opinions wanted; car sales gone bad

earlier this fall I sold a 2000 neon LE to a fella in the local town; didn't know him he saw my ad on a local adverting website similar to craigslist. seen him in a parts store the other day and asked him how the car was working for him; to which he answered "good"

heres a little history on the car

when I bought the car I bought it from a guy in a city for $800 with a few issues such as the speedometer wasn't working; needed brakes redone and some work for MVI as well as some body work

time rolls by and I put nearly $800 into it in new parts and get it re inspected before selling it I needed the money so it was time to sell

recently he sent me this email:



didn't have time to get into it with you at (parts store) the other day but, the car is a hunk of ****, it uses 3L of oil in two weeks! so the motor is gone,also exhaust leak, all 4 struts a blowen, not shot but blowen and every tire was shot, also when I went to the dmv they said the car was registered with 240,000km before I got it. and now it is 140,000km, so I was contacted by the DMV also the mounties regarding the KM being switched, so I forwared your information on to them, they tell me it is fraud to change the dash, Also I told them about the inspection being done a week or two before I got the car and showed them the problems with the car and every single thing that is wrong with it would make it impossible for the car to pass inspection. Not allowed pushing a car through inspection with a hole in the exhaust, bald tires, completley shot struts. So they told me it was fraud by the person who has done the inspection, they took a copy of my inspection also have given me a month to get a new inspection because the one you put on it was not valid and was fraud. They are going to the shop that did the inspection to ask the questions that need to be asked. and now I am out a car because it is a waste of time to do the work to bring it up to code because it burns 3L of oil in two weeks! oh and 20mpg not 48mpg bud.
I know the car was as is where is but it was fraud from day one


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I can't believe the accusations and such he accused me of on a 1200 "as is" car so I sent him this reply:


When I sold you the neon you asked if it used any oil to which my reply was “yes it uses a liter every oil change; for me that was 5000 Km or 3,000 miles. When the shop inspected the car in early September it had 4 brand new Nordic winter tires on it which I removed a week prior to selling it and you were told it would need 4 tires.

I had it to Harvey’s Irving in Brooklyn twice were Raymond Croft checked it for MVI; once for a pre MVI to which he told me what it would need and the second time for the MVI. I replaced everything that it needed for MVI and I told you that list at time of purchase which included brakes front and rear; new muffler, control arm bushings and much more

As for the exhaust leak it was fine when was inspected but the flex pipe went shortly since it was original and it was replaced, it was welded in and there was a spot in the front pipe which the shop had a hard time welding to since it was 12 year old pipe they told me and I mentioned the leak to you as well when I sold it to you.

the speedometer when I bought the car it was not working; I was told it had “less than 100,000 Km on it”; to which I believed; to get the speedometer working I had to change the body control module which also drives the speedometer and all the gauges. When I got the speedometer working it read a little over 130,000 Km to which I believed was to be the original mileage the permit read “unknown mileage” so I assumed it to be correct. A correctly working speedometer is also needed for legal MVI it what Raymond at Harvey’s Irving told me and would’t pass without it working, there’s nothing illegal about changing a body control module to fix a mechanic issue with a part needed for inspection as you said it is illegal to “roll back a speedometer” but this isn’t the case nor would I even try I just wanted my car inspected so I could drive it

The reason the car was as is where is because it is 12 years old and it did require work as you were told; the tires were one thing; and the exhaust was the other; as for the engine burning oil and not getting 35-38 MPG;( not 48 to which you though I had said) could be because the car spent the first 130,000 In the city doing less then 50 and it may have been carboned up. It also required an oil change and tune up (plugs and wires) 1000 KM after you bought it as it was nearly due when I sold it; and I mentioned that as well

I’m very sorry that you have had troubles with the car and I sincerely apologize for any problems you have had