| **Here is a copy of a letter I sent to them in addition to my attorney, the BBB, and Attorney Genetral's Office of Missouri** Westport Auto Plaza 11/01/2011 Attn: Ownership (Marcus) 10800 Page Avenue St Louis, MO 63132 Tel.: 314-667-5430 Peter Kemph 195 Harvest Moon Ct St Peters, MO 63304 Tel.: 314-532-0774 To Whom It May Concern: The purpose of this letter is to officially notify Westport Auto Plaza of my warranty claim for an engine problem with the vehicle your company sold to me and do a follow-up in written form of the conversation that took place between myself, Peter Kemph, owner of the 2009 Saturn Vue/Hybrid, and Max, Westport Auto Plaza salesman on Friday, 10/28/2011 at @ 4:00 PM. The call was placed to Westport Auto Plaza to inform them that their vehicle sold by them to me, Peter Kemph, was in faulty mechanical condition and covered by the 30 day/1000 mile warranty for the engine and transmission as part of the purchase agreement when the vehicle was purchased 3 weeks prior on October 5, 2011. I informed Max that during the removal of spark plugs, I discovered that at least one cylinder was bad since the removed spark plug was covered in oil; this indicated that the valve cover or head was bad, among other possibilities. Since the warranty covers engine and transmission, and since it was discovered before the expiration of the 30 DAY/1000 MILES WARRANTY, it is the responsibility of Westport Auto Plaza to correct the problem. Max informed me that there was nothing that could be done that day (Friday, 10/28/2011), and that he would call his boss, “Marcus.†After his conversation with “Marcus,†I was directed to take the vehicle to MG Motors/Autotech 2000, 3448 North Lindbergh Boulevard, St. Ann, MO 63074-2103, (314) 770-0123 on Monday, 10/31/2011 for repairs. I informed Max that I would be traveling to Chicago (Waukegan, a northern suburb of Chicago and then to South Bend for the Notre Dame game) over the weekend and would take it in first thing Monday upon my return. I also made Max aware that the travel to Chicago would cause the vehicle to go well over the “1000 miles†driven since the purchase date after the conclusion of the weekend trip, but that it was not over that mark before the trip. Max said to take a picture of the odometer, and I told him that I did not have a camera with me. He said he would call his boss and call me back if that was a problem. I told him that if I did not hear from him, I would go ahead and take the vehicle in on Monday, 10/31/2011 upon my return. He did not call me again. So I called a mechanic who said he thought it was just a valve cover and there would be no additional damage done to the vehicle if I continued to drive it, and left for Chicago. The vehicle had not yet turned 109,000 on the odometer before the trip north, and when I returned, the vehicle had 109698; the vehicle was purchased with 108,035 miles. Upon my return, I took the vehicle in to MG Motors as instructed. Gleb, the owner, took the vehicle in, and the next day, Tuesday, 11/01/2011, stated that he did not know what the problem was, but that it was definitely not the valve cover and was in fact probably a cracked head; estimated repair costs @$1500. He then told me to drive the vehicle for a couple of days (putting even more miles on the vehicle) and then return because he had put some dye in the engine to specifically determine the problem. I asked him to call Marcus to inform him, and he said he would. When I talked to Marcus, he first suggested I engage in fraud and purchase an extended warranty from him for $1500 without making the warranty company aware of the engine problem, thus committing fraud. After I refused, he told me he would not honor the warranty and pay for the covered repairs. I told him I would file a complaint with the Missouri Attorney General’s office and BBB if he did not honor his word and contract. Furthermore, I am disappointed to discover that the 30 day “warranty†for engine and transmission I was promised would only cover “50%†of the covered costs. This is misleading to me, because I had assumed that it would be fully covered at no expense to me in the event of a covered failure. As it turns out, a hand-written disclaimer was written into the sale without my knowledge (and in violation of our verbal agreement) stating the partial liability. And now they are not only refusing to pay half of the costs, they are refusing to pay any of the costs. I would hope that Westport Auto Plaza would correct this lack of communication and fully cover the repairs and honor their word. After nearly 4 weeks, I also have not received the title to the vehicle. The temp tags are set to expire in 2 days. As such, I will file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau (STL: 314-645-3300), the State Attorney General’s (AG Chris Koster: Consumer Protection Division - St. Louis Missouri Attorney General's Office Consumer Protection Division Old Post Office Building 815 Olive Street, Suite 200 St. Louis, MO 63101 Phone: 314-340-6816) office of Missouri, ripoffreport.com, or any other customer resolution organization if the repairs are paid in a timely and financially agreeable fashion. Furthermore, I will be filing a lawsuit in court to recoup my money spent for a vehicle which I believe they may have deceived me into buying while knowing there was pre-existing engine failure. I thank you for your kind attention to this matter. Sincerely, Peter Kemph |
