Michelle Roberts “went without” and “sacrificed” for years to put away whatever money she could.
So when she saw the 2010 Mitsubishi Pajero — a car big enough to fit her husband, two kids and her wheelchair — on sale on Facebook Marketplace in her price range at $13,000 in August, she pounced on it.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Queensland family says they’ve lost thousands of dollars after they were sold a car that was not roadworthy.
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Now, the Sunshine Coast woman has no car and no savings.
“We don’t have a red cent to our name now,” Roberts told 7NEWS.
Roberts did her pre-purchase due diligence, with the car ticked off as roadworthy by a local certifier.
However, when she took the car to her mechanic for a full service, it was deemed anything but.
“I don’t understand how it got (deemed) roadworthy, to be honest,” mechanic Will James said.
“It was blatantly obvious. It was in our carpark for two days before we looked at it and there was a massive puddle of oil underneath it.
“That’s the first telltale, and the more you dig, the more you find.”
James says he uncovered massive structural rust and major oil leaks.
The cost of repair? “More than the car’s worth, really, to be honest”, James said.
Roberts said she contacted the previous owner, who she claimed said she had “never had any problems”.
She is now considering her options. But court action appears to be too expensive.
“t’s a write-off … It’s not worth putting on more cent in,” she said.
“I can’t sell it.”
Queensland’s transport department told 7NEWS that state laws provide consumers protection from lemons when bought from a “licensed motor dealer”.
“Buyers should exercise caution when buying from a private seller,” the department said.
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