What would you do if you were in my shoes? Meeting Monday with the dealership owner

Discussion
1

I bought a 2019 Ford Escape back in July 2024, and the very next day, the check engine light came on. Took it back, they said they fixed it, but as soon as I got it home, the light came back on again. Since then, it’s been in the shop for almost six months. They keep telling me it’s being worked on, but nothing has changed.

To make it worse, I’m still paying $500 a month for this car I’ve barely driven. They even asked me to provide my pay stubs again so they could replace the vehicle, but that’s not what I signed up for! I shouldn’t have to jump through hoops for their mistake.

Now they’re suggesting I take the car back, drive it, and return it if it breaks down again. That’s not acceptable. After all this time, I deserve a properly working car or a replacement without all this hassle. Meeting with the owner Monday to sort this out. What would you do? Have I been too patient?

They’re really pushing my buttons now, saying my car isn’t their priority because it’s been in the shop for so long. How is that even legal?

2

Do you have any kind of warranty or coverage? Honestly, paying $30k for a five-year-old car seems steep when you could’ve gotten something new.

3

Joss said:
Do you have any kind of warranty or coverage? Honestly, paying $30k for a five-year-old car seems steep when you could’ve gotten something new.

Yeah, $30k for a 2019 Escape? That price sounds insane to me.

4

Your first mistake was buying that model year Escape. Next time, do some research before signing anything. Once you drive it off the lot, it’s your problem if something goes wrong. Just a quick search would’ve shown you the 2019 Escape has a ton of issues.

Here’s a video explaining some of the common problems: [link].

5

@Channing
Thanks for the link. Wish I had seen this before buying it!

6

Time to involve the state and maybe even bring this to local media. They’ll pay attention when they realize more people might find out about this mess.

7

Quillan said:
Time to involve the state and maybe even bring this to local media. They’ll pay attention when they realize more people might find out about this mess.

If it’s a known problem like coolant leaking into the engine, I doubt media attention will change much. Ford’s been ignoring this issue for years, even with lawsuits.

8

If it’s been in the shop for over three months, isn’t that grounds for replacement under lemon laws?

9

Wendell said:
If it’s been in the shop for over three months, isn’t that grounds for replacement under lemon laws?

Lemon laws don’t usually apply to used cars.

Edit: For those wondering, OP is in Canada, so California’s laws won’t help here. Different places have different rules.

10

@Channing
Actually, lemon laws can apply to used cars in some cases, especially if there’s an active warranty. It varies by location, but it might still be worth looking into if the car’s issues fall under those terms.

11

I do have a warranty, but this issue started the day after I bought the car. It’s pretty clear the engine problem existed before the sale. That shouldn’t be on me.