What can you do if you bought a car from a private seller, then the next day the cars engine blows..

Sue the son of a b

I hope you have a sales contract that the two of you signed. That would say if you bought the car "as is". In that case, you are stuck.

If no contract, did the seller tell you anything about the condition of the car? If so, what had he said?

He said there was nothing wrong with the car.

Nope, when you buy a car it has to be able to perform for the purposes for which it was purchased. May be stuck anyway. There are a lot of shady people out there

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cadmbfan

He said there was nothing wrong with the car.

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He clearly defrauded you

And what will he say he said?

Did you take it to a mechanic for a once-over? That's standard procedure when buying a used car.

Is he a friend, or was this an ad in a newspaper?

Apparently there was no sales contract?

I have talked to him today and he says the car was OK when he had it.. he is not giving the money back

Since you two had no contract and he had told you the car was OK and you believed him and you paid him without taking the car to a mechanic, I'm guessing you have no case.

Check with a lawyer. They usually do free phone consultations to find out if you have a case.

Hello cad:

Used cars are sold "as is". That means without a written warrantee, you have NO warranty.

excon

YOU BETTER HAVE the BILL OF SALE. Bill of sale is a signed document stating that he/she sold you the car with both party's signature. Other than that... you're screwed =)

You own it and it was working satisfactorily when you took possession. I would not even go so far as to say he defrauded you, how could he predict the engine would blow. "As is" means exactly that, what you take is what you get. You can try to sue him but in all likelihood you will not prevail unless you can PROVE fraud. That is pretty tough to prove. What do you think he may have done?

Does your state have a lemon law? I don't know what it is I have just heard about it

Good Luck I know your feelings are hurt

Lemon laws apply to new cars bought from dealers.

Actually lemon laws can also apply to used cars, but generally only when purchased from dealers. Private sales are generally considered As Is.

The only hope you have is in proving that the engine blew because of a known condition.

If the car was running normally when you took possession, then you are pretty much stuck.