Fairfax Hyundai

My husband is a US Army Warrant Officer that returned one week ago from his 3rd tour in Afghanistan. He has needed a car for quite some time, but money is tight. While he was gone, I told him about the Cash for Clunkers Program. I shopped around and settled with Fairfax Hyundai in VA.I was asked on the phone if the vehicle was a V6 and said I wasn't sure, so the salesman said to bring all the paperwork for the truck and they will check on it when we get there.

After working out a financial deal for a base model the dealer told us to bring the truck in with title, reg and insurance. On 8/4 my husband drove his 00' Ford Ranger to the dealer. It was 7:45 pm and they closed at 9:00. He was advised not wait because they weren't sure if the prorgram would be there in the a.m. The salesman went to the truck, he took the odometer reading and opened the hood to look at the engine.

They went in and he drew up a sales contract. We were approved for financing for 48 months, the amount being $6983.09.All papers were signed, plates transferred, insurance transferred, next day my husband purchased a radio to install because this came without one. We got a call this morning, the dealership found out that the vehicle didn't qualify for the program because they thought it was a V6 and it was actually a V4.They said that they were going by our word that it was a V6 and they never looked it up because they believed us. We never said we knew it was a V6.

They said it did't matter who made the mistake, either way we didn't qualify so we had to bring the car back, or they would be nice enough to give us $1500 for our trade in and lower our interest and extend our loan from 48 months to 60 months. They never made sure that the truck qualified before the sales contract was signed by both parties.

We have a signed contract and approved financing. If we had been the ones to make a "mistake" the dealer wouldn't even humor us. We would have to suck up the loss. I believe that if the tables were turned we would be the unlucky ones. Where do we stand here?

The Engine light won't stay off. I took my vehicle to my normal mechanic back in May to get an emmissions inspection. He said he couldn't pass it since the engine light was on. I asked why it was an issue, since it was on the year before & the inspection was ok. He told me that starting this year, '06, that the engine light had to be off in order to obtain an emmissions & I should take it back to the dealer. I took it in, got it back, & soon the light came back on again. To make a long story short, I've taken the car in 6 times & the engine light keeps coming back on.

I took it in yesterday & got a call from the service manager today, saying that the computer was bad, & since it is no longer in warranty, that the cost would be $1,550. I told him that the car hasn't been right since May, when it WAS still in warranty, & that I feel they've just kept putting band-aids on the problem by replacing sensors etc. knowing all along that it was the computer, & just wanted to try & get me past my warranty period. It has never been fixed right/completely. I've had it in for the engine light being on:

May 9, '05 @ 54,960 miles

Nov 8, '05 @ 62,336

*May 17, '06 @ 69,794

*May 22, '06 @ 69,794

*May 24, '06 @ 70,039

*May 31, '06 @ 70,050

It is @ FFX Hyundai as I type this with 73,000+/- miles on it. The light has been on almost continually, but these were the only dates we could manage to go by since we both have to work.

I find it odd that while It was under warranty that they couldn't seem to find the problem, & that now since I'm out of warranty that he's pretty confident that this will fix the problem, on MY dime of course!

So far we've got 2 tickets for driving with expired tags, but have no choice since we both work! I either will have to get another car, with higher payments than this, which we can't afford, or pay them $1500 to fix it. What do I do if/when the light comes back on again?--Seems to me I'll be in the same boat except $1500 poorer!

I took my car in for Service and informed the Service people of a noice I was worried about, especially when I was turning the car. After service I was told evrything was although I could still hear the noise. My car failed a safety inspection test as I had to register it in Maryland after moving from Virginia. I had to take it back for them to fix the problem and to check for other things that could be wrong with the car. Moreover, I informed them that I was told that my break lights don't work and they should be replaced. As it is they were never touched and the service garage charged me to fix those.

The biggest problen is this: after two visits for service the oil in my car was never replaced, the car almost died on the road after in ran out of oil. This should never happen in my opinion, especially after two visit to the Fairfax Hyundai.
I need to know why there has been such negligence in spite of having left the car there for the whole day.

I paid initial around $80. 00 for Safety inpection. Had to pay another $16. 00 for reinpection, plus labor to fix my lights. It cost me time also to make two trips to the DMV. It cost me $390. 00 for the first inspection. An extra vist to fairfax Hyundai than necessary from Silver Spring. I am even afraid of permanent damage to the car as a result, because the car has been showing warnings and the engine could not run until several attempts.