ROSS TOWNSHIP — A woman needed a new car, so she saved and shopped around for months, but she says what she got was not as advertised.
Candace Washington never imagined she’d be in this situation. Candace Washington never imagined she’d be in this situation.
She’s now out thousands of dollars, still can’t drive the car and is stuck making monthly payments.
She needed a new car after getting into an accident. She did her research and landed on a Ford Escape from Drivetime in Ross Township.
“I felt great, got back to work, didn’t have to rent a car,” Washington said.
When she test drove the Escape, it shook. She said the dealership agreed to install new brakes and tires.
Washington bought the car in April of 2025. It came with a 30-day guarantee and she said the saleswoman told her she could purchase the SilverRock warranty separately, which she opted to do.
But, within a week, problems started popping up.
“When I took it to the mechanic, he said, ‘Your tire rod is bent,’” Washington said.
A report from Drivetime shows the car had never been in an accident, but Washington’s mechanic told her — actually, it had been in a crash and there was serious damage to the passenger side front end.
She showed us the different front headlights.
“It just blew my mind when he said, ' Candace, take a look at the headlights,’” Washington said.
The “brand-new” tires were balding.
“About two months into driving it, this tire popped here,” Washington said.
“When you learned that this car had been in an accident. What was going through your mind?” 11 Investigates Reporter Amy Hudak asked.
“Return. Return it to maybe get another car,” Washington said.
When she called SilverRock to purchase the warranty within days of the sale and use the 30-day guarantee, she was told she was out of luck; she couldn’t buy the warranty after the sale of the car. They couldn’t fit her in for an inspection, and it wouldn’t cover frame damage anyway.
“They sell you trust as an empty promise,” Washington said.
Washington says in the 15 months she’s had the car, it’s been in the shop for about half that time and the repair costs are putting a strain on her financially.
“I’m over about $3,000 in out-of-pocket costs to fix the car,” Washington said.
Despite all that money, on top of a car payment, the Escape still isn’t passing inspection.
“Do you feel like they intentionally sold you a lemon?” asked Hudak.
“I do believe they did,” Washington said.
11 Investigates reached out to Drivetime and Silverrock multiple times. So far, they have not responded to requests for comment on Washington’s case, including whether they are working with her on coming up with a solution.
In the meantime, Washington has filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau and says she’s not opposed to taking legal action if there is no resolution to her case.
“For my trust to be broken to have been sold a damaged vehicle that would take me six years to pay off. Then I am very angry for myself and any other people out there who have had this problem,” Washington said.
If you’re in the market for a used car, there are some steps to protect yourself:
- Ask for the vehicle history report
- Get all promises in writing
- Get an independent inspection before you buy
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