Beware buying secondhand cars!

[joolz30]

Hello All. I am new this forum.

I have joined as I feel the need to share my very bad car buying experience with you all, in hope it might make someone think twice when buying a car off someone they don't know.

End of the summer last year, in desperate need of a car, I went to see a car in the LA SIESTA area of Torrevieja. I had my 2 young children with me. The man seemed so very genuine, he said the car had been well looked after and had been owned by an old lady who looked after it very well, he wanted to keep it himself but couldnt blah blah blah.
It did look like a very nice Ford Mondeo. I took it for a test drive, all seemed well...I took it. I so regret my decision.
Not long after little things started going wrong, car started jerking around & losing power. Then one day when driving along the motorway the car started falling apart, the whole exhaust system & silencers fell off, I lost control of the car. If the road wasn't empty me & my children would have been dead!My children were terrified, as was I. My little girl had to be taken to hospital, she was fine put suffered minor whiplash.
The car was towed to a garage who told us that the car had been in a previous accident and had been bodged up and sold on...TO US! How do people like that sleep at night? My husband returned twice to the place we purchased the car but no sign of anyone. I have now told him to stay away, we will never get any money back & I don't know if he would hold his temper!

We have spent everything we have trying to get the car road worthy, but it needs to be scrapped.

The only thing I can possibly take comfort in IS WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND.

Please, if anyone buys a secondhand car NOT off a dealer, just an advert in the paper like I did, you MUST take someone with you that knows about cars. It could cost you your life like it nearly did me.

P.S The guy was a Brit, what a shock!

(Edited as put wrong location)

[joolz30]

Car just been scrapped, goodbye to €3000! Am truly gutted, no more savings left. PLEASE BEWARE OF A MAN CALLING HIMSELF DAVE (like thats his real name!) FROM LA SIESTA!

WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND DAVE, WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND!

[ruckandmaul]

Just for your info, it may save someone alot of heartache and expense...
Been on the Costa Blanca nearly 10 years now and been ripped off at all the following Car Sales Garages;

La Regia Motors Cabo Roig (BMW dealers - Juan)
Purchased a Chrysler Voyager, Had a full service including new cam belt. 6 months and less than 5'000 kms later the cambelt broke and caused lots of damage, was covered by warranty, but after many, many hours of being kept waiting in the garage, and told to come back, Juan refused to honor the warranty.

Murcia City Chrysler Dealers Cayuelas Motors S.L (Rosa)
Needed a new Cam belt, kept car for weeks and weeks, kept saying waiting for parts, waiting for parts, eventually after many weeks admitted that they cannot get parts from Madrid to repair, but will part exchange broken Chrysler for a new one!

Elche Chrysler Dealers Sorio y Borja S.A (Vicente)
Purchased a Chysler Voyager.
After a few weeks major problems with gears and oil leak from gears.
Took car in many times to be repaired, each time they said they had repaired the leak, each time the leak reapeared, eventually the gears failed. The car was in warranty.
Vicente (the boss) said that the gears were not covered by the warranty, which was rubbish.
Contacted a solicitor, who said that if we went to court 99% the judge would rule in our favour, however the case could take 1 to 2 years before a hearing, the garage could appeal (6 months) and we have to pay solicitior fees and courts fees upfront.
As my chrysler was broken, I had to pay rental fees every week.
Eventually settled out of court, but lost alot of money.

Bigastro Car Sales (Ford Dealers - Andy Hermida)
Bought a vehicle which when I picked up did not have the promised service or minor faults repaired which was assured would be done when I came to pick up the car.
Don't worry sir, we'll book you in for the service and repair the faults at the same time, next week.
A week later took the car in for these items. Went to collect the car and the two Spanish brothers (owners) in the garage said you must pay for the service before you can have the keys for your car. I was made to pay for the full service which was supposed to have been done when I bought the vehicle and also the initial faults had not been touched.
When I complained to Andy Hermida, he told me he's just the salesman and that the business is owned by the two Spanish brothers in the garage and what they say goes, I understand what you're saying but sorry can't help you!

La Zenia Car Sales (Alan, Christian and Yolanda)
Bought a car for our daughter 6 weeks ago.
Had to take car in for the same fuel pump problem 3 times, each time garage claimed the problem was repaired or that they could not find the fault. Just 1 day after the car went in for the 3rd time, a mysterious water leak caused the engine to overheat. The car would not start and was delivered to the garage by the grua. The owners then claimed that (only 1 day after the car went in for repair) we had broke the head due to a water leak which must have been caused overnight by an animal bit-ting a water pipe!
When we asked to see this pipe the next day, that the animal bit through, we were told that the mechanic throw it away.
They said that the repair will cost a minimum of 800 euros and that the warranty does not cover this problem.
We were very wary about purchasing another car due to all our previous problems. Alan (ex uk footballer, part-owner and smooth talking salesman, who sublets the plot to Christian and Yolanda) tried to re-assure us that this Car Sales Business was 100% different, please just give us a try, any problems bring the car back and we will repair, I'm an honest bloke etc etc ... blah de blah!

We know from our experience here in Spain that the Spanish court system is slow and expensive.
Also these rip-off merchants could have moved on by the time any case goes to court. Then there's the matter of getting your money from then even after you've won the court case (That's another story)!

The only good experience we have had has been from a Peugeot main dealers in Orihuela.
We've probably been very unlucky and likely people have had good experiences from the above car sales garages, this is just the experience of 1 family on the Southern Costa Blanca.

[ruckandmaul]

Just found out by a mechanic that the ford ka we bought from La Zenia Car Sales had been butchered!
The merchanic had pulled out the thermostat, so that when the engine overheated, it would not show when being driven, therefore blaming us for overheating the engine and breaking the head gaskit.
Please avoid La Zenia Car Sales run by Alan (ex Fulham pro footballer) now living on Polaris World Mar Menor Golf Resort near Los Alcazares.