Rebuilt “Flood Victims” Can Have Electrical Problems

TTchar

This weekly feature for Warranty Direct about car repair and maintenance is written by Tom Torbjornsen, the popular host of America’s Car Show on satellite radio. Below are some recent Q&A from the America’s Car Show email bag.

Dear Tom,

Recently I bought a used Pontiac 2004 Grand Prix as is, with no warranty. I was told the car had no problems. I test-drove the car before buying it and it handled well. Two days later I noticed the lights dimmed when I used the power windows. Also, the temperature gauge dropped while driving. I took it back to the car lot; they checked it and said that it was nothing to worry about and that these cars are known for gauge malfunctions. The next day I lowered the passenger window and now it won’t go back up. Do you think the car might have an electrical problem? If so, how to I handle this situation with the car lot? I spent all my money on the car and can’t afford to repair it. And I don’t expect to, since I just bought it!

Why Do I Need an Inspection, Others Don’t Require Them?

Why Do I Need an Inspection, Others Don’t Require Them?

We are asked this question quite often. Why do you think we ask our customers to take this additional step? 

Two reasons:

An inspection protects you as well as Warranty Direct

We are in the business of paying claims and not denying them due to “pre-existing conditions”. Denying claims due to pre-existing conditions is a favorite pastime of many warranty companies. If you do a few Internet searches, you’ll see that to be true.

Here’s what you find in warranty contracts that don’t require inspections:

‘We will not cover the repair/replacement of a covered part to correct conditions that may reasonably assumed to have existed at the inception date of the coverage provided under this contract”