NHTSA Complaint #10436153 — 2005 MERCURY MONTEGO

PURCHASED CAR ON 10/3/2011 FROM DRIVETIME MOTORS. ON THE WAY HOME, CAR HAD OBVIOUS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. TOOK IN FOR SERVICE ON 10/5/2011, AND TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. UPON TESTING, PRIOR TO PICK UP, THE MECHANIC FOUND THAT TRANSMISSION TO BE A BAD ONE. REPLACED WITH ANOTHER LKQ TRANSMISSION. PICKED UP CAR ON 10/27/11. ON 10/29/2011, THE CHECK TRANSMISSION LIGHT ALERTED IN CAR. PARKED CAR AT HOME. ON 10/30/11, DROVE CAR 2 MILES TO CHURCH AND BACKED CAR INTO PARKING SPACE ALONG TREE LINE. AN HOUR LATER, SENT CHILD TO RETRIEVE AN ITEM FROM THE TRUNK. CHILD WALKED AROUND TO THE TRUNK AND USED KEY FOB TO OPEN THE TRUNK. AS HE LEANED TO REMOVE ITEMS FROM THE TRUNK, CAR ROLLED BACKWARDS AND KNOCKED HIM DOWN, LUCKILY, CAR WAS STOPPED BY TREE LIMBS ON RAVINE OF TREE LINE, AS CHILD ROLLED DOWN RAVINE. RESULTING INJURIES WERE HEAD CONTUSION, CONCUSSION AND BADLY BRUISED ARM AND BACK. DRIVETIME SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR, AND WANTED ME TO PICK UP AND ASSUME OWNERSHIP. THE CAR WAS NOT RUNNING, HAD NO KEY IN THE IGNITION, AND NO ONE INSIDE THE CAR. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND PICTURES TAKEN OF THE GEAR SHIFT SHOWING THE CAR TO BE IN PARK. I AM NOT GOING TO RECLAIM THE CAR, AND AM AFRAID THAT DRIVETIME IS GOING TO RETURN THIS CAR BACK TO A DEALERSHIP TO SALE AND ENDANGER SOMEONE ELSE'S LIFE. *TR