Movin On Up

• I swore it would never happen to me. After all, I was the daughter of a car dealer and should know better. But circumstances happen and poof there I was doing what nobody should ever do—buy a car under desperate circumstances.
  
  It all started when my neighbor Teri and I were in my 1990 Mazda MPV van on a rainy afternoon thirty miles from home on December 22nd and the car quit in the middle of the road. No warning. We got out and pushed it into a nearby parking lot with the help of a nice guy who stopped by. It was the transmission of course. Unfortunately, Santa did not have an extra $1400 in my stocking for the repair bill, but we went ahead and replaced it anyway.
  
  Four days later our “good” car the 96 Oldsmobile starting acting worse than usual and that transmission went out. My father in law was visiting from Phoenix and he and my husband said the dreaded words: "You must buy a car…NOW!"
  
  At the nearby car lot I looked and looked and finally test drove a 2000 Acura with only 43,000 miles on it. It was the same price as the newer used cars that had a lot more miles on them, so I thought “why not?” Wow. Talk about the luxury life. Leather heated seats and all. I talked them down on price and up on the trade in and signed about three thousand documents in blood. I think I feel okay about this, but I did learn something in the process for next time.
  
  Go home and look up the model’s history on the internet. I found out this car has massive transmission problems and a recall. Not a good thing.
  
  Ask for a warranty period to return the car for any reason if you aren’t happy and have it put in writing. My salesman said I had a 90 day return period, but I have nothing in writing, so I have NOTHING.
  
  Look for details. I have no owners manual and no floor mats. Seems like little things, but if I would have asked for them during negotiation, chances are I would have gotten them.
  
  And now? Well, the lower drivers seat doesn’t heat up, and I found out it could cost as much as $395.00 to fix. Because I didn’t discover it on the night I bought it, I’m again…out of luck. I called the dealership and asked the sales manager if they would consider doing it anyway and he said he’d get back to me today. Except he didn’t. Maybe tomorrow. In the meantime, I’m trying to be positive and just love my new used car and not worry too much. But really, the daughter of a car dealer should know better, right? Buyer beware!!