Location: Portland, OR
This is a long one. I live in Portland, Oregon and bought a 2012 subaru in August of 2023 from what I thought was a reputable used car dealership. I spent just under 11k cash and paid the additional fees for them to transfer the title into my name, I did all the DMV paperwork with the dealership. The big thing here is that I signed an AS IS and did NOT take it to a mechanic before I decided to buy it. The place, JD Auto, had great reviews, was formal and transparent as far as I could tell which clearly doesn’t mean much.
To keep it as short and sweet as possible: I get the car home the same day, check engine light comes on. I take it back, they replaced the AC and say it’s good to go. I get it home and the light comes back on. I take it back and they tell me they can’t do anything because I signed an AS IS form. I take it to the subaru dealership for a diagnostic and they tell me there’s an oil leak somewhere In the engine and I need a whole new engine which starts at 9k. I pass JD Auto the information and they tell me they will pay for an “engine replacement” if I pay $1000 upfront at their mechanic of choosing. I agree, pay the $1000 and the receipt that I get from the mechanic includes things such as new cylinder head gasket kit, piston rings, new spark plugs, etc. once again, I get the car home and the check engine light is on again. I take it to subaru for diagnostic once more and they say I need a whole new engine, possibly a new catalytic converter. On top of all of this, I never received the title in the mail. I called DMV and they told me that even though my tags were current, that I need to take it through DEQ again and get it to pass. Which I cannot do while the check engine light is on, it has failed DEQ. It is now over a year later, JD Auto says they cannot help me unless I want to take it back to their mechanic and pay like anyone else.
When I talked to the mechanic at Subaru a few months ago, they showed me the records for my car, that it was serviced one month before I bought it for a diagnosis and they found the same exact issues I’m having. The mechanic told me I’m not allowed to have a copy of the records because I did not own it at the time. He also let me know it’s not great condition but I can drive it, so I have put some miles on it to and from work in short trips. To me, it is very clear they sold me a jacked up car knowingly. On top of that, the guy who sold it to me quit one week after I purchased.
I know I shot myself in the foot when I signed the AS IS but I’m wondering if there’s anything I can do? I have been absolutely screwed by this dealership. I can’t afford to put a 9 thousand dollar engine in a car I paid just under 11 thousand for. Therefore, I cannot pass DEQ. And cannot get my title and sell it or trade it in. I am at a complete loss and the car is only getting worse.
I would appreciate any insight or advice on how to proceed. I hope I’m not missing any important info and that this isn’t too confusing! Thanks in advance for any input