My new car broke down one day after I bought it – I paid $780 for tow & then dealership wanted to charge me for repair

A DRIVER is enraged after buying a vehicle he thought was in mint condition just to have it break down on him the very next day.

Kyrstyan Mazzuca of New Jersey was tired of his public transit-based commute and decided to save his money to buy a car but had expectations of his newly purchased vehicle lasting longer than a day.

ABC 7

ABC 7

ABC 7

“I spent six hours at the dealership test-driving different cars, looking at different options,” Mazzuca told local ABC affiliate WABC-TV.

“I finally found one that didn’t seem to have any problems. Nothing really major seemed to be wrong with it.”

He purchased what he thought was an efficient 2011 Hyundai Sonata in great condition, ready to get on the road as his main source of transportation.

Something tragically unexpected happened to the car buyer’s vehicle the day after he took it off the lot that ended up costing him nearly $800.

“All the windows are rolled down on the car,” Mazzuca explained.

“Everything’s locked up. You can’t open the doors. You can’t open anything.”

He even called AAA, which couldn’t get the car started either.

The driver had the vehicle towed to the home of his relative in Hazlet, New Jersey for $780.

He said that he made

He said he made over 53 phone calls to try and contact the car dealer.

And additionally sent more than a dozen texts and emails.

When the dealership finally responded, it said it would cost him $500 to fix his car.

If that wasn’t bad enough, Mazzuca still owed the second half of his down payment for the vehicle he had just purchased.

That’s another $1,200 on his bill.

What to do if your car is towed

Wrongfully or not, retrieving a towed vehicle can be a hassle.

If your vehicle is towed after parking in a “No Parking” zone or other legitimate reason, there are a few steps to take to get it back.

Steps to take when your car is towed:

• Try to figure out why your car was towed. Did you not see a posted “No Parking” sign? Did you miss a car payment? Did you return to a lot where you have unpaid citations? Finding the reason can narrow down the phone numbers to dial.
• Locate the vehicle. Most states, cities, or counties require towing companies to leave some form of contact information via a posted sign or sent by mail.
• Recovery dates and times depend on the company that towed the vehicle, but those times will be posted to the website or can be recited by a representative.
• Pay the fees. Be careful to be as prompt as possible, as some tow yards may charge storage fees by the day.

If you feel your vehicle was wrongfully towed, contesting the action can be done with the following steps:

• Be prompt – many states have a small window of time where it’s acceptable to file a complaint against a company that wrongfully towed the vehicle.
• Gather supporting documents: photos, emails, receipts, police reports, and witness statements if applicable. The more evidence, the better.
• Get familiar with your local laws, as laws for towing companies vary per state.
• Try speaking with the towing company. Sometimes it may have been a simple oversight, and the matter can be resolved quickly.
• Contact the Justice of the Peace in your area, as they may have more insight or resources to help. They are often utilized for towing cases.
• Talk to a lawyer. Many lawyers have free case consultations, and depending on the case, it may be worth it to utilize a lawyer.

Source: Oregon Department of Justice , National General , Rak Law Firm

“I just want my money back,” the driver stressed.

“We can go our separate ways. We don’t have to continue business. We don’t have to go out and slander each other. That’s not the way I like to do things.”

When Mazzuca got in touch with the WABC-TV news team and they helped look into his situation, the dealer admitted that the main fuse to the entire car had burned out.

It only took a week for the driver to get his car back and the dealership tried to make it up to the customer.

“Basically, he replaced the fuse, a sensor, and an alternator,” Mazzuca said.

“The battery didn’t cost me anything. In addition to that, he took another $1,000 off the total of the car just to make sure there wasn’t any bad blood and make sure that everyone leaves a little happy.”