Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/06/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Just a brief recap of our situation. We purchased the vehicle on January 25th. The next day the engine suffered a coolant leak and broke down off of I5 in ********. We towed the vehicle to your shop and they said they replaced all the hoses. In early March we had another check engine light with a warning about coolant. So we took the vehicle to our mechanic in ***************. He ordered the parts from Land Rover, they were about 5 weeks out, because they had to manufacturer a couple of pieces. Last week, while installing the parts he noticed the issue with the cylinder on the attached picture.Trying to do my due diligence and good faith effort I scheduled an appointment with Land Rover in ******** to diagnose the issue as well. On the way down there yesterday the vehicle broke down and I had to have it towed to the Land Rover dealership.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/13/2024

  Better Business Bureau
  ****************
  Resolutions Coordinator
  ******************** bbb.org
  
      Re: 21812818
  
  ****************:
  
  Motorcars Limited sells high value used vehicles. We have programs and procedures in place to assure that all vehicles are in good repair when they leave our facility. However, vehicle ownership entails risk, and requires timely and responsible action by owners when problems arise.
  
  The Land Rover was offered and sold without warranty, meaning that the buyer accepted the risk of mechanical breakdown. (See attached Buyers Guide.) ********************** chose not to purchase a service contract The risk he was taking was explained to him, but he elected not to purchase a protection plan, and waived the coverage in writing. (See attached Service Contract Waiver.)
  
  The Land Rover purchased by ********************** was obtained by Motorcars from a Land Rover dealer. It had been through the shop of that dealer for a thorough evaluation and any needed repairs. A copy of the inspection/repair invoice is enclosed.
  
  The Land Rover was delivered to ********************** on January 25, 2024. The next day a coolant pipe leak occurred at the water pump. ********************** contacted Motorcars. Although there was no warranty coverage, Motorcars fixed the leak at its own expense. This was a voluntary, gratuitous goodwill service, not a warranty service. (See attached Agreement and Acknowledgment of Goodwill Service.)
  
  Months later ********************** took the Land Rover to be worked on by others. He did not contact Motorcars about the new problems, probably because there is no warranty coverage. He refuses to supply invoices or other evidence of what work was done.
  
  At the end of May, after the Land Rover was worked on by others, ********************** contacted Motorcars and reported there was now a major issue involving coolant entering a cylinder. He was advised not to drive the vehicle as doing so would likely ruin the engine, and that Motorcars could determine if removing and resurfacing the head would save the engine. Resurfacing the head would cost approximately one quarter of the cost of a new engine. (See attached email string.)
  
  Instead of towing the Land Rover to Motorcars, ********************** chose, against the advice Motorcars had given him, to drive the the vehicle to a Land Rover dealer in ********. He did not make it, the engine suffered a cataclysmic failure on the way. That he ruined the engine by driving with the defect is confirmed by the evaluation he received form the Lynnwood dealer after it was towed the rest of the way. (See Repair Order Detail Customer Copy)
  
  ********************** bought a vehicle with no warranty, chose not to purchase a service contract, and drove the Land Rover knowing it had a major mechanical problem that would likely ruin the engine. It was a very expensive mistake; but it was not a mistake made by Motorcars.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/13/2024

   
  Complaint: 21812818
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I have purchased 5 used vehicles in 20 years and never had any issues with them. In part this is due to the fact that dealers have been thorough in the inspection process and honest about past issues. From the first day we took possession of the vehicle January 26th we had coolant issues. As the dealership mentioned in their response, they in goodwill "fixed" the car. You will note that I have attached the salesman response about what was wrong and how the car will be better than the original setup. We never received any repair orders from the dealer as to what was performed but trusted the word of the salesman. 

  In March we again started to have coolant light warnings, so we took the vehicle to a mechanic that we trust and have used in the past. He informed us that the dealership had simply replaced a few hoses and not addressed the larger issue of the thermostat, cracked water adapter, and radiator hose assembly. Attached are pictures from the inspection in March that show the issues described.

  We ordered the parts from our mechanic, and they took over 6 weeks to arrive. The reason the parts took so long is the needed to be manufactured.  After he installed the new components, we asked him to do a more detailed analysis of the engines condition. He then sent us another picture of the cracked head gasket with coolant in cylinder 5. Picture attached. 

  I was also provided with a packet from the dealer of past maintenance that was done as well as the Car Fax history. I viewed that as a sign of good faith and trusted that I had been provided with honest information. After having these issues, I contacted Land Rover of Bellevue and they refused to release to me any past repair orders or car history issues. I then contacted Eastside European and spoke to mechanic ***** who had serviced the vehicle 6 times in the past 3 years. He asked me if several repairs had been performed before I bought the car. I told him I was unaware of any but assumed the dealership had performed these. ******************* me he had advised the previous owner to trade the vehicle in at 100k miles or repair the vehicle because Land Rovers have coolant issues, and the timing chain would need to be replaced. 

  Had I been informed of the larger issues the car had in the past, I would not have purchased the vehicle. The implied warrantee in **************** means a vehicle is in good working order and the dealer is providing a reliable form of transportation. I feel that this was not the case in this instance. 
  

  Sincerely,
  

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