I bought a really bad lemon, help!

Location: Illinois and Kentucky:

I need help badly!

I found a car through Autotrader that came with delivery.
I will not bore you with all the red flags I know realize I missed. So basically.

Dealer told me I was going to love this car and if I didn't like it, I could return it. No I do not have this in writing. I am aware, a conversation is not evidence or help.
But, I do have a text message of me asking to "Utilize the 15 day return warranty" because that I how understood how this deal was going to work.

I asked to utilize this return warranty because my attempt to pay for the delivery fee got dinged as a possible scam payment and I asked him "I have 15 days to return it, can I just utilize that now because this transaction is getting too confusing" He said not until it was delivered.

There was a few weeks delay on getting me the car because I was waiting on Capital one to make sure it wasn't a scam, I wont' bore you with all of that.

So the car that as far as I am aware has a 15 day return warranty because he said "If you don't like it, you can return it for whatever reason. But, you're going to love this car so don't worry" is delivered from Illinois to Kentucky on September 26th but I can't drive it until the 30th because it wasn't delivered with a temp tag.

I get the car inspected on the 2nd of October well within the 15 day warranty and it comes back with A transmission leak, power steering leak and $3000 worth of front end work needed to stop the car from shaking and pulling hard to the left when I brake.

I immediately text the dealership asking to utilize the 15 day return warranty that I was told I could use even if I didn't like the car and on the 3rd of October sent out a certified letter that the dealership signed for on the 7th of October.

I hear nothing back for a week, so I contact the BBB, and both Illinois and Kentucky states attorney generals.

The BBB wrote first, they didn't hear back from the dealership so they are closing the case.

The Kentucky AG writes to tell me the dealership did respond to them and the dealership is offering to repair the car if I drive it to them.

This reply from them to the Kentucky AG was 7 weeks after they got the certified letter.
Their offer to repair the car would mean us having the car towed to them 290 miles away.
Plus because they were taking so long to write us back, we purchased another car.

So now we are paying for 2 cars and it's killing our budget and lord knows how crappy the car is now since it's just been sitting there!

I honestly thought, this was going to be a simple waiting game and that I would be able to get a refund for the car once the AG's got involved because of how long they waited and the problems the car had. But, I guess that was simply bad information to go off of.

Because now they have written back to the BBB even though the case was closed and despite telling them and showing them the exact same proof I have the Kentucky AG. They are telling me basically to go to hell. The 15 day warranty doesn't cover transmission leaks.

Is there anything at all I can do to get them to take their car back?

Posted Dec 4, 2025, 9:53 PM UTC

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