I just bought my car from Dave Hallman and was told it was in good condition I didn’t notice until after driving off that I had to hold my steering wheel at about I’d say 15 20° degree angle just to steer straight. Now if I hit a pothole the entire car shakes violently I have to pull over put it in Park and pray that when I put it in drive the shaking stops which usually occurs another issue I’ve noticed is that when I try to accelerate if I don’t have my traction control on it’s like I’m pressing the gas but nothing’s happening there’s no acceleration unless I move the steering wheel around usually toward the left and then it will start to pick up if I leave my car idle too long it won’t go anywhere if I shut it off and wait for hours it will then continue to accelerate again but if I try to go anywhere after I’ve left it a little too long I press the gas it revs but no motion someone please help what could be wrong one more added note when going down a hill it’s almost like it’s braking on its own
You have serious issues that will require hands-on diagnosis by a qualified mechanic. Check mechanics files on this site, yelp reviews for your area, ask family and friends for recommendations. Recommend you do not use chain shops like Pep Boys or Firestone.
From your description of symptoms, expect a large repair estimate.
BTW, there is no advantage to turning the traction control off in normal driving.
By any chance did you get any sort of warranty or sold “as is, no warranty” ?
Why do you think WE would know who this is?
Apparently you didn’t have this car checked over by a mechanic before you bought it. BIG mistake that you will be paying $$$ for.
Agree with everything @Purebred posted!
Patricia , you really don’t have many options . You can ask the seller for help but if this is what is called Sold As Is they don’t have to do anything. You can find a shop to make this drivable but expect to spend a lot. Or ask the seller if you can return this thing and purchase something else from them . But for Pete’s Sake take a decent test drive.
I figured Dave Hallman was an angry ex, but chose not to go there.
Dave Hallman appears to be a dealership chain in Erie, PA.
@PatriciaShearer: Did you not test drive this car before you bought it?
I don’t know about the laws in the U.S but here in Canada there is no such thing as ’ Sold As Is’. We go with a goodwill law,meaning that the buyer can return the car to the seller in case the vehicule has a hidden defect.
How long have you had the car? Can you take it for an inspection? Read this! PA I assume https://www.northpennlegal.org/blog/pennsylvanias-used-car-dealer-regulations
Is it really that cut and dried? Seems awfully generous to the consumer. I was very curious and went looking for supporting information. This is one reference that seems to indicate that the dealer can only be compelled to take it back by a court of law- https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/reviews/used-cars/my-used-car-is-a-lemon-now-what/article31330595/
Do you have some source that explains it differently? Genuinely curious to read it…
Its called a 'Legal warranty" Its valid for all Provinces in Canada.
The right to return a vehicle with a hidden defect strikes you as generous?
Terminology matters. An imminent failure is not necessarily a defect. But yeah, to be able to bring back a used car for that long after the sale and for virtually any reason, that’s extremely generous. Everywhere I have lived, a used car is sold as is, where is, unless the seller has a written warranty saying otherwise.
It’s possible the only problem with the steering wheel being off-center is that it need to be removed and re-positioned. I’m not saying this is the most likely cause, could well be related to serious suspension and steering parts problems, but suggest to think optimistic on the steering wheel offset-from-center problem. As posted above these issues require a well recommended shop to diagnose. Once you get the proper diagnosis you can decide for yourself if you want to do some of the repair work yourself or not.
If I had that problem myself I’d try to negotiate a deal w/the seller to return the car and get another one, or at least part of the sales price back. The seller probably isn’t obligated to do this, so you will have to become the seller yourself; i.e. sell him on that idea. For example if you know someone who is looking to buy a car, tell the seller you’d like to recommend your friend to come to see what’s available there, provided you are satisfied with how the seller handles your problem.