Generally automotive dealerships can’t assist however be sacks of shit. Over the summer time, a Florida man purchased two used Volvos from a used automotive dealership, it wasn’t till after the deal went by means of that he discovered each vehicles had been in accidents. Nearer inspection from impartial mechanics exhibits that each vehicles had non-functioning airbags and seat belts. When the shopper 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 bought one of many Volvos once more, and the I-Staff at ABC Motion Information in Tampa Bay tracked down the proprietor to seek out out if the right repairs had been carried out on the automotive. Wouldn’t it, the fixes hadn’t been carried out on Gilbert Santiago’s new-to-him 2022 Volvo S60. An impartial mechanic appeared over the U.S. Navy veteran’s automotive and located that the seat belt pretensioner and airbags didn’t work. He was additionally by no means informed the automotive was bought at public sale in 2023 following an accident the place a number of airbags had been deployed.
Final yr, Ron Egbert purchased the Volvo from the seller in query – HGreg. He took the automotive to a Volvo dealership in Sarasota after his airbag warning gentle got here on. What they found was fairly 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 automotive again to HGreg, and that is what occurred subsequent:
“I confirmed them the photographs. And I mentioned you’re taking this automotive again. I am going… this automotive is unsafe to drive. Nobody must be driving this automotive,” Egert mentioned.
HGreg’s spokesperson mentioned the corporate “solely purchases automobiles by means of probably the most respected public sale corporations” and “conducts a multi-point inspection,” which incorporates “a evaluate of diagnostic indicators.”
She additionally wrote in a press release, “If, for no matter motive, HGreg believes the car airbags wouldn’t function as supposed, it will not be retailed by HGreg.”
That’s a fantastic sentiment, however right here’s the factor: HGreg did certainly promote the automotive to Santiago just some months later, and he instantly had severe 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 had been put in in his automotive.
That technician’s photograph exhibits 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.
[…]
Images 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 means of all of the completely different modules within the automotive,” licensed technician Chris Wallin informed us as he connected a diagnostic device.
“I don’t see any lively codes,” Wallin mentioned, which might usually point out all security programs had been working.
Sounds good, proper? Unsuitable!
However when Wallin popped open the inside door panel, he discovered the seatbelt pretensioner system wasn’t plugged into the wiring harness, which might permit 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 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 element in {an electrical} circuit. It may be used to manage or restrict the circulation of present.
[…]
“What they’ve carried out is simply take a resistor that matches the resistance that the pretensioner is meant to have and simply form of shoved it in that wiring harness to trick it into considering it’s acquired pretensioner,” Wallin mentioned of Santiago’s automotive.
The tech mentioned it was carried out 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, people.
He says he contracted HGreg and so they gave him the runaround, saying “it handed their inspection,” and due to that “nothing was exhibiting that was mistaken 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 a listing 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 are going to join with the shopper instantly.”
Greater than a month after receiving that response, Santiago mentioned he hadn’t heard from anybody from the corporate.
“They should be held accountable for that as a result of we’re speaking about folks’s lives once they’re on the market on the highway,” Santiago mentioned.
They actually do. You understand, I’ve heard tons of tales about sellers doing shady shit, but it surely often has to do with monetary offers. It’s very uncommon you get a seller that goes out of its technique to promote folks unsafe vehicles twice.
