Typically automobile dealerships can’t assist however be sacks of shit. Over the summer time, a Florida man purchased two used Volvos from a used automobile dealership, it wasn’t till after the deal went by way of that he discovered each vehicles had been in accidents. Nearer inspection from unbiased mechanics reveals that each vehicles had non-functioning airbags and seat belts. When the client discovered, he instantly took them again. That’s all unhealthy sufficient as it’s, however because it seems this story will get worse.
The seller offered one of many Volvos once more, and the I-Staff at ABC Motion Information in Tampa Bay tracked down the proprietor to search out out if the right repairs had been achieved on the automobile. Wouldn’t you realize it, the fixes hadn’t been achieved on Gilbert Santiago’s new-to-him 2022 Volvo S60. An unbiased mechanic regarded over the U.S. Navy veteran’s automobile and located that the seat belt pretensioner and airbags didn’t work. He was additionally by no means informed the automobile was offered at public sale in 2023 following an accident the place a number of airbags have been deployed.
Final 12 months, Ron Egbert purchased the Volvo from the seller in query – HGreg. He took the automobile to a Volvo dealership in Sarasota after his airbag warning gentle got here on. What they found was moderately troubling, as ABC Motion Information explains:
A technician found the motive force’s airbag was rusted and had markings from a junkyard. Wires had been tampered with, and the airbag was incorrect for the car.
Egert took the automobile again to HGreg, and that is what occurred subsequent:
“I confirmed them the photographs. And I mentioned you’re taking this automobile again. I am going… this automobile is unsafe to drive. Nobody must be driving this automobile,” Egert mentioned.
HGreg’s spokesperson mentioned the corporate “solely purchases autos by way of essentially the most respected public sale firms” and “conducts a multi-point inspection,” which incorporates “a overview of diagnostic indicators.”
She additionally wrote in an announcement, “If, for no matter motive, HGreg believes the car airbags wouldn’t function as meant, it will not be retailed by HGreg.”
That’s an ideal sentiment, however right here’s the factor: HGreg did certainly promote the automobile to Santiago just some months later, and he instantly had critical issues with it. The airbag gentle got here on virtually instantly, and that’s when he took it to the Volvo tech. Right here’s what ABC Motion Information says they discovered after some digging and what Santiago did subsequent:
He mentioned the technician on the dealership informed him used salvage elements have been put in in his automobile.
That technician’s photograph reveals the identical junkyard markings as the image taken by Egert’s mechanic at a distinct dealership a number of months earlier.
Santiago paid to exchange a number of airbags and associated elements.
“In all probability across the ballpark of six grand out of my pocket,” Santiago mentioned.
[…]
Pictures taken by Santiago’s technician present wires wrapped in electrical tape, like these taken by Egert’s technician, who wrote that the wires to the airbag “have been tampered with.”
We requested Santiago to fulfill us at Brazzeal Automotive as a result of his mechanic in Tampa didn’t uncover points with the seatbelt pretensioner we realized about from Egert’s report from the mechanic on the Volvo dealership in Sarasota.
“Now it’s going by way of all of the completely different modules within the automobile,” licensed technician Chris Wallin informed us as he attached a diagnostic device.
“I don’t see any energetic codes,” Wallin mentioned, which might usually point out all security methods have been working.
Sounds good, proper? Mistaken!
However when Wallin popped open the inside door panel, he discovered the seatbelt pretensioner system wasn’t plugged into the wiring harness, which might enable it to deploy.
“This must be plugged into right here,” Wallin mentioned, pointing to wires wrapped in electrical tape. “That is the seatbelt pretensioner. And it appears to be like like there’s one thing wired in there. It’s all taped up.”
Wallin peeled again electrical tape to discover a resistor.
A resistor is a passive part in {an electrical} circuit. It may be used to control or restrict the movement of present.
[…]
“What they’ve achieved is simply take a resistor that matches the resistance that the pretensioner is meant to have and simply sort of shoved it in that wiring harness to trick it into pondering it’s obtained pretensioner,” Wallin mentioned of Santiago’s automobile.
The tech mentioned it was achieved deliberately, however there’s no manner of figuring out who put in the resistor. He mentioned it was put in to maintain the seat belt restraint system from popping up a warning gentle. That’s some really evil shit, of us.
He says he contracted HGreg they usually gave him the runaround, saying “it handed their inspection,” and due to that “nothing was displaying that was flawed with it. So there’s nothing they’ll do.” Terrible.
Right here’s what HGreg needed to say for itself, which isn’t a lot:
We contacted HGreg on Sept. 19 with an inventory of questions, however they didn’t reply them.
A spokesperson replied in an e mail, “Thanks for bringing the case of Mr. Santiago’s buy to our consideration. We’ll join with the client immediately.”
Greater than a month after receiving that response, Santiago mentioned he hadn’t heard from anybody from the corporate.
“They have to be held accountable for that as a result of we’re speaking about individuals’s lives after they’re on the market on the street,” Santiago mentioned.
They actually do. You understand, I’ve heard tons of tales about sellers doing shady shit, nevertheless it normally has to do with monetary offers. It’s very uncommon you get a seller that goes out of its strategy to promote individuals unsafe vehicles twice.
