offer, they said no, countered three times and we walked. it was no loss to us, theres a million 4runners out there. 10mins down the road they called us back to take our offer.

i shopped my TJ around to dealers and the offers ranged from 10-11.5K, sold it a week later for 16.5k.

[ThreadBomber]

True that. my friend traded in a tC for just under 6k, and a week later it was on sale for 9k. They did do a real good job detailing it inside and out though!

What did he think was going to happen?

They're not going to sell it for 9k either, more like 8. I would venture a guess that 101% of used cars sold on a car lot are not sold for asking price.

[adrew]

Depending on the original in-service date, it might still have some powertrain warranty left (5 years / 60k miles). If you keep having issues, maybe pop by the Toyota dealership and see what they say.

[emkaytree]

Not sure if serious. Usual wear item breaks on car. Immediately rage that you had to turn a wrench (for nothing serious) on it.

Come the **** on.

[UnimogR]

really they hold no responsibility since i bought it as-is, but i didn't know if there was something else i should do in-case.

.

Exactly. You bought the vehicle "AS IS" that means "AS IS" you understood that too so you have no reason to expect anything from the dealer.

The only thing you could do is take the receipt for the t stat back to the dealer and explain what happened, and they will probably reimburse you for the part. That is all.

[chdavis]

I wouldn't worry about the thermostat as much as potential damage from previous overheating.

[Aonarch]

Demand a new Golf R

I heard this works.

But seriously OP that is BS, demand full compensation, plus some.