DEAR SUN SPOTS: Thank you for a wonderful column. We have gained a wealth of knowledge over the years.

This letter is a follow-up to your July 31 column. The Attorney General’s Office’s Consumer Protection Service was able to help us with a defective refrigerator many years ago. We were very grateful. Unfortunately, they were not able to help my daughter and son-in-law with a recent problem, and we are hopeful that you can. 

They purchased a “new” 2012 car from a Maine dealer. Around 50,000 miles they heard noises in the engine and took it to the dealer for service. The dealer said that there was nothing they could do because the oil changes, while done on schedule, had not been done by the dealer. The dealer was more expensive than other places that change oil.

By 65,000 miles my children were panicking by the way the car functioned and returned to the same dealer and were told they needed a new motor at at a cost of $7,000 to $9,000 and it would take three to six months to get one shipped to the United States.

Again they were told the dealer would not honor the power train warranty without receipts for each and every oil change. They then went to another dealer and were told the same thing.

My daughter and son-in-law both work and have four children, three of whom need transportation to and from school, as they live out of the local district. How could they wait months for a car?

They went to a local mechanic who found a used motor and replaced it in three weeks, but it was also very expensive.

At my insistence they contacted the AG’s Consumer Protection Service, and they tried to negotiate with the corporate office, which told them they gladly would have negotiated at 50,000 miles, but now it was too late. Our local dealer told my children just the opposite.

The only option my children have is to go to court, and quite honestly they cannot afford a lawyer. They still owe car payments for the car for three more years plus more than $5,000 for a new motor.

Meanwhile, that dealer will continue to sell cars to unsuspecting customers. We were hoping you could call the company and just leave out the name of the dealer if it is against the Sun Journal’s policy to name them. — Bea, Poland

ANSWER: Sun Spots is so sorry, but there is nothing she can do to help in this case. If the Attorney General’s Office can’t help, it is certainly too much for Sun Spots, who has much less clout.

However, this is a good opportunity for a few lessons for other readers who might be thinking about buying a car. Or for anyone who owns a car, for that matter.

1. Keep all your receipts for any work you have done, no matter how minor. If you’re not good at filing, put a zip-lock bag in your car and use it to store receipts.

2. Make sure you follow the maintenance schedule recommended by the manufacturer — even if they don’t seem necessary. This is critical for any vehicles under warranty.

Sun Spots knows that the dealer can be a bit more expensive, but you may get your money back and then some if a problem arises and the dealer has a complete record of all your service at hand.

(Mr. Sun Spots used to fuss about the cost of dealer oil changes until a quick-change place erred and disaster was narrowly averted.)

Ask about discounts. Some dealers offer deals, such as a free oil change for every four or five purchased.

3. If a problem arises, don’t keep driving the vehicle, no matter how much you need the car. Act immediately to rectify the problem.

4. If the first person you speak to at the dealer refuses to help, keep climbing the corporate ladder. Don’t stop until you have eliminated every possible source of assistance or authority. Be sure to document your efforts.

Sun Spots is so sorry your children had such an unpleasant experience. She does not recommend going to court. Even if they have proof of all their oil changes, it will be difficult to prove that the manufacturer was at fault since the oil-change place could still be at fault and your children did not address the problem immediately.

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Please include your phone number. Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be emailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com.

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