BUYER BEWARE
I purchased a 2012 Dodge Ram 1500 that I found for sale on CarGurus by Mainstream Motors in Park Rapids, MN on Jan 10th, 2020. On Jan 26th, 2020, the check engine light came on, so I scheduled an inspection with my mechanic. What my mechanic found was a shocking amount of issues: "Steering rack leaking from left and right sides, Transmission bellhousing is broken and held together with JB Weld, Transfer case halves are leaking, Transmission cooler lines are leaking, Power steering pulley is broken and causing squeaking noise, left and right side head gaskets are leaking, check engine light on for catalyst efficiency p0420...etc."
Now of course it's not responsible to take one mechanic's word as gospel, so I took it to another mechanic to have them inspect it as well. They found the same issues along with noting that the ball joints are "extremely loose." I have two separate quotes for $8,938.35 and $8,770.99 in repairs on a vehicle that I purchased about one month ago for hardly more than that. Most used vehicles that are sold in Minnesota are required by law to have a warranty included with them, so I received a "limited power train warranty" with my vehicle through CARS Protection Plus, which I followed the steps to make a claim through. The warranty denied every single claim, not a single issue listed above was covered under the warranty, as the warranty is worded very specifically, so that was no help at all.
My next step was to contact the dealer to attempt to make this right. After multiple phone calls and emails, the dealer informed me that they would not be willing to pay for my mechanic to make repairs, instead "his guy" would make repairs, and their best offer was: "I'm willing to replace the transmission and the transfer case seal. As far as the rest, it's all normal wear and tear." This was not to my liking, so I informed the dealer that this was not satisfactory and in order for this to be made right, more would need to be fixed. The dealer informed me "Your best bet is to trade the vehicle in on a new truck. I wash my hands of it all. Please read your buyers guide consult with an attorney. Your on your own..."
So here I am, on my own, informing other consumers of my experience. I learned my lesson: always get a used vehicle inspected before you buy. read more
