Granite Auto Sales, Inc.

I bought a used car from Granite motors a few months ago. Lost the transmission on hwy 21 several weeks later. Told Granite motors, received a shrug and comment "as is". Since then the car has cost another $1000 to repair ie starter, air compressor, etc. Don't you believe granite motors should have offered to help with this?

Review: I bought a 2003 Ford F150 truck from this business and ever since I took it home it has been nothing but a headache! I test drove it and nothing was wrong with it, no lights came on, there was no noises, everything ran great then. I later came to buy it and brought my fiance and father along, and on our way home it started it act up. The dealership gave me a one month, 1000 mile warranty. When I called them immediately they said to bring it back in the next day and I did, they had it my entire one month warranty. Because I am in the Army and have a business of my own, I rack up miles quickly. Every time that I called to ask if I could pick up my truck during that month, and I called at least 3 times a week, they told me the parts weren't in yet and it wasn't ready. When it finally was they said that they would be there waiting for us to come get it again my father and fiance came with only to leave without a truck because no one was there when we arrived and they had said they had the keys! Turns out the keys were in the gas tank door. Ever since then the spark plug BLEW out breaking the threads and numerous other issues have occurred! Nothing was routine maintenance that I have had fixed on this truck. because I need my truck in a timely manor and did not trust Granite Auto Sales any longer I took it to Horse's Carriage for everything other than the spark plug which it was picked up by Winterger's in Wautoma. And now to top it all off I am at drill for the Army an hour and a half away from home and my alternator is done for!!! I bought this truck in April under the strict impression that it was a quality truck with nothing wrong.Desired Settlement: I would like to be reimbursed all of the past non routine repairs that have been done to this truck since I got the truck back in the end of APRIL BEGINNING OF MAY 2013, from Granite Auto Sales until the present by Granite Auto Sales. I would like this to be done because I was without a truck I was paying for, wasting time and gas to get repairs and to not be able pickup my truck after being told I could, and paying good money for "quality service" I never recieved.

Business

Response:

[redacted] purchased this truck on April 11, 2013. Like you said when you test drove it it ran great, just as it did for us before we sold it to you. When you brought the truck back because it was running bad, we ended up having to stick about $1,700.00 into it that we did not charge you one penny for, because you had just bought it. Our warranty is a 50/50 each pays half and/or 1,000 miles, which we didn't even make you pay. The reason it took so long is because we had to send the heads out to get pressure checked and resurfaced. Completely out of my control how long another business is going to take to do their work. We then replaced the exhaust manifold, head gaskets, intake manifold, gaskets, timing cover, head bolts, exhaust flange bolts and timing tensioners. Miscommunication on someones part because the keys where always going to be left hidden somewhere on the vehicle. It makes no sense to pay someone to wait for you to pick up your vehicle. Just to let you know how well we went through this truck before he picked it up. We replaced wheel bearing, rear brake pads, upper control arm and ball joint, serpentine belt, drivers side mirror, front end alignment, high temp EGR hoses, valve cover gaskets and spark plugs. So you can see that we didn't just buy it and send it down the road without it going through our shop. We thought that it was a quality truck with nothing wrong with it after we did the repairs, otherwise we never would of sold it. That is also why we fixed it for free, when you brought it back. As far as the spark plug, we did not know anything about this. It is a common problem on Ford's and we had to do the same thing for a couple customers. The alternator, can you explain to me how this is something I would know was going to go Seven Months after you bought the truck? The truck is a 2003 with 166,000 on it when you bought it, and like you said you rack up miles quickly, so how many miles does it have now? So if it was the original alternator that could explain it, it's not going to last forever. I can only address the issues that you wrote in your complaint. I'm assuming it was only these two otherwise you would of mentioned the others.

I'm sorry that you had some issues with your truck. When we sell a vehicle we have to fill out a Buyers Guide, read the back of it, it states on there that we are required to test drive the vehicle and to inspect the interior and exterior of the vehicle including under the hood and under the vehicle. They are not required to take the vehicle apart (except brakes) or run tests unless necessary to diagnose apparent symptoms. We actually go above what this says, as you can see everything that we did to this truck. It also is not our responsibility to explain to you things that may go wrong with your particular vehicle in the future.

I think at this point, your request is absolutely ridiculous. You have no complaint about anything WE did mechanically to your truck. Only issues and repairs that are out of our control and some that any vehicle will eventually need. Why don't you call Ford and ask them if they will pay for your repairs for their truck. After all it is Ford that manufactured this truck that is now nothing but a headache! I am not trying to be mean, we will stand behind our vehicles if we are made aware of a problem as we did stand behind this one. But honestly seven months later, I'm sorry but there is only so much we can do to try to make a customer happy, and some you never will.

Consumer

Response: