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Action 9: What to avoid when purchasing a car ‘as is'

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A lot of people will contact the Action 9 team furious with the used vehicles they just bought.

However, when customers buy a car "as is," there's not much anyone can do.
 
Action 9 investigator Jason Stoogenke worked with a woman to show others what to avoid.
 
Amber Langdon, 18, said she was short on credit.
 
"I needed to get a vehicle as fast as I could," she said.
 
She went to McAdenville Motors, put down $1,500 on a Nissan Murano "as is" and drove off the lot. She said then the check engine light came on.
 
"My heart just honestly like sank," she said. "I didn't know what to do."
 
Langdon said she went to Auto Zone and another mechanic and they found multiple problems including a cracked axle.
 
Tom McCurry manages McAdenville Motors.
 
"It has a leaky boot, which is probably a $50 fix," McCurry said. "That could have been fixed very simply."
 
When asked if he would have offered to fix it, McCurry said he would have offered to fix the problem and anything else that might have been wrong with the car.
 
However, McCurry said Langdon didn't want the SUV fixed, she wanted her money. He said that wasn't an option because the down payment was refundable.
 
The Better Business Bureau gives McAdenville motors an A rating and says there's not much you can do when you buy "as is."
 
"If you are going to take it for a test drive, takes it to a mechanic while you're test driving it.  Pay $50, $75 to have that inspected by a professional," said Tom Bartholomy with the BBB.
 
Langdon said she's suing the dealer in small claims court and may file a complaint with the Department of Motor Vehicles.

If a person does by "as is," check to see if the dealer offers a warranty. For example, McAdenville offers the warranties and it may be worth the extra money.