Car Engine Has Blown off

Ash-Say on 26/01/2015 - 20:06
Last edited 26/01/2015 - 20:14

I am feeling so embarrased to write however I need urgent advice.

I bought this car from private seller for $2000. I admit that I did not check under bonut things properly. The advertisment said that only A/c was not working and it needs gas.

I had quick drive for 5 minutes and did not find any issues. When I drove it on M5 after buying, it got overheated and engine lost power within 5 minutes.

NRMA has checked and advised that engine is gone. Some fluid was leaking from engine. Nrma told me that fluid was leaking for a long time and he showed me white spill marks

I have tried to contact seller however there is no response.

Is there anyway I get my money back?

Can I lodge police report for fraud and file a case in civil and administration tribunal?

Automotive

Comments

    • WaterMark on 27/01/2015 - 14:49
      +1

      So the lady made profit of $200 for selling it to a car yard which she may of

    • edgar28 on 27/01/2015 - 14:49

      did u know that before hand? what if her son go for mountain race and stress the engine till the gasket blown off?

    • QuickToThePointless on 27/01/2015 - 20:40
      -5

      About 5 years ago i saw an old toyota doin bonuts…just sayin

    • hayne on 30/01/2015 - 18:01

      Well, you were under no obligation to do so

  • John on 27/01/2015 - 14:39
    +8

    Don't be embarrased. I've had worst…

    First time I bought a car I didn't even understand the REGO requirement (I didn't even think about it). Bought a 1993 Charade that basically had 2 weeks of REGO left and the seller didn't tell me about it. I rode around for couple months or so until cops noticed it and booked me a ticket.

    Since it has well passed the due date it had to be taken to the pit for roadworthy re-evaluation. That's when I realise the extent of the car's damage… the exhaust was split in two, the previous owner tied it back with a piece of cloth. Then leaks everywhere, illegal height, illegal steering wheel..

    Lucky a friend of mine is a talented mechanic, so he did the labour for free. Except for the exhaust where I had to take it to Midas. In the end, it had cost me about $2000 to fix a $3300 car.

  • gryphn on 27/01/2015 - 15:00
    +4

    Ill chime in as well.

    OP - the seller is under no obligation to refund you in full or in part.

    You inspected the car and made the purchase, being a private 2nd hand purchase it is sold as is.

    I bought a cheap car (still have it). When inspecting found that the clutch had maybe 10,000 km in it and the gaskets on the rocker covers (Subaru) are weeping. Otherwise mechanically the car is awesome.

    Negotiated appropriately and beat the price down 50% of asking.

    Bought the parts I needed and then just waited to have the time to repair. Clutch was bought during a 30% off sale from Repco (typical OZb me :P) Rocker cover gasket kits from ebay.
    On the original clutch I made it to almost 12,000 km after purchase including 6 1200km round trips ( Perth <->Kalgoorlie).

    Then the clutch finally gave up the ghost and I decided to swap out the clutch and whilst I had had the accessories off the engine do the rocker covers.

    I couldn't blame the seller for the issues as I inspected it and budgeted for it.

    Just last week the windscreen washer pump died. Replaced with cheapy from SCA.Cant call the seller 12 months on and demand he pay for it.

    Two things you can do.

    Wreck the car or find a re-con the current engine
    Covered in length here
    http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1817472

    In the end , buyer beware

  • akyeeeahdude on 27/01/2015 - 15:22
    +8

    Unfortunately, not much you can do. Your only option if you manage to make contact with the seller is to try to make them feel bad into giving you a partial refund.

    I know your pain. Before I became more mechanically minded when I was younger, I worked hard and bought a second hand, low km, XR6 Turbo. Since it was fairly expensive and I had little mechanical experience with cars growing up (Dad was never in to them) I paid nearly $200 to get the top level RACQ mechanical check.
    According to the report, it was perfect.

    Three days later, the auto gear box started to slip, clunk and surge when changing gears and then very soon after, I lost all but two gears. I then needed to pay over $2000 for a rebuild.

    It was a common fault with the BA Falcons and even if the mechanic had checked for cross contamination (the auto trans cooler in the factory radiator was prone to cracking and then coolant would flow into it and contaminate the auto trans fluid) which resembles a strawberry thickshake, it would have stopped me from purchasing the vehicle.

    RACQ didn't want to do much at first and in a semi nice way told me tough shit (even when I purely asked for the inspection fee to be refunded) until they agreed to escalate to the State Manager for Inspections who again in a semi nice manner, agreed to refund my inspection fee.

    I called the private seller who immediately became defensive (rather than surprised) and blamed me for driving it too hard. He was mechanically minded (he completed the most recent service himself, prior were done at the Ford dealer) and I'm sure he just drained the coolant and auto fluid and replaced it which can mask the problem for a short time even if permanent damage is done.

    Moral of the story, even with a comprehensive inspection, issues can still be present and for (profanity) sake, just buy from a licenced dealer. In QLD, for most vehicles that are for sale at a dealer, you will receive the mandatory state gov 3 month/5000km (from memory) warranty covering defects that arise.

    Also, never trust private sellers. A mate of mine had a LS1 V8 with a leaky main seal and was quoted $1000+ to replace it so it would pass roadworthy. His solution? Get under it with a can of degreaser and hose and wash it before driving it back to another mechanic. Passed no problem.

    Hey I'm happy that this all happened though. It made me source factory service manuals for my vehicles and then I taught myself how to maintain and fix a vehicle and now I do all my own minor and major services.

    • shadowarrior on 29/01/2015 - 18:15

      Sorry to hear about your experience, but a word of warning about buying from car dealers. Office colleague bought a Magna late 200x model from a 2nd hand licensed dealer in Gold Coast. He wanted to avoid private sellers. Auto gearbox went into limp mode in 3 days of driving. Took the car back to the dealer, dealer threw fuss about 'not my problem'. Took it to another mechanic to check, they confirmed gear box had a long term damage. Its been 4 or 5 months now, his car is still sitting in a shed, FairTrading is still 'talking' to him, with no progress made. Fair Trading also found out previous customer complains about the dealer, and still the dealer is in business. So yeah, there's that.

  • firedragon on 27/01/2015 - 15:40
    +6

    Sorry to hear that happened to you OP.

    When I first read the title of this post, I thought the engine had physically blown off somewhere…

    • [Deactivated] on 27/01/2015 - 21:29

      or the turbo was too strong?

    • McFly on 29/01/2015 - 00:08

      That's what happens if you drive on the freeway with the bonut open.

    • fusion17 on 30/01/2015 - 09:57
      +1

      I assumed his VTEC fell off

  • effgee on 27/01/2015 - 15:47

    you could try selling it to cut your losses. With luck, another wood duck will come along and give you $2000 for it…but not an ozbargainer.

    • redslert on 27/01/2015 - 16:08
      +1

      Sadly, I'm going to suggest the same thing.
      People who buy Kia Carnivals will never bother to do research.

  • Ash-Say on 27/01/2015 - 15:55

    Luckily there was 9 months rego on car and I have cancelled the registration to get some money however I will have to suck up around $1100 loss.

    What a harsh lesson for lack of mechanical understanding.

      • QuickToThePointless on 27/01/2015 - 16:09
        +11

        Threatening people you dont know is rarely a good idea.

        Maybe bring a fresh bonut as a peace offering to get the conversation going?

        If you do go to the cops, bring at least a dozen bonuts - cops love them i hear

        • EnALup on 27/01/2015 - 16:17

          I dont think OP has to fear and sit being a pussy as he has not done anything nor the seller an Bikie.
          Go and speak like a man.

        • QuickToThePointless on 27/01/2015 - 16:22
          +2

          @Gaggy: uhh i sort of get the gist of what you are trying to say, and i think i agree, but maybe you should try to speak like a man ….who has a grasp on the english language?

      • montorola on 31/01/2015 - 01:04

        I don't know why Gaggy got voted down, what exactly is he saying that is illegal?

        He's not saying threaten with violence, he's saying threaten to go to the cops - I think that's worth a shot. Let's face it, if we were in the OP's situation, we'd do the same. $2000 down the drain isn't something I'd take lightly myself.

        Let's be honest here.

        • GooseHoward on 31/01/2015 - 10:59
          -1

          Not illegal, just an awful idea

        • effgee on 31/01/2015 - 18:00
          +1

          Even if he went through with the 'threat' to call the cops, what do you expect them to do, apart from laugh or tell him to stop wasting their time ?
          Nothing illegal has happened here.
          He's more likely to get in trouble for harrassing the seller than to get any help from the cops…unless he can show this guys is illegally selling cars without a license, there's a limit to how many cars a year you can sell privately. I once went to test drive a car and the guy was clearly a backyard unlicensed car dealer.

        • EnALup on 31/01/2015 - 20:14

          @effgee: Guys, few of you are pretending too much about going to police. Someone selling someone a lemmon might not be thinking the same.
          My friend had almost same situation when the seller sold him a car which had a major accident and was declared non road worthy. Seller bought it from Canberra and got it repaired. Not sure if it had the same number, but VIN number was the same.
          When my friend realised it after having a look at cars detailed history ( not sure why he did not do that), he went to seller's place and did the same. Result? Seller agreed to pay back.
          Anyway it was my perception, if you don't agree its alright.

        • Shonky on 31/01/2015 - 23:16

          @Gaggy:
          Not "almost the same" at all.

          Buyer needs to deal with it… As I said elsewhere private sale, driveway warranty, end of story…

    • [Deactivated] on 27/01/2015 - 19:11
      +1

      sorry to hear about your experience - live and learn. In addition to getting some $ back from cancelling rego, there are people who will collect your car for parts, call around you might recoup another couple hundred

    • lisss on 27/01/2015 - 19:34

      Sorry for your loss, I do feel bad for you but hopefully you've learnt a valuable lesson and can move on.

      Wouldn't really call it lack of mechanical understanding though, as I know nothing about mechanics so would have paid for an NRMA inspection before buying. That's just common sense IMO.

    • SpendLess on 27/01/2015 - 19:42
      +1

      sell it for scraps and you probably recover a few more hundred

      • nickj on 27/01/2015 - 20:02
        +8

        ^ this. Put a free advert in gumtree for $800 or $1100 and list the mechanical problems and specify no rego certificate. Then you'll get swamped with a series of texts offering to buy it for $100 and $200 for scrap, and they'll come and collect it from you too. (This happened to me when selling a car with 2 weeks rego left for $800 through gumtree, as it still ran okay but needed quite a lot of work, eventually sold for $770 to a mechanic who knew the car model well and was happy to fix it up.) Pick the highest offer, and you've reduced your loss to say $900. And a $900 loss for a lesson learned is small change. E.g. I lost multiples of that last year on an expensive lesson, so $900 is pretty cheap for a lesson. Happens to all of us - learn the lesson, but don't dwell, take it on the chin, and move on.

    • [Deactivated] on 28/01/2015 - 12:45
      +6

      Mate, the issue isn't your lack of mechanical understanding.

      The issue here is your lack of simple life skills and any common sense.

    • Jackson on 28/01/2015 - 20:58
      +1

      Mate you got off lightly. People have been done for a Lot more.

    • apey2000 on 28/01/2015 - 22:33

      Maaaate!

    • pinchies on 29/01/2015 - 00:20
      +2

      Its not a harsh lesson for lack of mechanical understanding, its a harsh lesson in overconfidence and not doing due diligence.

  • Cheeper on 27/01/2015 - 16:59

    "What a harsh lesson for lack of mechanical understanding."

    It is not that at all…..

    If you buy anything "USED" it is always a gamble. With a car, if you don't have a schmick about what you are buying then pay for it to be inspected. That is the only and cheapest way around the problem. Throwing your money up in the air with your fingers crossed will only ever end up one way, as you now know. You are just as responsible as the person that sold you the car.

    BTW… If you buy a new car some time down the track be warned, salesmen lie, just like every salesman does.

    You may have gained something out of what may seem like a nightmare right now… the lesson learnt.

  • Ash-Say on 27/01/2015 - 17:50
    -5

    There is a twist in story now. I visited seller's house today. After rininging the bell twice, an old man came out. When I showed rego papers and told him the story of my nightmare, he plainly advised that seller does not live on this Address.

    The things are not matching up.

    • gryphn on 27/01/2015 - 17:54
      +4

      Dont go harassing the seller.
      There is absolutely nothing you can do lawfully.

    • yaziyo on 27/01/2015 - 18:57
      +4

      OP, the situation sucks but you'll have to let it go. The seller did not break the law (even if he did act unethically by selling a car with a problem without telling you). You bought an old car and you're obviously not mechanically minded. Next time you go to buy a car you need to get it inspected if you don't know what to look for in a vehicle. On this model of the Kia Carnival this is a very common issue, you should have done you research. You can't do anything about the car you've bought. Fix it or get rid of it, your choice.

    • Charity on 28/01/2015 - 01:40
      +4

      wait… that's the first time u went to his house??

      did you originally meet up in an alley behind macca's?

    • bargdebarg on 28/01/2015 - 16:22

      I'm just guessing here, but perhaps the old man is the father of the person you bought the car off? Assuming you bought it from the place. If so, he is trying to get rid of you on his sons behalf, as you have no right to be there. You bought the car, end of story. It's your problem.

      UNLESS and this is your ONLY hope here:

      Check the VIN to make sure it's not stolen: http://www.ppsr.gov.au/Pages/ppsr.aspx
      But, you should have done that already.

      Otherwise, suck it up and listen to the other comments - you made a mistake. We've all been there, done that. Perhaps not all with a car, but we've all made mistakes. Just look at the thread from the other day where the poor bugger lost his life savings playing with stocks. You're mistake here was not to get it checked out by a mechanic prior to purchasing. You've lost less than 2k as you can still scrap the car for around $300 I'm guessing. You've learnt a valuable lesson too. Like everyone else has said, you cannot claim fraud that he didn't disclose it - he is not a business - just a private seller.

    • Jackson on 28/01/2015 - 21:04

      I have to ask, what was the guys background? As in where was he from originally?

      • [Deactivated] on 29/01/2015 - 10:23
        +1

        Irrelevant

        • Jackson on 29/01/2015 - 16:20

          So the fact that racial profiling goes on in every airport and police precinct in the world is irrelevant? I am not saying it's fair, people deserve to be given the benefit of the doubt, but it sure is relevant.

        • McFly on 29/01/2015 - 16:59
          +1

          So the fact that racial profiling goes on in every airport and police precinct in the world is irrelevant?

          About as relevant to this thread as Qantas baggage limits…

        • Jackson on 29/01/2015 - 18:39

          @McFly: not if your buying cars along the m5

  • gryphn on 27/01/2015 - 17:51
    +3

    What the hell is it with people telling OP to go and threaten or get bikes onto the seller.
    Its the buyer's full responsibility.

    OP there is nothing you can do other than what you have done so far by recouping some of the $ through the rego cancellation.
    See what you can get for the wreck and that is it.

    The seller did not defraud you the seller simply sold you a car as is. If the seller knew of the issues then what is done is immoral but not illegal.

    Do not go and threaten or harass. You could very easily end up with trouble from the police.

    • QuickToThePointless on 27/01/2015 - 18:02
      +7

      Be sure to stock up on bonuts In case the police come a knockin

    • McFly on 29/01/2015 - 00:16

      get bikes onto the seller.

      Would be more appropriate in this case to get a stack of bonuts on the seller.

    • QuickToThePointless on 27/01/2015 - 18:05

      Would cost $1k if its only head gasket blown. The math stacks up as well as your humour.

      No bonut for you this time champ.

      • Osprey06 on 28/01/2015 - 17:23
        -1

        …and that's if it hasn't cracked the head.

      • lonix on 29/01/2015 - 18:37
        -1

        Obviously never heard of gasket in a tube

        • Osprey06 on 30/01/2015 - 14:09
          -1

          Obviously never changed a head gasket.

  • Whomastadon on 27/01/2015 - 18:24
    +3

    How does the seller know the OP buyer was thrashing the car doing donust in a carpark when the engine blew. Protip: he doesn't.

    Because you were too retarded to get ANY kind of mechanical check ( you didn't even " check the bonut properly " ) its you're fault. The seller doesn't have to speak to you ever again and the car is yours.

    Think of it as an expensive life lesson.

    • yaziyo on 27/01/2015 - 18:57
      +8

      I don't think he was doing donuts but might've been doing bonuts

      • moogi27 on 28/01/2015 - 23:01

        I assume they both have a hole in the centre anyway..

  • [Deactivated] on 27/01/2015 - 20:09
    +2

    Not worth fixing, get the rego money back and sell it to a metal recyclers.

    Get a Toyota Camry.

    • QuickToThePointless on 27/01/2015 - 20:18
      +4

      Get a pushbike - no bonut for things to break under.

    • montorola on 30/01/2015 - 21:34

      Even better, get one without a bonut so you can see what's going on at all times :P

      • altomic on 31/01/2015 - 01:36

        you ride the bike to 7-11 and buy some bonuts.

  • boonanza on 27/01/2015 - 20:19
    +1

    Just curious if you bought the car on the weekend and it didn't have a roadworthy certificate then how can you cancel the registration if you need that to transfer the rego into your name?

    • what on 27/01/2015 - 21:32

      Good question.

    • mmmbeer on 27/01/2015 - 22:21

      OP is in Sydney by looks of it. No such thing as a RWC in NSW. Used cars are sold "as is". It's up to the buyer to look under the bonut and make sure the car isn't a POS.

    • Jackson on 28/01/2015 - 21:09

      Please someone buy this and send it to the OP's girlfriend to wear when he is looking for a car for her

  • Ash-Say on 27/01/2015 - 20:24
    +10

    Thank you everyone for your suggestions and feedback.

    I will move on with the experience and suck up the loss.

    • QuickToThePointless on 27/01/2015 - 20:46
      +5

      In all seriousness, most people do not like to see others get ripped off even if they themselves are partially to blame.

      Look on the bright side - you learned a lesson, and as a bonus this thread has turned onto one of the more entertaining ones around here.

      Hopefully we can, in time, all look back on this and laugh.

      • looks back…. Ahahahahahahaha
      • johnno07 on 28/01/2015 - 00:10
        +12

        I really hope "bonut" makes its way into Ozbargain parlance.

        • jackary on 28/01/2015 - 09:01

          Me too. Absolute gold.

        • QuickToThePointless on 28/01/2015 - 13:48

          Well, make sure you comment on many posts, working bonut into the text. ill do my bit starting now!

        • Jackson on 28/01/2015 - 21:11
          +2

          @pointless comment: someone brodened all the bonuts

  • Wallyt99 on 27/01/2015 - 21:37

    Fairly sure that when the head gasket goes - you can put in an additive to the oil and it will gunk it up for a few thousand k's and make it look ok. I dare say this is exactly what the vendor did in this case.

    Its all well and good to say get it inspected - but maybe the OP could not afford it?

    I think these days - honest vendors are few and far between. Caveat Emptor indeed!

    The police wont help - but he is likely selling too many cars privately without being a licenced motor car trader (LMCT in Victoria) hence the fake address (or the address of the bloke he gave $200 bucks to for the car) - this is against state law and carries hefty fines. Contact your state fair trading office. They might have a book on him.

    • [Deactivated] on 28/01/2015 - 12:52

      Can't afford a mechanical inspection, but can afford $2,000 down the drain? Right.

      • Jackson on 28/01/2015 - 21:12

        Should have at least taken a friend, one that can spell bonut

  • lookalive on 28/01/2015 - 00:18
    +24

    So funny reading this thread, the term bonut has officially been added to the ozbargain community.

    Definition:

    • The bonnet of a lemon car
    • (s) plural form : A lemon car losing traction
    • A variant of a donut, only difference is it's given to someone whom you need a refund from or police, who you might need to help you get that refund quicker.
    • Wallyt99 on 28/01/2015 - 07:00
      +4

      What happens to the car bonnet when the head gets blown off leaving a rather large hole.

    • QuickToThePointless on 28/01/2015 - 16:25

      I propose for bonut to also take on the following meaning: a polymorphic word that can be used to express almost anything, though usually a negative exclamation or adjective. To be used in similar context as 'lemon' or 'bogus'

      eg

      "The car i bought has had one problem after another - It is a real bonut"

      "The latest deal posted on ozbargain is not very good"
      "Its a bonut"

      "I lost my wallet and now have to cancel all my credit cards"
      "Bonut"

      "The latest app from mcdonalds is like totally bonut dude"

    • Food on 29/01/2015 - 17:58
      +1

      Someone add it to the urban dictionary or create a wiki page on here lol

  • [Deactivated] on 28/01/2015 - 11:56
    -2

    You should also consider yourself lucky that you are alive.

  • [Deactivated] on 28/01/2015 - 13:17
    +2

    Put it on ebay, or gumtree, be honest about whats you think is wrong with it, Someone who can fix might pay you something for it.
    You might get $500 or $1000 back

    • QuickToThePointless on 28/01/2015 - 15:16
      +6

      Ive lost count of how many times ive added "busted Kia Carnival" to my ebay watch list.

    • Jackson on 28/01/2015 - 21:16

      I have had head gaskets fixes by good back yard mechanics (who sent the head to be professionally machined) for 375 some years ago. If you find a good old mechanic, maybe retired, and can accept that there is some risk to it you could be sweet

      • BuuBox on 29/01/2015 - 13:57

        The problem with the Carnival is that a blown headgasket is just a symptom of a more serious problem - that the cylinder liners move (very slightly).

        A flawed Rover engine design poorly executed by Kia.

  • sparkles on 28/01/2015 - 14:49

    Cash in the rego, and shop it around to some wreckers or dissemble and sell in parts (like stereo, headlights, side mirrors)

    • QuickToThePointless on 28/01/2015 - 15:13
      +1

      Given OPs mechanical aptitude, i highly advise against disassembling the car. I feel that major injury is a real possibility. And if he does, please dont remove the wheels/drivetrain/engine block/other under the bonut things etc whilst under the car. And as someone else pointed put, no matter how thirsty you get, DO NOT DRINK BATTERY FLUID

      • McFly on 29/01/2015 - 00:13

        You'd have to be bonuts to want to drink bobattery bofluid!

  • boomramada on 28/01/2015 - 15:53
    +1

    "A/c was not working and it needs gas" I got caught on this trap years ago :)

    • Jackson on 28/01/2015 - 21:18

      Yeah as if the guy isn't paying 60 bucks and selling it with the Ac fixed for an extra 500

  • bargdebarg on 28/01/2015 - 16:25
    +3

    Just before we think seriously about adding bonut into our official glossary, I would like to direct your attention to this piece of the interwebs:

    http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Bonut

    • QuickToThePointless on 28/01/2015 - 16:30
      -6

      Yep, i saw that too. Any bright spark can frankenstein words together like that… And any bright spark can publish on the net - it is by no means a definitive meaning.

      • bargdebarg on 28/01/2015 - 18:16
        +1

        It's urban dictionary. It's not a real dictionary. It's for shits and giggles.

        • altomic on 31/01/2015 - 01:37
          +1

          but it's on the internet, it must be real.

    • yaziyo on 29/01/2015 - 16:22
      +1

      In that case we can't blame OP for not checking under the bonut

  • conant on 28/01/2015 - 19:16

    I would rather spending another $500~$1,000 to swop another engine…

    • McFly on 29/01/2015 - 00:14
      +8

      How much to swop the bonut?

  • PinzVidz on 28/01/2015 - 21:43
    +5

    OP will probably go and buy a cheap Vectra now. ;)

  • brazen00 on 28/01/2015 - 22:52
    +3

    Who needs www.jokes.com.au when you've got threads like this?

    Bonuts.

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