I (27 F) bought a car in June 2025 from a dealership $7500 for the car and I put $6000 down. Within the first few months the transmission goes out, then they have the vehicle for 3 months before giving it back. Then it’s running just fine until my key goes missing the day before Christmas. \*I have a 6 year old and my father had been borrowing my car and separated the smart key from my house keys 😮💨.\* But then a month later the dealership (aka my dads boss) has the car towed to their shop to program a key and lo and behold SOMETHING ELSE IS WRONG. My Crank sensor is going out so they send it to “their shop” aka a shop down the street they pay to do jobs their mechanic can’t. And I get a new crank sensor, a thermostat, and 2 output shaft seals totaling $1100…
So now the dealership has me come in and “refinance” my car to combine the service bill and the total owed on the car… I went from only owing $592 to $6100. But I’m supposed to be “greatful” I’m only paying 10% interest instead of 20%. I’m a single mom of 2 and I bought the vehicle with money out of a settlement when a drunk driver hit me and cause a lot of physical harm. This accident also changed my ability to work normal 9-5 jobs. So am I the asshole for
For context I only signed this “refinancing” cause I felt I didn’t have a choice cause they had my new car keys and from the sounds of it my dads boss didn’t give him a choice either. Also I am the only signature on my vehicles title.
NTA at all, that sounds shady. You went from almost paid off to trapped in debt over their mess. Being told to feel grateful for a lower interest rate is wild when they basically reset your loan. I would be mad too, that is not how a fair deal looks.
So you owed $600, the mechanic bill was $1100. And you now owe over 6k? Something doesn’t add up. Sounds like a series of poor financial decisions. You signed it, so you owe it.
Sounds like they’re charging her for the transmission repair *and* the $1100.
And you are correct I should’ve been more clear about that fact.
I know I signed it but as I also said they had my new key. They didn’t give it to me till AFTER I signed the refinance. I didn’t even know I was getting my car back, my dads boss called him and said “pick her up and take her to the shop to refinance the car” he used my name but protecting myself there. My dad just picked me up and told me AFTER he picked me up that they wanted me to come by myself but he knew I was gonna be upset. So honestly idk if they PLANNED to give me my car back but because my dad was with they did.
Definitely Not the A-hole because even though you do have your name down on the car they’re the ones who started the mess anyways and what they’re doing is suspicious since the bill went from less than $600 to $6000.
Contact your state’s office of the attorney general and the Federal Trade Commission to see if they can help if you are in the US. In the future, ask to see the car’s carfax report before getting a used car. It details how many legal owners, service reports, etc. Also, do a search of the car’s model reputation. Do this for new and used cars. It can tell you if that kind of car is prone to certain issues based on reports received from owners.
NAH – You’re in a Buy Here Pay Here car and this is the typical experience (for you and the dealer) due to offering cheap cars and on-the-lot-financing.
TL;DR It’s not your fault or the dealer’s, and there is an easy pathway to resolving it.
You “saved $” buying a cheap car ..which predictably is going to have maintenance needs and a higher likelihood of issues due to being a cheap car. 🤷♂️ Mechanic shops and AutoZones are in business because of how predictable that is.
It sucks to have problems so soon after buying a used car, but you cant expect the previous owner to pay for everything that ever goes wrong or pay for it’s maintenance needs like you described having to pay for.
– **Refinancing?:** Sounds like they added the repairs to your loan so you don’t have to pay for it in full out of pocket. Most shops just keep the car if you can’t pay the total balance at the time you want to pick it up. They gave you the option to finance the repair cost with the car and keep the car.
– **Interest rate:** Buy Here Pay Here do typically charge 20%-29% interest, so yes 10% is uncommonly low to be financing it from a Buy Here Pay Here car lot. Interest is where they make their money, so he’s right about the interest rate being fair/low.
**What to do now?**
Check your credit. Monitor it on Credit Karma and get it above 600 then go to a credit union to get pre-approved for a car loan, and pick a nicer one (NOT from a Buy Here Pay Here dealer) using the budget the credit union gives you. They will usually want you to pick a car less than 10 years old and less than 100k miles. Do it.
Also, ALWAYS GET A CAR INSPECTED BEFORE YOU BUY IT. It’s the best $20-$30 you’ll ever spend, and 100% get the VSC (warranty) and GAP insurance **from the credit union**, not from the dealer.
The good news: You should be able to (right now) use this car as a trade-in and not require any down payment since you put so much $ down on it, if your score is 600+. This car will continue to be a pain until the day you upgrade into something newer and more reliable, and your credit will always require a Buy Here Pay Here dealership since they dont report to credit to help you build it, but financing with a credit union will.
If you have questions, DM me. I don’t mind to help.
I’m trying to wth someone would be thinking if they walked into a dealer and paid $40,000 for a car that’s only worth $20,000. I mean…. WHAT?!? Is this even real??
ESH
Definitely not the asshole but you are letting these people (including your dad) hustle you. First off, stop going back to that dealership. Second, you need someone else to look at that refinance agreement bc there’s no way you should go from only owing $592 to $6100 on a $7500 car that you put $6000 down for. Even with adding the additional $1100. Even with interest, you should only owe $2000 at max. Did the cost of your transmission get added into this pricing? Ask for an itemized bill. Also don’t just let people do stuff to your car. Tell them they do not have permission to add or takeaway anything without your permission. Ask for pricing before they do anything. You can take your car to PEP Boys for a free diagnostic, to tell you what’s wrong with your car or what needs to be done to it. I don’t think they can force the refinance but I’m not a lawyer so I could be wrong.