Used Car Buyer Sues Individual Seller and Wins

[@lat1502]

I have a simple trick I use when buying a used car. It's not fool proof, but it is helpful. When I contact the seller on the phone, I mention that I will be bringing my brother, a mechanic, to give a test drive and inspection of the car. I listen for the reaction of the seller. If it's a simple, "Sure, no problem". There's a good chance the cars ok. If the seller starts putting up reasons that there is no reason to bring a mechanic or he doesn't have the time to have it checked, that's a big red flag to me. For the record, I don't have a brother who is a mechanic.

[@mph5896]

I sold a car many years ago. Buyer said it was for his daughter that had a baby. I said, should be a good car for her. The buyer was a slimy dealer testing my integrity. Saw the car on his lot a week later for double the price.

[@weldabar]

Better yet, ask if you can have your mechanic look it over. I did that with my current car, i knew up front there were $1200 in repairs needed, and i bought it for a fair price.

[@VroomBox42]

My lawyer once told me that deciding who is telling the truth in a civil case is called the preponderance of perjury

[@RatKindler]

I saw a People's Court episode where a teenager sued a guy over misrepresenting the state of a car that ended up needing an expensive repair. The teen went to the same shop the guy did and got the car's repair history and found that the guy was notified of the problem by the shop in the past. He won the case and the judge was impressed with his initiative since these kind of "as is" sale cases don't usually win.

[@mikew6765]

If I was selling a car with an engine swap using a new crate engine I'd certainly use that as a selling point. An engine with low miles adds value in most buyer's mind. My guess is the repair shop didn't want anyone to know that they install junkyard engines.

[@jblyon2]

Agreed. If I was buying a vehicle with higher mileage and the seller had documentation showing that a brand new engine had been installed I would consider that vehicle to be worth more.

[@UncleKennysPlace]

Most shops install used engines, because buyers are cheap.

[@mikew6765]

@@daves7775 Good point.

[@shaneallard6008]

@@daves7775 those are generally not transferable

[@treesnmoguls]

Crate engine would have costed a BOATLOAD! Almost never worth it, especially for a North American made VW...

[@simonmaguire5250]

If he did not give her the paperwork she asked for why did she buy it?

[@apburner]

Back in the 60's my dad was selling a car. While he was negotiating with the buyer I said "Hey dad, did you tell him about the crash?". The man smiled and looked at me and told me, "Son someday you will understand when to be silent.". Then he walked away. Lol

[@skittlemenow]

You was just helping dad to be a better man.

[@nukepuke932]

And then you were beat to within an inch of your life, right?

[@Wrangzilla]

Sounds like when I took my daughter to Disney a week after she turned 5. 4 and under was free at the time. The lady asked how old she was and I said she was 4. My daughter all proud of turning 5 said “no I’m not, I’m 5”. I said she turns 5 tomorrow and she’s just confused. Moral of the story? Don’t do business around kids….

[@iuse9646]

I'd feel so bad

[@billyhawkins1150]

@@Wrangzilla moral of story, the daughter should not use you as a role model. teaching her to lie and cheat is not what one would call good parenting.

[@JeremyHolovacs]

This is why whenever I'm selling something, I make sure to explicitly call out everything I think is wrong with it. Hurts the bottom line of what I can get for it, but no judge is going to entertain that a buyer didn't know exactly what they were getting into.

[@ThereIsNoOtherHandleLikeMine]

The whole thing is junk. Good luck!

[@WeedMIC]

That's what all honest people do.

[@JeremyHolovacs]

@@WeedMIC *gasp* how dare you accuse me of that!

[@mrfordman9999]

My whole family and I like to buy cars fix them up and resell them for vacation money gram a little extra jingle. It's no business but the way I look at it I want the person buying this car to know everything I've done to it and everything I knew about it as that is the most honest path.

[@reginaschellhaas1395]

@@mrfordman9999 I hope you have many "good karma" earned vacations! I have great respect for your honesty, thank you!

[@xlerb2286]

As an MG owner I can say there are certainly things such as meaningless leaks. ;) Dad and I replaced the engine on a '63 Ford pickup with a rebuilt engine. A pretty straightforward operation on a vehicle that simple. But about a month later a cylinder wall cracked so we put in a thin sleeve. That's just one of many things that have been done to that truck over a long hard life. If I were to ever sell that pickup I don't know how I'd ever truthfully represent it: "See this radiator cap? That's original, everything else is replaced, repaired, rebuilt, or reworked by two guys that maybe knew what they were doing - on a good day."

[@johnhufnagel]

It's British. If there ain't no oil under 'em, there ain't no oil in 'em! fellow MG owner 😄

[@davidturk6170]

To be fair, hardly anyone would expect a 30+ year old vehicle to be original unless specifically stated as such.

[@dongrant5827]

If the radiator cap on a 30 year old Ford truck is still original, I’d ask for a new one before I sealed the deal!

[@robinkuruda5249]

😂😂😂😂😂 👍👍

[@JasonW.]

My wife has a first gen RX-7. It was easier to replace the cardboard covering the garage floor than clean the engine enough to find all the leaks. I half assumed it would leak more if I removed the protective crust it has developed.

[@truckingmarine102]

One of the expressions used to describe someone shady has been “used car salesman” given their Notorious reputation. And as it stands, it looks like that expression will be used for centuries.

[@JasonW.]

Used horse for sale. Low miles, new shoes and comes with floormats

[@lonebikeroftheapocalypse9527]

Washington state governor Jay Insleezy gives off a definite used car salesman vibe.

[@corey6393]

Whenever I sell a vehicle (maybe once or twice a year) I always fill out a bill of sale. I include the words "vehicle sold as is, where is. No warranty expressed or implied". My dad was a state trooper long ago, and that was his direct instruction to me. He dealt with car and truck dealers daily at work. I also always give a very detailed description of what does and does not work on the vehicle, and whatever I know about it, good and bad. Not worth the hassle to lie to a buyer. I stopped the sale of a first gen 4runner a couple of years ago after I went for a test drive after I installed new summer tires and cruised up into the mountains. The clutch started to slip, which I did not notice over the winter as I was driving much more gently. When I got home that night I called the kid that wanted it for his fist car, and told him I would not sell it to him in that condition. The kid was really bummed, but his uncle was happy that I refused the sale. I ended up selling it to another guy that could fix it himself, as I really didn't feel like dealing with it at that time.

[@upminer6162]

I do the same and some people freak out about it. I've even had a sale fall through because they wouldn't sign it and I refused to sell it to them. I've never been trying to hide anything selling a car but I've been that guy who's bought a car and had issues a month later and the first thing in my mind was they knew (whether they did or not) and how to make them pay...so I just want it clear there is no warranty. I even had a van I sold to a young mother where it left her stranded 2 days later with a dead battery. I had never had an issue with it. She wasn't rude but sent me a message complaining. I went over there with my tester and it was shot. I bought her a battery because it was the right thing to do.

[@skittlemenow]

Always always always get a mechanic you trust to inspect a car before buying. It will save you so much money in the long run. Personally When I sell my used cars I usually disclose any relevant issues up front. I'd rather make an honest couple bucks and never have to deal with a law suit or more likely a bunch of angry phone calls and some yelling than make a little more money dishonestly.

[@stephaniedison4878]

Same here, but sadly, a lot of people don't care and would rather be dishonest and shady.

[@treesnmoguls]

Absolutely! I am assuming the buyer did NOT take the 12 YEAR OLD VW to a mechanic (VERY STUPID!).

[@HANGtheTraitors]

you find me a mechanic I can trust, and I will always always always go there for all mechanical purposes

[@mph5896]

Last car I sold, the buyer texted me asking questions for the next 2 weeks. A little annoying, but he was a nice enough guy so I went along.

[@dansw0rkshop]

It was a VW! The mechanics I trust will laugh. There WILL be $5k of repairs no matter what. Audi's are bad too. Driving it new off the lot causes more than $5k of damage.

[@crabbypapa3862]

Dealership costs more than mechanic shops. They also tend to want to replace All gaskets when only valve cover gaskets may need to be replaced. I would have needed to see Exactly everything that was replaced before siding with the buyer. If the buyer had gotten written estimates from different shops, gone to the seller and requested restitution and Then gone to court, I would still sided with the seller if an oil leak was the only problem.

[@werberderber6209]

Back around 2009 I bought a car for my son( i paid for it with a check), the owner said there was no isuues or oil leaks on the car with the exception of a valve cover leak, I drove the car home and parked it in front of the house, woke up the next day and there was a big leak on the engine, it was the rear-main seal, I called the bank and verified the check was not cashed yet, I canceled the check right there and took the car and title back to the owner parked it in thier driveway knowcked on thier door and handed the keys and title back to them and told them why. Before taking the car back I jacked it up, they had a pile of silicone on the on the open spaces trying to stop the leak from showing up. When buying a used car pay the money to get an inspection done, I usually do my own bit in this case the car sat low to the ground and I couldn't see the bottom of the car very well, if they refuse to let you take it for an inspection walk away.

[@Nevir202]

I've never bought a used car expensive enough to justify the cost of an inspection lol.

[@dcgeorge3255]

Of course the replacement engine is better than the old one as no one would replace a perfectly good engine.

[@KingDon77-24]

happens a lot. Better performance, more power, shinier metal, bored. There are many reasons beyond repairing an issue to change the motor.

[@dcgeorge3255]

@@KingDon77-24 Electric vehicles have motors. We are talking about an engine here.

[@DocTommy1972]

It always makes me smile when Steve can combine two of his passions, law and cars

[@JasonW.]

$4500 would be an engine swap type repair. There must have been a huge tell under the car if it needed that much work. As far as previously swapped engine, an inspection pre purchase should have included that too.

[@BabyGators]

Not necessarily on a VW. I imagine engine replacement would be closer to 8 or 9k. Freaking crappy, expensive to repair vehicles.

[@jrichardson-m9m]

Having worked at audi for a bit I can say 4500 could be a valve cover reseal plus a couple other small things. They use a integrated valve cover/cam holder on their 4cyl engines. Parts are negligible labor is very high.

[@BabyGators]

@@jrichardson-m9m makes sense. Especially at a dealer.

[@JasonW.]

@@jrichardson-m9m How many wedding rings does it cost to replace Audi valve cover gasket? Four Rings

[@johnschreiber1574]

I am quite sure the replacement engine was at least slightly better than the original one. Whatever happened to caveat emptor? Some of that VW stuff is genetically defective.

[@CrankyBeach]

Long ago my then-husband and I bought a used Honda Accord from an individual. The car had apparent low mileage appropriate for its age... but if I recall correctly, the odometer only had 5 digits (not including the 1/10 mile digit). After we had had the car for a couple of years, the engine needed to be rebuilt. The mechanic who did the job told us that once he got the engine apart, it showed clear evidence of having been rebuilt before. That was when we realized that the apparent low mileage figure should have had an extra "1" on the front, i.e. the car had 150k miles instead of the 50k that the digit-deficient odometer showed. Somewhere along the line we found out that the seller had been a traveling salesman, which certainly explained how a car that age could easily have had well over 100k miles on it.

[@MonkeyJedi99]

That's why one bit of good advice has helped me. "Check the pedals, steering wheel and driver's side floor for wear."

[@paulsz6194]

​@@MonkeyJedi99 Not only that, gear shift know, drivers seat cushion bolster, even the seat belt for fraying & wear. Ask the question: " so what can you tell me about the car?" They should be able to summize they way they have used & treated the car within 10 seconds...

[@mariatorres9789]

Sounds like you got your use out of it.

[@lawrencebraun7616]

I remember years ago The People's Court, Judge Wapner, someone bought a used car with bad brakes and sued. The seller had to pay for the brake job because by law the car had to have working brakes to sell it

[@kamX-rz4uy]

I remember that too. I don't know if it's the case with all states that have inspections but at least in some the seller has to clearly disclose in writing to the buyer anything that would cause it to fail inspection even if sold as-is.

[@gerardtrigo380]

I have swapped out a few engines in my day. Some were in and out in about 4 hours. (1960's) The easiest and generally cheapest were the crate engines. Too often "junk yard engines," while cheaper to buy, needed work before being installed. In one case a guy blew his engine and got a replacement for only $50 from the junk yard. Unfortunately, the engine he got was from a "stationary mount," and lacked all the usual mounting holes for thinks like power steering and air conditioning. brackets. Having just the mount for an alternator. By the time the engine was run tested, and holes drilled and tapped for the mounting brackets, he could have bought a crate engine for a lot less. BTW other changes had to be made for it to fit his car. We had to remove the exhaust manifolds from the stationary engine and install the ones from his car and a new water pump had to be installed along with engine mounts.

[@BrianDavis-no6gy]

And who knows what the power range of the cam was. No torque needed for starting from a dead stop ?

[@mykgidera7663]

Behind the US Coast Guard sign

[@kele1264]

You did pronounce Okanagan correctly. I know someone in Kelowna. It's spelled the way I wrote in Canada. There's an Okanogan (spelled that way) in Washington state, pronounced the same way.

[@briangarrow448]

Washington viewer here! Yes, this is just another example of the close connection between BC and Washington state. I still have nearly half of my family members that live in British Columbia. Have a great day!

[@gillgetter3004]

I bought a used van from a used car lot once, I was young and pretty gullible. My dad said why didn’t you get me to go? The van needed brakes including drums wheel cylinders etc etc which my dad and I replaced. It actually ran good trans good and was a pretty good work van after all.

[@tokar420]

Your pronunciation of Okanagan is spot on. The Okanagan is an area as compared to a municipality, and is known for its scenery, recreational activities, wineries, and so much more. The Okanagan Valley is comprised of four larger municipalities being that of Kelowna, West Kelowna, Penticton, and Vernon, along with many other smaller villages and towns. Generally the Valley is located about a 4 hour drive, Northeast of Vancouver BC, Canada, with friendly people (we are Canadian after all) ready to welcome you. For anyone wishing to enjoy a vacation around here, I would suggest a couple days in Victoria, our provincial capital, followed by a week up in the Okanagan Valley doing a wine tour plus. Then back down to Vancouver to catch a cruise up to Alaska. The reverse is also an option. Arrive in Alaska, cruise to Vancouver, take a bus to the Valley to enjoy the scenery, tour the wineries, then back to Vancouver to take a ferry to Victoria and while in Victoria tour our legislative buildings followed by High Tea at the Empress Hotel. I would also suggest having dinner at The Salmon House on the Hill in West Vancouver, timing your arrival to have your first cocktails as you view the city of Vancouver during daylight. As you then savour your meal, the sun is setting, and as you then are endulging in a little dessert and aperitif, you will then see the view provided by the lights of the night. Feel free to contact me for more information. Sorry this is so long, but it is something to be proud of.

[@JasonWardStudios]

I like to think of it like Canada's equal to the interior of California. I little cooler, but it's generally a dry place, protected from the rains and snows by the Coastal mountain range, so it's generally more appealing through much of the year weather-wise vs. coastal communities like Vancouver, Gibsons, Powel River, etc.

[@TimIrwin26]

It also extends down into N. Central Washington. Gorgeous area.

[@glenslick2774]

@@TimIrwin26 Yep, Okanogan County in Washington extends all the way down to Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River, which is the largest hydroelectric plant in the United States. Nice area for a road trip.

[@the_omg3242]

@@JasonWardStudios While the Okanogan does tend to get less rain in the summer than the Vancouver area, you get much colder weather and more snow in the winter. Proximity to the ocean tends to make winters in Vancouver generally pretty mild.

[@the_omg3242]

It's also possible Steve was refering to the small town of Okanagan Falls south of Penticton. (at the south end of Skaha lake) I lived there for a few months when I was finishing high school in Penticton way back in the 70's.

[@dennisberman4640]

Ben - Pretty obvious. Above US Coast Guard, Steve's right.

[@johnnie5wreckingyard]

A dealer says you need to spend thousands of bucks on a car Wow how unusual lol😂😅

[@idristaylor5093]

Ben in front of the Idaho number plate.

[@57WillysCJ]

Many of the larger salvage yards will offer a warranty on an engine or transmission. I paid the extra on an automatic transmission and it went out in three months. They replaced it with labor which was 4 times the policy cost at the time. I don't normally pay extra for a warranty but if it is an engine or transmissionboth of which is rare for me, I will put out the extra as with the way things go for me, it will happen far from home.

[@mph5896]

Standard warranty is 30 days warranty, exchange. No labor covered. You pay extra $ for a better warranty

[@c-v-n3322]

That's why you take the car to a mechanic to check it over before you buy it. Normally if you need parts cheap then store, you go to a reclaiming yard where they have these parts we don't call them junk yards anymore.

[@MagesseT1]

Auto parts recyclers

[@bc2578]

Yes we do.

[@nodsib]

Okanagan resident here, you nailed the pronunciation btw. It’s a large area of the BC southern interior around Okanagan Lake, which includes many cities and towns. It’s a great area, definitely a must visit spot in western Canada known for orchards, vineyards, lakes, mountains and skiing, forests and even deserts at the southern end.

[@SaxaphoneMan42]

2:55 rule of thumb with old vehicles, if the oil doesn't puddle on the ground, it's not enough to worry about.

[@the_omg3242]

Better rule of thumb with old vehicles is if oil doesn't puddle on the ground, check and see if it's got any.

[@Caladian]

As someone that grew up in the area. You said the name correctly.

[@AndrewFremantle]

Your pronunciation of Okanagan is spot on! 👍

[@randalthor741]

You pronounced Okanagan right, but it's not actually a town, it's a region. It's especially known for wineries and orchards.

[@patrickmurphy631]

It is a town in Washington State, but since the case is in Canada it gets confusing. Okanagan region of Canada is north of Okanogan County (with the town of Okanogan) in Washington.

[@BrettCaven]

Okanagan is the correct spelling, actually. The Okanagan Valley is a region in southern British Columbia. You might be thinking of Okanogan, WA, which is a city.

[@priayief]

The lawsuit took place in Kelowna, BC, Canada which is located in the Okanagan Valley - often confused with Okanogan County in Washngton State.

[@cheesygal]

@@priayief it’s been a few years since I’ve been to Kelowna. Cute little town back in the 80s.

[@01trsmar]

Also has a Desert..

[@franksnowboarder]

The one dealer said repairs would be around 2k the other dealer said around 4k. Did she search for the most expensive dealer?

[@mrcryptozoic817]

Good question, but...They saw a woman coming and you can assume the rest of the story.

[@SeanBZA]

Depends on the dealer, and really with an engine or trans it is "strip to quote" because there can be a whole lot of sins hiding under that valve and crank case covers.

[@askforbelinda]

Incredible, glad she won! Some justice still exists 😊

[@mattalford3932]

You don't have to fix every oil leak lol.

[@mph5896]

So what did the pre purchase inspection show😂

[@crispincain9654]

20 years ago I purchased a 1975 Chevy C-10 pick up, long bed, 4X4, 4 speed, etc. for $1500. The previous owner told me a long story about how his daughter used to drive it to college and Tahoe, rebuilt the top end and on and on. About three years ago I paid the registration on-line, and I noticed the chance to pay another $2 for a complete history. So I ponied up. That guy had bought it from a junk yard 4 months before I bought it! The thing still runs, I keep it well. The previous owner sees me drive by regularly as I must pass his home to get to work!

[@dpwaaw]

Lucky for the seller the judgement was in Canadian dollars .......

[@1BYEBYE1]

Okanagan is a term for outside of the lower mainland which is vancouver. It's basically just a name for a bunch of towns and cities combined like a province/state.

[@markymarc136]

Yes, Steve, that is the correct pronunciation of the word. You're getting better at this, keep up the good work!

[@01gtbdaily30]

B.C Canada resident here . There is no city named “Okanagan” here the name refers to a valley in the B.C interior that has a few cities/Towns located . Kelowna B.C is the main city that doubles in size during the summer and winter for tourism.

[@johnnolen8338]

Your pronunciation is correct, sir. I was born in Washington where there is also a town called Okanogan. Furthermore, the hospital where I was born was located on Okanogan Avenue. [The hospital no longer exists but that is where it was when it did.] Also I understand the Canadian spelling is different but the pronunciation is identical.

[@JimLambier]

She bought a 2009 in 2021 and she didn't bother getting in inspected first??? How could she not expect problems? Even if you are buying a car that old from your own mother, take it in first for a good mechanic to inspect. Any car that age will have a list of issues.

[@thegorgon7063]

In this day and age it shouldn't (disclaimer I don't know what US built cars are like) beyond wear and tear items - if it has a service history. My former neighbour's son still has my old 2002 VW and other than the usual brakes, exhaust... it hasn't needed any work. For me the red flag here is the seller being shady about the maintenance history. Then again in the UK it helps that I can lookup the road worthiness test (MOT) records for a vehicle online.

[@noseboop4354]

Stop victim blaming. She questionned the seller and asked for detailed service records, the seller lied and misrepresented the vehicule, it's the seller who is at fault, end of story.

[@tlafeir]

@@noseboop4354 shes not a victim, shes a Karen who got her way. Its an old car.

[@JimLambier]

@@tlafeir Thanks for your sanity check! After reading the other comment, I thought I must have missed something and so I re-watched the video twice. But nope, I didn't. The "victim" asked for service records twice and never got them. She didn't bother taking the car to a mechanic who would, without a doubt have seen an oil leak. When you toss in the fact that the car was 12 years old, she wasn't a victim, she was a lottery winner with that 5K$ win.

[@edwardcoffman9713]

I'm from Michigan so Steve should be able to give a solid answer to this question if it might be different state to state. I was told when I was a young man when you sell a vehicle to another private individual. That you always want to put "sold as is "on the bill of sale. This is basically the statement of lack of warranty and protection from the buyer coming back and making any claim against you. If" sold as is" on the bill of sale doesn't protect a seller in court I sure would like to know.

[@vernowen2083]

I drive my vehicles into the ground. By the time I'm done with them the odometer is well over 200k and the body is falling apart. I then send them to the junkyard after parting them out, since the drivetrain is always in good repair. My current vehicle is nearing 200k and I just had the clutch replaced and the transmission rebuilt, since the body is still in great shape.

[@lonebikeroftheapocalypse9527]

My 2000 Pontiac Grand MA has 266k right now.

[@1959Aeroflyte]

You are saying it correctly. Well done! Okanagan

[@ronvalley1973]

Buying a used car from a private party in the 70's was nice cause folks were honest, back then.

[@kele1264]

❓❓ Steve, question: If you happen to record a conversation that takes place between buyer and seller in a one party state, is it usually admissible in court? Say you're the buyer who records the transaction, seller lies in court. You tell judge seller is lying, seller denies. You tell judge you recorded the transaction for self protection, just in case. Is the court obligated to hear it, as irrefutable evidence? Thank you.

[@johnhufnagel]

definitely want to hear the answer on that.

[@TheQuickSilver101]

Doesn't it depend on where you live? I'm pretty sure it's legal in some areas and illegal in others

[@chrisbaker8533]

Depends on the state, and the judge. If it's a 2 party consent state, if you don't advise the person you're recording, or they refuse, then the court, generally, will refuse to allow it, as it was obtained 'illegally'. If you're in a 1 party consent state, it's generally allowed, but can still be situationally dependent. It's always going to be dependent on whether the judge will allow it regardless. I'd recommend speaking with an attorney in your state, before you attempt to use it, as it's possible that the recording can get you in trouble.

[@kele1264]

@@TheQuickSilver101 Thank you. I edited my question to read "in a one party state". My main gist of my question is that if it's recorded legally, is a judge obligated to listen to the recording. It drives me nuts when judges refuse to consider irrefutable evidence that was obtained legally. If judges are supposed to be fact finders, and you are in possession of proof of said facts, shouldn't they be required to consider?

[@jmfranklin]

That is the correct pronunciation. Thanks, Steve!

[@CarswithNash]

You did pronounce it correctly. I kinda have to side with the seller on this one, oil leaks and other problems are normal and should be expected on a SUV that age and price in this part of the world, you will literally struggle to find one that isn’t soaked in oil on the bottom and needing thousands of dollars of repairs, that is just how it is in that range of the used car market. This why you pay four times more than that for the same vehicle when it’s brand new.

[@BrianBoniMakes]

Couldn't the court compel the shop that swapped the engine to provide the records?

[@ETT64]

I learned the hard way, in my 20's, to only buy from a dealer. From an individual, I bought a used 1980 VW diesel Dasher on Friday the 13th. On Sunday the 15th; the motor blew. Since then all my vehicles have been bought from a dealer.

[@the_omg3242]

Dealers can screw you just as bad and probably have a lawyer on speed dial. There's a reason car dealers have a bad reputation.

[@ETT64]

@@the_omg3242 That may be true. But I personally have always been treated better by a dealer than any private individual. And as video just explained; you have more legal recourse when buying from a dealer.

[@eugenetswong]

Steve, your pronunciation of "Okanagan" is great! By the way, it's a region and not a town. It's like a huge American county with several towns, and maybe cities. I live in and have visited there many times for various reasons. Thank you, Steve.

[@garthrules1]

Small claims court equivalent that doesn't actually have a judge presiding over it. Appeals to an actual court almost always get overturned

[@fredblase5608]

My experience has generally been that win a vital fluid QUITS leaking the real problem shows up, and gets EXPENSIVE!!! I"ve used real cheap junk yard parts and every thing went OK, and paid up big time for parts that failed miserably! Just the way thing go!

[@CrankyBeach]

I'm not from Okanagan and haven't been there... but about 30 years ago my then-husband and I were visiting Victoria, and a waiter in a restaurant convinced him to try Okanagan pale ale. I am not a beer drinker... but I took a taste, and it was VERY nice. (And the waiter pronounced Okanagan the exact same way as you did.)

[@casey6556]

As someone from the Okanagan, you did indeed pronounce it correctly which is a rarity! However, it’s a Valley and a region, not a city. Based on the article, it looks like he’s from the area around Kelowna which is also where I’m from.

[@Knight_of_NI]

Thanks brother

[@aeroscout7595]

Ben wants to join the coast guard

[@Bobs-Wrigles5555]

Ben trying to get on the Unicycle by using US Coast Guard as a step up, Steve's RHS

[@daversj]

You pronounced Okanogan correctly Steve. Actually i have no idea how its pronounced. But since one thousand other people said you were correct I will jump on that train.

[@edmalin7359]

Another great video that covers an area of law that affects the lives of us ordinary citizens. Only once did I sell a used car to a private buyer. I did sell to junk yards but otherwise I would use a car until it had no personal value to me and then give it away. I didn't ever want to deal with the issue of a buyer thinking I ripped them off. Now I'm thinking I shouldn't even give a car away and just sell it or give it to a junkyard. In that one time I sold to an individual it was after checking him out and finding he would take care of this vehicle I had kept and maintained for so long. I really don't want to deal with anyone unsatisfied with a car purchase. The preponderance of evidence standard in civil cases does bother me. It's the reason many boxing matches have such terrible outcomes. Boxing judges scoring rounds as a draw is frowned upon and they are urged to pick a winner in each round, so when rounds are very close they end up deciding based on their personal biases and close matches often favor one fighter over the other for no apparent reason. In a civil case tipping the scale just slightly when there is little evidence available doesn't seem like the way to achieve justice either. A tie should be a possible outcome in a civil trial.

[@billcosharek2932]

Will you please tell Ben to move out of the way, I cannot read the Idaho plate.

[@KingDon77-24]

Whenever I sell a vehicle I am diligent in disclosing issues I know about. I also make a statement to the effect "Your buying a XX year old vehicle there may be other issues I am not aware of yet. I know the last time I put the key in the ignition it started (or didnt start if the case permits) how many more times it starts is a gamble". Some one once asked me if a van I was selling died would I refund them. "I will give you a refund until the transfer paper is signed then the problems belong to you". I had a van once that the CV joint was done. I told the buyer the CV joint was done. He coughed up the money, I signed the paper work. He went to leave the driveway and the CV blew apart. He wanted me to pay to tow the vehicle and have the CV replaced. I responded with "I am a nice guy so here is what I will do, I will help push the van to the side of the road so its not blocking my drive to the bank to deposit your money into my account".

[@morrij01]

I wishes I had that judge with my rotted out boat. The judge treated this like a criminal case telling me he couldn't ask question to technical reports and he wanted the person who did the inspection to show up.

[@flashgordon10001]

I sold a client my Edsel, back in 1983 and the client died when the car fell apart on the freeway

[@lonebikeroftheapocalypse9527]

Well, it was an Edsel...

[@consaka1]

And the people that don't know what they are doing could actually work at the dealer.

[@georgecurtis6463]

As a auto tech and shop owner, I always told my customers to have a shop do a precheck first. Any vehicle. If buying a vehicle manufacturer I worked on, I would do the checks free for them. Truly sad to tell folks their new pride and joy is a vehicle that needs $$$$$$$$$ of repairs if they had bought it without a precheck.

[@lyianx]

Most people would think to ask "has the engine been replaced" because that isn't a common thing to happen to a normal car. But if she asked "any issues with the engine" then that would have been the time to disclose the swap.

[@aniquinstark4347]

Most people wouldn't have to ask because we would get it inspected by a mechanic before buying

[@Thomas63r2]

One of the issues with getting a replacement engine out of a salvage yard is verifying the actual mileage of the engine. It bothers me greatly that a lot of salvage yard engines all seem to be very low mileage - it is not believable that all salvage yard engines would be low mileage. Another related issue is possible odometer fraud on the SUV the replacement engine came out of. Even on modern cars with electronic odometers, fraud happens frequently. So maybe this low mileage replacement engine was not so low in miles - hence why it was so leaky and needing $4,000 in repairs. The seller did himself no favors by bringing no documentation to court - unless that was done on purpose as a gamble.

[@brianloke1453]

Hi Steve, you pronounced Okanogan correctly. I live in Chesaw, WA which is very close to Canada. My town happens to be in Okanogan County and is pronounced just like Okanogan in Canada.

[@davemckee4907]

The buyer should get a mechanic to check out the used car they want to buy first ,before the purchase,if they don't know what they are looking at.

[@mph5896]

That’s the issue. People don’t take responsibility anymore. Cry foul after the fact. Did the seller have a responsibility by law to disclose an engine swap? I doubt it😂

[@treesnmoguls]

Amazing how people will waste money on all kinds of crap, but won't fork over a few bucks for a pre-purchase inspection!

[@christielawrence4640]

Thank you, Steve!!

[@raybrensike42]

Among the people I've bought cars from a different motor is always a plus, and a 6 pack of beer in the trunk a bonus.

[@MrJeffcoley1]

Intentional fraud takes precedence over “as is”

[@iainclark5258]

That is the correct pronunciation. The Okanagan river runs south from Okanagan lake in BC to Okanogan WA. Yes, they are spelled differently. Other fun O names in the area are Omak, Osoyoos, Orondo, Oliver, Oroville, Okanagan Falls and Olalla. They are almost all on a 100 mile stretch of Highway 97, the Alaska Highway. Also see Ogopogo said to live in Okanagan Lake.

[@Sidicas]

Yup, i have a Prius with only 80k miles on it, bought it for only 8k. When i bought it i took it to my trusted mechanic and he said it was seeping oil and it is a known issue with the gaskets created in the factory, they are not a sized gasket part, they are created from a direct quick apply gasket material that is known to leak after some years. Have to take the entire engine out to fix it. I have had the car for 4 years, the car is now 12 years old and its never been low on oil, so its never been a problem, so never had a need to take it in to be fixed.

[@daninraleigh]

Wow, this is the first time I've actually seen Ben!

[@Levman74]

An engine replacement is irrelevant, it works doesn't it?

[@domfer2540]

Good. The same thing applies to selling a house. In Florida there is a disclosure law, seller has to inform buyer of anything about the house or neighborhood.

[@BruceS42]

Never mind a gas station parking lot! That's generally paved, fairly level, with lots of light, and even products from the QuickiMart. I changed out engines behind my father-in-law's house, on a bit of grassy slope. When done, I was able to start up the car (with it's "new" engine) and drive it off. Having a gas station parking lot would have been a luxury to me then. I did later sell that car. I don't recall if I told the buyer I'd replaced the engine, but I *think* so, as it was just one part of a large project to restore the car, and he was interested in what I'd already done, and what remained to be done.

[@leepower2717]

Wouldn't each individual engine have a manufacturers serial number stamped in to it somewhere on the block? Surely someone at VW could know / trace which VIN matches the replacement engine number. Also doesn't the title / vehicle registration document have the factory fitted engine serial number printed on it alongside the VIN etc.

[@sassed12many]

Everyone I know who has owned a VW in the past 10 years has replaced the motor at their expense. Wouldn't touch one

[@DIYDaveOK]

I'm not sure the failure to disclose an engine swap is truly a material defect. Heck, for a VW, it might be an improvement. Hard for me to see actual fraud here that would have allowed the plaintiff to prevail in a US court. If the seller refused to provide maintenance records that should have been a huge red flag to the buyer.

[@dcl97]

Anyone describing a 14 year old Volkswagen as "reliable" is clearly lying.

[@Dave-ty2qp]

Who in their right mind would buy a volkswagon in the first place? The judge should have ordered a mental competency test to the buyer.

[@frederickflores8152]

All depends on the seller. I bought an 01 civic from a kid in his early 20's who had it about a year. He flat out told me the engine was not original and had 130k miles as opposed to the 200k on the odometer. I bought it for 700 bucks and am still driving it today. Only stuff I've ever done is general maintenance and replaced worn parts

[@cheesygal]

You are pronouncing Okanagan correctly. Good job!

[@tmurrayis]

Your pronunciation is correct. The Okanagan is a region or area in the interior of British Columbia that includes several towns and cities (Vernon, Kelowna, Penticton to name a few).

[@AlexA-nd3yy]

You are pronouncing Okanagan correctly. Lovely area in the BC interior. 🙂

[@jonathanreedpike]

At what point does the concept of a VIN become , like Theseus' ship, a philosophical argument?

[@allenkeskinen6174]

I had a 1988 Chevy Cavalier that threw a rod. Chevy did not replace the engine with a new one. They replaced the block and used all the good old parts from the original one. Replacing only the damaged parts.

[@davidh9638]

That's the normal way to repair something, right? Keep the good parts.

[@jblyon2]

@@davidh9638 Yeah, but it was a Chevy Cavalier. The chances that any of the parts were good was pretty darn low.

[@ezekiallockhart3388]

@@jblyon2 still more reliable than a Ford festiva/Escort or a Dodge Neon/Stratus or even a modern day Kia.

[@jblyon2]

@Ezekial Lockhart Fun tidbit. Used to work with an utterly incompetent woman who prided herself on having worked for Chrysler on the initial Neon project. Always thought to myself "no wonder it was so terrible!"

[@ezekiallockhart3388]

@@jblyon2 I have only had one Dodge in my life, a Stratus. Burned oil non stop until the engine locked. And that was off the lot.

[@washingtonradio]

If I'm not mistaken in commercial transaction lying about the condition of a product is a good way to get someone to sue you. The seller got in trouble because he's a liar and the judge wasn't going to let him defraud someone. AS-IS does not mean you can lie it just means if you told the truth you can't be sued.

[@ezekiallockhart3388]

Say it louder so all the used car people in this thread defending the sale may actually be made more aware and think logically.

[@roflchopter11]

Private party seller, so not commercial.

[@pplusbthrust]

There's nothing better than getting a good 'junk yard engine' putting it in & it runs great.

[@compu85]

This was a common problem with the 2.0 in the Tiguan. The PCV valve fails, letting the turbo pressurize the crankcase. This blows the rear main seal, making it come unglued from its backing plate. Of course the trans has to come out to fix this. It makes a very major oil leak.

[@jamesmazzone7467]

I had a judge reimburse me being sold the bed car

[@crispycracker5103]

I had a 2001 Toyota corolla that leaked oil for years. I had to keep putting oil in it every week or so. The engine ended up locking up on I40 on the way home from the beach. The parts to fix the leak were too high for me to afford. It was my first car and my job was just a job at that time. The entire engine had to be replaced. That car never went over 80 mph again. It couldn't go over 80 mph. But it got me from A to B for many years more

[@C.Church]

Did you reduce filter swaps figuring adding oil in all the time was like a constant oil change? That could contribute to issues. Just wondering.

[@fisqual]

Those had extreme oil consumption issues. Most of the cars I flipped (when I used to do that kind of thing) were 98-02 Corollas because they were cheap to buy and I could put an 03+ engine into it for a little more money and it would actually then be bulletproof reliable since toyota fixed the oil consumption in the 1zz motors in 2003.

[@lonebikeroftheapocalypse9527]

Beater with a heater...

[@Bryan-vr9mr]

You pronounced Okanagan correctly. Related to that - for your own interest, you might want to research the Ogopogo Monster, which supposedly lives in Lake Okanagan.

[@duncanpope5020]

Hi Steve, MI boy now living in Canada, can confirm that you are pronouncing the name correctly. It is not a town, but a region in the south east of the province of British Columbia.