Dealer sold me truck with engine swapped w/ older one
 

Jan 21, 12:41 pm show options

Newsgroups: misc.legal
From: - Find messages by this author
Date: 21 Jan 2005 12:41:52 -0800
Local: Fri, Jan 21 2005 12:41 pm
Subject: Dealer sold me truck with older engine installed
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I bought a 2000 Dodge Dakota truck from an independent used car dealer
in California last Friday. Today I find out from the Dodge Dealer that
the engine in the truck is not the original. In fact, the engine is
not even the same size and is two years older than the car. The VIN
states the truck has 4.7L installed and this is a 5.9L gas guzzler.
I'm not a mechanic so wouldn't have known. Obviously the odometer
reading, though may be true for the chassis, is not true for the
engine. The Dodge Dealer also pointed out that the wiring harness may
not be proper since the engines are wired differently. I'm finding
this to be true as the lights do not work correctly, etc.


Wouldn't the dealer's actions of selling me a car with the wrong engine
be illegal in California? I'm wondering if the smog check he got done
was phoney since the VIN for the truck and the engine size would not
match.


Also, I bought this truck through eBay but turned out the seller was a
car dealer. Should I call the Credit Union and have them cancel the
loan for this guy?

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Jan 21, 12:41 pm show options
>
> Newsgroups: misc.legal
> From: - Find messages by this author
> Date: 21 Jan 2005 12:41:52 -0800
> Local: Fri, Jan 21 2005 12:41 pm
> Subject: Dealer sold me truck with older engine installed
> Reply | Reply to Author | Forward | Print | Individual Message | Show
> original | Report Abuse
>
>
> I bought a 2000 Dodge Dakota truck from an independent used car dealer
> in California last Friday. Today I find out from the Dodge Dealer that
> the engine in the truck is not the original. In fact, the engine is
> not even the same size and is two years older than the car. The VIN
> states the truck has 4.7L installed and this is a 5.9L gas guzzler.
> I'm not a mechanic so wouldn't have known. Obviously the odometer
> reading, though may be true for the chassis, is not true for the
> engine. The Dodge Dealer also pointed out that the wiring harness may
> not be proper since the engines are wired differently. I'm finding
> this to be true as the lights do not work correctly, etc.
>
>
> Wouldn't the dealer's actions of selling me a car with the wrong engine
> be illegal in California? I'm wondering if the smog check he got done
> was phoney since the VIN for the truck and the engine size would not
> match.
>
>
> Also, I bought this truck through eBay but turned out the seller was a
> car dealer. Should I call the Credit Union and have them cancel the
> loan for this guy?
>
Dunno about Ca. but in our state, whenever an engine is
swapped--regardless of "up" or "down"-- the odometer statement should read
"true mileage unknown" or equivalent. HTH, s