Hey everyone,
A few years ago I purchased a modified 2008 Mustang GT at a major Toyota Dealership in California. At the time the car had an aftermarket intake, throttle body, and exhaust. I was (of course) told the car had no problem passing smog. I even made a post about this exhaust a couple days after buying the car on this very site. Regardless, it has come time to pass smog and no one wants to touch the car, it wasn't even passing the visual because of the intake (which I have since replaced back to stock). Everyone is telling me the exhaust is an absolute nightmare with no cats anywhere. One shop quoted me 3k for repairs and pass, because they needed to buy all OEM parts. Apparently, its not enough to just stick cats on there, they have to be in the right place. A detective friend of mine said he would take it to his mechanic in hopes of getting me the best deal, since I struggled everywhere else. However, his mechanic also said the exhaust is a nightmare and he could fix it with parts from a junk yard for 15-1800. He suggested I go back to the dealership.
I have been speaking with the dealership on and off, the sales manager said he wanted to make this right, but today I spoke to a lady who seemed to push back. She said it would be illegal for them to sell the car as I described and told me she has in front of her, the passed smog paperwork from 2012. Curiously, she said the car was taken to a 3rd party shell station where it passed smog. I find this odd considering the dealership is a licensed smog and repair shop. I don't understand why they would need to take it off-site, unless they wanted some plausible deniability later. Regardless, this car wouldn't even pass a visual test because there were not carb stickers on anything under the hood.
Luckily for me, I took photos of both the engine, exhaust, and the underside of the car the day I bought it. These photos are time stamped, so I am hoping the dealership will look at them and be able to determine this indeed was how the car was when I bought it. I also have videos of their sales guy driving the car. Anyone who knows cars can tell the exhaust on there isn't stock from the video . Can any one you look at the photos and tell me if the exhaust looks stock. Ultimately, I think this is going to end up being a protracted and drawn out conflict.
In a home run attempt, does anyone from So. Cal recognize this car, maybe a forum owner traded it in at Toyota Cerritos in 2012.
A few years ago I purchased a modified 2008 Mustang GT at a major Toyota Dealership in California. At the time the car had an aftermarket intake, throttle body, and exhaust. I was (of course) told the car had no problem passing smog. I even made a post about this exhaust a couple days after buying the car on this very site. Regardless, it has come time to pass smog and no one wants to touch the car, it wasn't even passing the visual because of the intake (which I have since replaced back to stock). Everyone is telling me the exhaust is an absolute nightmare with no cats anywhere. One shop quoted me 3k for repairs and pass, because they needed to buy all OEM parts. Apparently, its not enough to just stick cats on there, they have to be in the right place. A detective friend of mine said he would take it to his mechanic in hopes of getting me the best deal, since I struggled everywhere else. However, his mechanic also said the exhaust is a nightmare and he could fix it with parts from a junk yard for 15-1800. He suggested I go back to the dealership.
I have been speaking with the dealership on and off, the sales manager said he wanted to make this right, but today I spoke to a lady who seemed to push back. She said it would be illegal for them to sell the car as I described and told me she has in front of her, the passed smog paperwork from 2012. Curiously, she said the car was taken to a 3rd party shell station where it passed smog. I find this odd considering the dealership is a licensed smog and repair shop. I don't understand why they would need to take it off-site, unless they wanted some plausible deniability later. Regardless, this car wouldn't even pass a visual test because there were not carb stickers on anything under the hood.
Luckily for me, I took photos of both the engine, exhaust, and the underside of the car the day I bought it. These photos are time stamped, so I am hoping the dealership will look at them and be able to determine this indeed was how the car was when I bought it. I also have videos of their sales guy driving the car. Anyone who knows cars can tell the exhaust on there isn't stock from the video . Can any one you look at the photos and tell me if the exhaust looks stock. Ultimately, I think this is going to end up being a protracted and drawn out conflict.
In a home run attempt, does anyone from So. Cal recognize this car, maybe a forum owner traded it in at Toyota Cerritos in 2012.
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