I bought a 1995 Dodge Neon 4 dr sport in October of 1998, and have tried unsuccessfully to refinance, sell, or get out of it since then.
I bought the car on a very rainy day, and when I asked the salesperson if the car had ever been wrecked, or anything, she said no. I was not in a high position of power to buy a car, since I had a recently discharged bankruptcy, so I might not have been as careful as I should have been.
I went to Thomason Subaru in Oregon City, OR. They were able to get me into a car with 33% financing, plus since I was a "special" finance customer, I had to pay an additional $3000 for extended warranty and protection.
So here I am today, not able to refinance through my bank or other lenders because I owe $11,200 for a car that has a high end retail value of $8700. The banks will not lend that much on a car that is 5 years old. Also, I can't trade it in towards the value of a new car, because the car wholesales for $6000 and that leaves $5000 in negative equity to be absorbed somewhere.
Also, I would not get the full $6000 for a trade in, because upon inspection, the people at the other dealers said that the car has been wrecked, and wrecked hard. Apparently, it's been hit so hard that the roof is crinkly, the driver's side front area has all been replaced, and the frame is bent. I am going to get a Carfax report on this car tomorrow, because the free summary says that there are NINE reports filed for that VIN number.
From mechanic and expert opinions, this car looks to have been rolled over, the driver's side front replaced, and everything out of whack. The hood has been repaired or replaced, because there is a Dodge hood ornament on there, and the car is a Plymouth. There are also scratches all over the trunk which look like branch or something scratches. None of this I could see clearly in the rain the day I bought it. Not one person told me that the car had been wrecked badly, either. During the test drive, I was told where to turn, conveniently keeping me off the freeway where I would see how bad the car shimmied at speeds above 60 mph.
Can I give the car back at this point and have a leg to stand on? If I pursue this, I can sue them for misrepresentation, especially if the car comes back with "water damage" or "rebuilt" on the report. I just want out of the car, without getting my credit damaged. It would be nice to have some of the money back for the almost $6000 I have already paid for the car, but mostly I just want out from under this horrible car.