SES light

[upallnight]

The term Dealer could mean anything from a genuine BMW dealer to Harry's Used Cars lot at the corners of Suckers and Noobs. Most "Dealer" will only sell a 10+ year car as "As-Is" with no guarantee. The price is reflected in the fact that the car is sold as As-Is. Noobs are so gullible when it comes down to buying their first BM Trouble U. They see a 10 years old BM Trouble U selling for the same price as a 2 year old Kia or Hyundai. So they buy the 10 years old BM Trouble U with 8 time the mileage and no warranty. The first time they bring it into a Dealer or Indy for repairs they are shocked at what it cost to fix their BM Trouble U.

[sunny5280]

Originally Posted by upallnight

The term Dealer could mean anything from a genuine BMW dealer to Harry's Used Cars lot at the corners of Suckers and Noobs. Most "Dealer" will only sell a 10+ year car as "As-Is" with no guarantee. The price is reflected in the fact that the car is sold as As-Is. Noobs are so gullible when it comes down to buying their first BM Trouble U. They see a 10 years old BM Trouble U selling for the same price as a 2 year old Kia or Hyundai. So they buy the 10 years old BM Trouble U with 8 time the mileage and no warranty. The first time they bring it into a Dealer or Indy for repairs they are shocked at what it cost to fix their BM Trouble U.

Regardless of dealer size they're held to a different standard than private party sales. Likewise As-Is may not apply if there was any deception, and I think black tape over warning lights qualified unless disclosed to the buyer. As such the OP may have recourse. Whether the dealer put the tape on or not may not be relevant in the fact the dealer may have a duty to ensure the vehicle is safe. Given two of the bulbs were safety related, especially the ABS light, the dealer may be required by law to fix the underlying issue or void the transaction.

Normally I'm all about buyer beware and avoiding legal action. However in this case I believe the dealer may have some liability.

[TerminatorX5]

yeah, dealer's liability... it is an uphill battle - similar to the car the DEA (or something like that) sold off on an auction, and later the dude who bought the car was jailed for bags of drugs that the DEA forgot to remove from the evidence car... that was a known case several years ago, don't remember the ultimate resolution to it though...

buyer beware...

[Zulu95]

Only had one experience involving a dealer in CT. DMV went after dealer and I was supposed to be called for court and they were to inform me of the outcome. NEVER HAPPENED! Left a number of messages on the investigators voice mail and when it started he always got right back to me then...WHAM NOTHING. Never heard another thing. I can only assume the investigator got a nice new Olds for the wife/girlfriend/mother or something.