What are a buyer’s legal obligations regarding a vehicle trade-in?
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What are a buyer’s legal obligations regarding a vehicle trade-in?
We purchased a new conversion van from a dealer and traded in 2 vehicles for it. We only had 1 of the vehicles with us at the time but they took the other vehicle sight unseen. They asked us to rate the condition on a scale of 1-10 and we gave it an 8. Now, more than 3 weeks later, they are calling and saying it needs a new engine and want us to help them out with that. What are our legal obligations? We don’t believe it needed a new engine when we owned it. We drove it every day without problem. It had over 90,000 miles on it, which they were well aware of.
Asked on May 9, 2012 under General Practice, Ohio
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
Your legal obligations with respect to the vehicle trade in that you have written about would be stated in the presumed written contract that you entered into. The written agreement would set forth the obligations owed to you by the dealer and vice versa.
If you had no idea that one of the cars had a bad engine before you made the deal and the dealer took the car sight unseen in the paper work, that is the dealer's poor business judgment.
From what you have written, it seems as though the dealer is stuck with the transaction it entered into and you have no obligation to "help out" the dealer now.
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