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 means of that he discovered each automobiles had been in accidents. Nearer inspection from impartial mechanics exhibits that each automobiles 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 supplier offered one of many Volvos once more, and the I-Crew at ABC Motion Information in Tampa Bay tracked down the proprietor to search out out if the right repairs had been performed on the automobile. Wouldn’t you recognize it, the fixes hadn’t been performed on Gilbert Santiago’s new-to-him 2022 Volvo S60. An impartial mechanic appeared 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 advised the automobile was offered at public sale in 2023 following an accident the place a number of airbags had been deployed.
Final 12 months, Ron Egbert purchased the Volvo from the supplier in query – HGreg. He took the automobile to a Volvo dealership in Sarasota after his airbag warning mild got here on. What they found was somewhat 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 stated you’re taking this automobile again. I am going… this automobile is unsafe to drive. Nobody ought to be driving this automobile,” Egert stated.
HGreg’s spokesperson stated the corporate “solely purchases autos 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 an announcement, “If, for no matter purpose, HGreg believes the car airbags wouldn’t function as supposed, it might not be retailed by HGreg.”
That’s a terrific 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 mild got here on nearly 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 stated the technician on the dealership advised him used salvage components had been put in in his automobile.
That technician’s picture exhibits the identical junkyard markings as the image taken by Egert’s mechanic at a unique dealership a number of months earlier.
Santiago paid to interchange a number of airbags and associated parts.
“Most likely across the ballpark of six grand out of my pocket,” Santiago stated.
[…]
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 satisfy 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 automobile,” licensed technician Chris Wallin advised us as he attached a diagnostic instrument.
“I don’t see any energetic codes,” Wallin stated, which might usually point out all security techniques had been working.
Sounds good, proper? Fallacious!
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 ought to be plugged into right here,” Wallin stated, 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 move of present.
[…]
“What they’ve performed is simply take a resistor that matches the resistance that the pretensioner is meant to have and simply type of shoved it in that wiring harness to trick it into pondering it’s obtained a great pretensioner,” Wallin stated of Santiago’s automobile.
The tech stated it was performed deliberately, however there’s no manner of figuring out who put in the resistor. He stated it was put in to maintain the seat belt restraint system from popping up a warning mild. That’s some really evil shit, people.
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 will 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 client straight.”
Greater than a month after receiving that response, Santiago stated 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 folks’s lives after they’re on the market on the street,” Santiago stated.
They actually do. , I’ve heard tons of tales about sellers doing shady shit, but it surely normally has to do with monetary offers. It’s very uncommon you get a supplier that goes out of its option to promote folks unsafe automobiles twice.
