*****UPDATED AT THE END WITH ANOTHER VIDEO 8-17-07 AT 6.55PM!*****So as promised here is the entire story with names, VIDEO and details. I intend on sharing this EVERYWHERE on the internet that I can find, emailing and calling the Orlando Sentinal and Ocala Star Banner and also contacting channel 2 news. But you can read it here first blog friends.
Here is there contact information and address!
(407) 872-8559
906 W Michigan St
Orlando, FL 32805
Email: skylinemotorsgtr@yahoo.com
The owner's name is Mohammed
We needed a van.
Why?
Makily is BIG now and we had a two door Ford Explorer. It was getting harder and harder to get her in and out of the truck. Due to Allen's job he is only here a few days a week which means I do the majority of getting her in and out. We have a pediatric wheelchair and stroller, we like to bring both to use according to where or what we are doing. As many of you know we are going to start fostering soon. We are in the middle of the licensing process and so we just needed something bigger and with more doors.
We sold the Explorer for $3500. We could not afford to spend much more than that.
Allen and I didn't need anything brand new. Just something that we could get around in with lots of room, working air conditioning and that was safe and reliable.
We looked in Ocala and the only things we found were either way too high in mileage (meaning 150K or more) or totally out of our price range. We cannot afford a car payment. As long as poor Allen is working like a dog and I am staying home to care for Makily I refuse to add more pressure or work on him to afford a car payment just so I can drive something newer or better.
I was driving our Cavalier while we were looking for a van. Makily does not do well in the Cavalier because the windows are NOT tinted and the a/c ONLY works on low. It is hot here and she actually retched a few times from getting too hot in the Cavalier. We were told last year when she had that NASTY seizure that we should not let Makily get too hot, it could trigger a seizure.
I look on Autotrader.com and found a pretty good deal, it was listed with "McCoy Auto" in Orlando. It was a Pontiac Montana with about 100k miles. It was $3495. We could afford this. Makily had a neuro appt the next day and so we figured we would look at it then.
When we went to see the van I explained to the salesman that we were buying a van because we have a daughter with a wheelchair and we are going to start fostering. We needed something reliable with air. He knew our situation... very well. Allen test drove it. We liked it BUT the power locks and power windows were not working right. I was concerned about the locks for child safety reasons. There were other very minor things and when I mentioned them the salesman
IMMEDIATELY said "We can fix that". So with the agreement in writing that those things would be fixed we gave the guy our $3500. He said we could pick it up in 2-3 days.
He called me a few days later and said it would be TWO weeks as they were waiting on parts. This didn't sit well with me. I had other things to worry about though, Makily's heart catheterization was coming up and so I just said fine.
My sister and I went to pick up the van on June 30, 2007. When I got there the power locks were not working. The other minor things were done but I was still upset about the locks, as it was in the contract that they would fix it. The van smelled funny too and I had been told they were going to detail and shampoo it so I wasn't happy about that. I called Allen and he said "Just take the van, we will take care of the locks later, we need to get it so you have something that isn't so hot for Makily to ride in".
I was not shy about showing that I was angry. They said that I could get the locks fixed by my mechanic and that it would cost about $30. I laughed and said "yeah right", he said well maybe $50 but that's it. He said if we had it fixed to save our receipt and he would reimburse us for it.
I still didn't feel right but I agreed anyway.
This is the last time I don't listen to my gut.I had him put it in writing about the door locks and paid the remaining $600ish for tax, tag, title and "dealer fees" and left.
On the way home I notice the "add coolant" light came on. I told Allen when he got home the next morning. He opened up the radiator and it was full of rust (see video). I went and bought radiator flush, expensive coolant and we flushed out the whole system according to the instructions on the "flush container". I even used distilled water because the auto parts place said it was better.
The add coolant light went off and it seemed to be okay, we fixed it for less than $40 ourselves...no big deal...or so I thought.
Two days later on July 4th the power window on the driver side stopped rolling back up (also in video).
Two days after that on July 6th Makily and I were driving home at 10 pm. The "add coolant" light came on, the engine started stalling and when I looked down at the dash I saw the temperature gauge was all the way up.
The van overheated after we had owned it a total of seven days. I WAS LIVID.Here is the video of the window problem and the radiator problem:
I called the car lot owner the next day and we told him EVERYTHING. He asked why I hadn't called him the day after we bought it when the "add coolant" light came on. I told him that we had flushed out the radiator ourselves, the "add coolant" light went off and it ran fine so we didn't think it was a big deal....until everything else started falling apart on it.
He said that his mechanics look over all the vehicles. I then asked him to explain the RUSTED radiator and he of course couldn't. He just kept saying "How do I know you haven't been driving it a week with no water in it".
WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?!?If his mechanic TRULY looked over the van, he would have found that the radiator was rusted. Rust does not buildup in a radiator like THIS in just one week. He was crazy for even suggesting that.
He also would have ensured that the van had all the appropriate fluids in it WHICH IT DIDN'T because the add coolant light came on THE DAY I BOUGHT IT! He also told me that we put the "wrong water" in the van. That GM vehicles only take "GM water" and that I just need to go to the auto parts store and ask for it. I told him I HAD gone to the auto parts store AND ASKED them and they suggested distilled. No one I have asked has ever heard of "special GM water".
I told him I wanted my money back and that he could take the van. He REFUSED to do this. I was very upset and I told him that they HAD to know about the radiator and he just kept saying "My mechanic checks over all the cars". I continually asked him if he looked in the radiator or not and he would not answer me. Finally he said "well I am sure my mechanic did".
WHATEVER.
I told him that I had MORE IMPORTANT things to deal with that I did not have time OR MONEY to run around trying to get the van fixed. I understand it's a used vehicle but we only had a week before it
overheated! Obviously the problem that made it overheat was the same problem that caused the "add coolant" issue...WHICH HAPPENED WHEN I WAS DRIVING IT HOME FROM THEIR LOT!!In the end he said to "take it to your mechanic and get receipts and we will talk".
We took it in and the mechanic and he found a leak. It was going to be about $350-500 to fix.
Makily's heart cath was coming up and so we did not have the time or money to deal with it. So we had to put water and coolant in it
every time we drove it. Lovely.
We went to Orlando for Makily's heart cath. (SEE VIDEO) It was here that my parents discovered our brake lights weren't working when they were driving behind us. We had family members follow us while there just in case something else went wrong with our lemon.
Makily's Heart Cath:
After Makily's cath was all done we took it in to be fixed. In total he found three leaks that led all the way to the intake manifold. It would be over $500 to replace this. He told me he could try something to seal it with and that would save money. Luckily the "seal" worked and we have a mechanic that is HONEST and WON'T RIP US OFF! THANKS DAVE WE LOVE YOU!
I emailed the owner Mohammed last Monday 8-6 with the estimates. He never replied. I tried faxing over the estimates on Friday 8-10 and the fax number was not working. I even called them to ensure I had the right number and I did.
On Monday 8-13 I emailed, faxed and mailed the receipts to him. When I called again about the fax machine on Monday I asked whom I was speaking with. I was told it was Mohammed, which is who I have been dealing with. I reminded him of who I was and told him that I was trying to fax him the receipts and it was not working. He then claimed to have never spoken to me. I said "isnt this Mohammed?" He said "um, this is the other Mohammed". I asked how many Mohammed's worked there and he said two...umm okay maybe.
The fax did go through on Monday, I mailed the receipts certified mail with return receipt and I have yet to hear anything from them.
I realize they do not and have not intended on paying
ANYTHING on the repairs of the van.
They basically ripped Allen and I off, they could care less that our child was having A HEART CATHETERIZATION during all of this. They knew we had a special needs kid, they knew our situation and they sold us a lemon anyway. I will never understand how people can do this to others and sleep at night.
Today the "add coolant" light keeps coming on and going off. Oh and the "gas" light came on although I have more than half a tank.
I wonder what else is going to happen and what will fall off of the van next!?
So I hope that this blog somehow saves someone else from buying a lemon from these CROOKS. SKYLINE MOTORS WORKS LLC aka MCCOY AUTO of Orlando Florida are liars. I found a few people on ebay that have had VERY SIMILAR experiences with these people.
Their ebay name is "skylinemotorsgtr".
DO NOT EVER BUY FROM THEM.
If they can sell us a lemon KNOWING our circumstances then they will sell ANYONE, ANYTHING for a buck.
SHAME ON YOU MOHAMMED AND EVERYONE ELSE THAT DEALT WITH US AT SKYLINE MOTOR WORKS LLC aka McCoy Auto.
*******UPDATE AT 6:55 PM 8-17-07*****So we took Makily to Neuro in Orlando today. The van drove GREAT, not a problem at all. IN FACT when we drove up at the house, Allen said "ya know the van drove well today, hopefully all the problems with it are behind us". NOT!When we got out.....THIS is what we found!WHAT NEXT!? 
