vehicle advice please

chewie · #1 02/08/12, 11:13 AM

I am sitting here dumbfounded. this weekend my hubs pickup blew up and burnt to the ground. that night when I went to pick him up I noticed low oil pressure in my new (used) tahoe. took it in today and was advised to get rid of it NOW. its a lemon. I feel like i've been kicked in the guts.

got our taxes done on the way to the auto place this morning, and due to my getting a cash gift, of which I spent on the new tahoe, our returns are less than half of usual.

I've had this tahoe a little over a week. used from a dealership. is there any recourse that I can take, or am I just sunk? I think I know the answer, but thought i'd ask. why does god hate me???

elevenpoint · #2 02/08/12, 11:20 AM

God hates you because you may have made a bad decision on a vehicle? How many miles are on it? Thoroughly checked out by a competent mechanic before paying cash for it? No warranty?

Sawmill Jim · #3 02/08/12, 11:21 AM

Sorry about your luck

Trouble seems to come in bunches like grapes

I get all my autos off craigslist and pay cash so far so good .

KIT.S · #4 02/08/12, 11:21 AM

Cash gift? If it was an actual gift from a relative or friend, it may not be taxable. Generally, if a real gift is given, it's taxable to the giver, not the recipient. If you "won" something, that's different, and taxable to you. I don't know anything about cars (except that I desperately need a new(er) one) but check that you don't overstate your income.
Good luck!
Kit

Jolly · #5 02/08/12, 11:57 AM

If it's off of a dealer's lot, it usually has some form of warranty.

Most guys around here (even the small places) tend to give give 30 days, 50/50...IOW, you split the cost with the dealer for any major repairs within 30 days.

Some states have lemon laws for used cars.

So don't despair, start examining your options...

Alice In TX/MO · #6 02/08/12, 12:33 PM

Cash gifts are NOT taxable, if under $13,000, should not have affected your tax return.

Look at your paperwork on the Tahoe. Hopefully you have a 30 day warranty.

Old Vet · #7 02/08/12, 04:13 PM

Any Chevrolet is cheaper to work on than any other manufacture. That is one reason to have it. I didn't know this until my mechanic tole me this.

blufford · #8 02/08/12, 04:17 PM

Have you checked the oil yet?

Darren · #9 02/08/12, 04:21 PM

Like the others have said, if it really has a problem, take it back. Register at http://www.batauto.com/ and ask the mechanics about your problem. Just make sure you really have a problem. Did you hear any strange noises from the engine when the pressure dropped?

mnn2501 · #10 02/08/12, 06:35 PM

Gifts under $13K are not taxable. (IRS Pub 950: Currently, you generally can give gifts valued up to $13,000 per person, to any number of people, and none of the gifts will be taxable.)

What did the mechanic say other than it was a lemon? What exactly is wrong with it?
Did you have it checked by a mechanic? or did you just figure the dealer wouldn't sell a bad car?
Did it have a warranty (in writing) or was it sold 'as is'?

Sounds like you may need a new tax preparer and a new mechanic.

Jerngen · #11 02/08/12, 06:43 PM

If it's been less then two weeks then take it back to the dealer. Tell them the vehicle is a lemon and you don't want it.

If you work with them and choose something else off of their lot....... they'll usually go along with you.

My mother has done this twice now at two different dealerships.

The dealer wants HAPPY customers. Happy customers are repeat customers and they'll spread the word around.
Unhappy customers will badmouth the dealership and that word will get around.

Go talk to them but be firm about getting a different vehicle.

Tad · #12 02/08/12, 06:49 PM

Check lemonjustice.com for S Dakota see if you can get traction there. Sorry to hear about your luck. Personally would touch a chevy with a ten foot pole but others love them.

Old Vet · #13 02/08/12, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tad

Check lemonjustice.com for S Dakota see if you can get traction there. Sorry to hear about your luck. Personally would touch a chevy with a ten foot pole but others love them.

That is a personal dislike. I was only telling them that CM are cheaper to work on.

MO_cows · #14 02/08/12, 08:42 PM

I don't think God gets involved in the used car market!

No need to panic just yet. Even if you bought the vehicle "as is", most dealers care about their reputation. Find out what is actually wrong with it and contact them to see if they will work with you. Cover the cost of the repair, split the cost, something. One time we bought a used pickup "as is, no warranty" and within a week it had transmission trouble. Went back to the dealer anyway and it was a vacuum line, they fixed it on their dime and everybody was happy. Cheap fix to make a happy customer for them, and we recommended them to others after they treated us right. Surely business is still done like that some places in America???

chewie · #15 02/09/12, 12:17 AM

sorry about the god comment, that was way off but its been one of them days. please forgive that.

first--the money was an annunity, I called it a gift. taxable. actually didn't tax too bad, but the income from it shoved us into another bracket and therefore less returns.

second--the vehicle is very clean and appeared straight. I called the previous owner and that seemed on the up. I did my homework best as I could before even seeing it.

the sending unit is dry and the gauge reads very low. using an external gauge also read very low pressure. however. I drove this thing for around 300miles since buying it and it purrs like a kitten. even when stopping completely, and the gauge is reading little to no pressure, there is not a sound, puff of smoke, ping, nothing but a purring engine.

in doing some more online searching, it could be as simple as a line clogged going to the sending unit. another thought was the oil bypass valve in the block where the filter fits in. and more simply, a poor oil job/clogged filter. hubs is going to re-do that tomorrow, and I will be calling the dealership to see what they say. just to be sure they know there is an issue if by next week, its not something we can figure out/fix or want to deal with. i don't want to mess it up by letting one too many days slip past.

a tiny positive is the burnt up pickup has hopes of returning what it should insurance wise, and while the adjuster was inspecting it, he talked to me about the place I got the tahoe and said good things about them, and to call them, he was sure they'd work with me somehow. and, hubs finally agreed to let the small blazer he hit with a deer be sold, so there is a bit of freed up cash to help us thru this too, and clear it out of the yard.

I am keeping in mind, that pickup was an inferno and I still have my family. was told today by the taxman, "if money can fix it, its not a bad problem" I like that one. they are just vehicles, and altho we are not well off, even without either one, we'd be ok. but dang, MUST this stuff pile up like this? geesh!

and if there are any mechanic types who care to toss in an idea, please please oh please!!

Tad · #16 02/09/12, 04:45 AM

Could be a bad oil filter, the screen on the oil pickup could be clogged or the easiest one.......we had a tractor we worked on in school that had low oil preassure and we went through everything trying to figure out why. Turns out all it was was a dent in the oil pan, something hit it just right and it was blocking oil flow to the pickup. Make sure you didn't ding the oil pan on a branch or a pothole while he changes the oil. We also puklled a jeep motor that had a band-aide blocking the screen....I guess it didn't fix the bo-bo! Glad things are looking up!

wingnut64 · #17 02/09/12, 05:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chewie

sorry about the god comment, that was way off but its been one of them days. please forgive that.

first--the money was an annunity, I called it a gift. taxable. actually didn't tax too bad, but the income from it shoved us into another bracket and therefore less returns.

second--the vehicle is very clean and appeared straight. I called the previous owner and that seemed on the up. I did my homework best as I could before even seeing it.

the sending unit is dry and the gauge reads very low. using an external gauge also read very low pressure. however. I drove this thing for around 300miles since buying it and it purrs like a kitten. even when stopping completely, and the gauge is reading little to no pressure, there is not a sound, puff of smoke, ping, nothing but a purring engine.

in doing some more online searching, it could be as simple as a line clogged going to the sending unit. another thought was the oil bypass valve in the block where the filter fits in. and more simply, a poor oil job/clogged filter. hubs is going to re-do that tomorrow, and I will be calling the dealership to see what they say. just to be sure they know there is an issue if by next week, its not something we can figure out/fix or want to deal with. i don't want to mess it up by letting one too many days slip past.

a tiny positive is the burnt up pickup has hopes of returning what it should insurance wise, and while the adjuster was inspecting it, he talked to me about the place I got the tahoe and said good things about them, and to call them, he was sure they'd work with me somehow. and, hubs finally agreed to let the small blazer he hit with a deer be sold, so there is a bit of freed up cash to help us thru this too, and clear it out of the yard.

I am keeping in mind, that pickup was an inferno and I still have my family. was told today by the taxman, "if money can fix it, its not a bad problem" I like that one. they are just vehicles, and altho we are not well off, even without either one, we'd be ok. but dang, MUST this stuff pile up like this? geesh!

and if there are any mechanic types who care to toss in an idea, please please oh please!!

Your comments about the gauge showing no pressure but the engine purring along fine caught my attention.
You DO want to pay attention to gauges, unless you like walking, lol, but an engine won't get far without oil and not 300 miles, for sure.
Have the gauge AND oil pressure tested. It could be a simple fix-> http://chevroletforum.com/forum/taho...e-whacky-7638/

chewie · #18 02/09/12, 10:59 AM

that's the thing, the mechanic used one of those external gauge, where you take out the sending unit and hook it up directly to get a more true reading. still extremely low pressue?? and the sending unit is bone dry, it should be all oily and messy. that's why I am thinking that the sending unit and gauges aren't getting oil at all for some reason, but the engine is. otherwise, i'd walked home.

I called the dealership, and he's reminding me of the 'as is' about used vehicles, but said he's going to see what they can do. I also called our state's comsumer advococy (spelling is all wrong, sorry) and finding out what rights if any, that I have.

I just want all this drama over with! I want to get back to just having the day in day out normal life on the farm again!! I would really like if this vehicle could be fixed, its really nice and would suit me for years, IF....

thanks for the suggestions

mnn2501 · #19 02/09/12, 01:56 PM

You have to remember when you buy a used car, that the previous owner got rid of it for a reason. When you get to the point that you are ready to buy a certain vehicle, write the deal up subject to inspection by the mechanic of your choice then have it checked out by your mechanic - this usually cost between $50 and $100 at most garages and to me is worth it.

Ramblin Wreck · #20 02/09/12, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KIT.S

Cash gift? If it was an actual gift from a relative or friend, it may not be taxable. Generally, if a real gift is given, it's taxable to the giver, not the recipient. If you "won" something, that's different, and taxable to you. I don't know anything about cars (except that I desperately need a new(er) one) but check that you don't overstate your income.
Good luck!
Kit

What Kit said. Gifts are rarely taxable for the recipient.