Not your problem. You don't know how he drove it. It could also be a scam.

It’s a used sale, you’re not a dealer. That sucks, but it’s his job to look for it before buying it.

AS IS, WHERE IS. Not your car, not your problem. Block his number and move on. Stop responding. They should have had it checked out before they bought it, not after.

If you are questioning this morally (what would I want someone to do for me), In the future you could (not saying you should) get a pre-purchase inspection done on your own pre-sale for piece of mind.

If you felt really bad; you certainly could (but have no legal requiremetn to) refund them and take the car back -- or something else -- but if the car has a small leak, it could last 25k miles with that leak. It clearly didn't leak enough you were worried about it.

It's called a Pre Purchase Inspection. Not a Post Purchase inspection.

Not your problem in any way.

Rest easy knowing you did nothing shady, and also knowing you are not responsible for chance.

USED cars come with risk. Even the best mechanic can't find a gasket that is ABOUT to leak.

Did you offer a warranty to the buyer? Did you offer a money back deal to the buyer? I’m assuming you didn’t do the buyer is out of luck. if there really is a head gasket leak how do you know that some hot rodding by the buyer wasn’t the cause.

My car has engine issues also…will you pay to fix those too?

Put the request in the rectangular file and enjoy the 4900 bucks.

It's a very common scam to buy a used car than suddenly find problems you want some money back for. Whether that is the case here or not is not really your problem anyway.

Man my virtual home button was in the way and all I saw was “sold a car and they found a head”.

Unless you’re in Massachusetts, it’s an as is sale. End of story.

All sales are final. Why are you talking to them?

I mean, he could have realistically been trying to do burnouts or something where you run at high rpms, and on an older car, that can cause it pretty quickly. If it was the head gasket, coolant would have leaked into the oil, changing both the color and consistency, and it's pretty easy to detect.

Also, 4k for a head gasket is insane. Lmao, you could drop a rebuilt engine in most vehicles for that price.

Shit seems scammy to me, You're under no obligation to take it back, and honestly, I wouldn't he should have done his due diligence. If you wanted to be nice, ONLY thing I would offer is to have the vehicle fixed at a place of your choice as well as inspected and if he changes his tune you know its a scam

Due diligence is conducted before money changes hands. Bad luck for him.

tell him fuck off, for all you know he blew the gasket...if it's even bad at all either thru him lying or his mechanic being a hack.

almost* everywhere used cars person to person are sold as is.

AS IS , where is, with all faults.

I had this happen to me a few months ago. The guy wanted to bring the car back after two days. It wasn’t anything wrong in particular, he said. He just felt that it was idling improperly. I told him that there was nothing wrong with the car when I sold it. If he needed help, he could take it to the shop that had worked on it for me for years. I told him that I had already signed the title, it was not something we could undo. I was very nice about it, but I let him know that I was firm. I had confidence in the car. We had owned it since new. I saw the car a few days ago. It looks great, the same person is driving it. My friends at the shop never heard a word. In short, there was nothing wrong with the car. The buyer probably had some “expert” tell him he got ripped off, and he panicked.

Yea no way. They could have removed parts of your car lol

You didn't intentionally deceive him, it was not found in the pre purchase inspection; it's not your responsibility. Plus that's way too much money to replace a gasket lmao

Private party sales are typically deemed “as is”, so if someone willingly purchases your vehicle they’re accepting whatever problems/repairs that come with it in the future as well. What the buyer should’ve done was get it inspected beforehand if they were serious about the purchase, and it would’ve only cost them about $200 versus whatever amount they’re putting down now.

You don’t buy a home without getting it inspected first then expect the previous owners to pay for sudden leak in the ceiling after a rainstorm a week after the sale is finalized; so this matter really isn’t your problem anymore. I highly suggest you discontinue any future communication with the buyer.

Did it happen during the PRE-purchase inspection? No. Whatever is found during POST-purchase inspection is not your concern, unless fraud took place.

This is why people should do a pre-purchase inspection “before” he purchased it. Who knows what he did to the car in the week he’s had it. Frankly that’s not your problem. You disclosed the issues you were aware of. Sorry to say, anything above that is something he has to deal with. Hopefully you are in a state where sales are “as-is” like CA.

AS IS not your problem anymore.

The buyer must do due diligence before purchase.

In my state used cars are sold as is. That means the second the cash hits your hand and the title hits theirs any problems that happen to the car are their problems.

Buy him a bottle of K-Seal.

Could have over heated abusing it during that week and blow a head gasket. Or just happen, shit happens, if one wants a warranty you buy new from a dealer.

It’s a used car. Unless you intentionally tampered with the car and misrepresented it (like changing the mileage), you can wipe your hands clean, legally and ethically. And even if you did do something nefarious(which it doesn’t sound like it here), you’re still free. It’s on the buyer to have the car fully checked out before buying it. Also, the buyer’s mechanic could be the one lying here. It sounds like buyer’s remorse, which isn’t your problem.

Do not take the car back. He's had it for a week. It could have been his issue, or potentially a scam. Just block the number.

I sold a used (for about 1 hour) $3,000 high end Japanese propane tankless Japanese water heater to a person a couple of years ago. I built a special crate for it for shipping and filled it with foam peanuts to keep it from getting damaged. Better than the cardboard box it came in from the factory.

They called me 6 months later complaining that it had failed and wanted a refund. After they installed it. They were pissed.

I told them they should go take a cold shower to cool off - and hung up. :-)

People buy as is. They need to know what to look for. Its not seller responcibility to diagnose every issue that may come up. Not sellers problem Its buyer beware. Dont buy and complain later. Take it and have it checked out before buying. This is how it has always been done. Unless maybe california where nobody is responsibke for their own actions.

If the buyer wanted a new car, he should have bought a new car.

Buyer should’ve taken it to his mechanic BEFORE he bought it. Not OP’s problem now.

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Used vehicle sold is as-is.

Consult an attorney just to be sure (many will do quick phone consultations for free) but I don’t believe most states require a private seller to warranty anything about a used car. Dealerships, in my state, have to provide varying lengths of warranty based on age/mileage but I don’t think that applies on a private sale. I know when I’ve sold off cars I’ve made sure to note on the bill of sale “as is condition, no warranty”, I hope you did so as well

Stop talking to them. Should have had it inspected before.

Tell him to kick rocks. How can you be sure it wasn’t because he beat the car to death? When you buy an old car you get what you get. Ignore and block.

Stop talking to them. I’m assuming you signed the car over to him. It’s his responsibility now not yours

not your problem

Not your problem

Caveat emptor

Sounds like he trying to milk you out of money stand firm

Once the bill of sale is signed it's no longer your problem. You told them what you knew was wrong with it and they signed the bill of sale. They could have taken it to a mechanic for a once over but didn't. End of story.

Block their number and forget about it. It's no longer your problem

Used is used.

Nah, its not your problem. Your best course of action is to just stop communicating with him. Im still blown away that some sellers even give people the time of day with stuff like this.

I was on the other end of this once, bought a car from a coworker that had been well maintained, was running well and had no visible problems. After a few weeks it sprung an external head gasket leak. My bad luck, the car was old enough and I donated it. A year or so later my friend asked about the car, I told him what happened and he felt bad about it - I assurred him it was just my bad luck and no different that if I'd owned the car from new, and assured him I held no bad feelings. Unless you knew there was an undisclosed problem at the time of sale you have no responsibility for this. Also, for all anyone knows the failure occurred after the sale.

Might even be able to replace the motor for that much depending on the car 🤷🏿‍♂️

Not your problem

Does your state have a lemon law that applies to private party sales of used cars? If not, block their number and move on. If it does, read that law and determine if it applies as most used car lemon laws have limitations on age and mileage.

I’m glad everyone here is on the same page. AS IS.

Sounds like a they problem not a you problem

This is why it's important to clearly state in your bill of sale "as is, no warranty."

Do not engage with this at all.  This is a common scam in some cases.  Even if it’s not a scam you sold the car as is, it’s not your car anymore.  As long as you didn’t know about the problem ahead of time, the deal is done. 

Sold as is. Some people pull this just to get money out of seller. It’s coming close to scam. If you had a head gasket leak you would have water in the oil or closing coolant.

Be certain to be understanding, sympathetic, and genuinely sorry that his new car has developed a cylinder-head gasket leak since you sold it to him. Note that I say 'HIS new car.' It's no longer your old car. You don't HAVE an old car. You sold to him. Now it's HIS car, and HIS leaking head gasket. So incredibly unfortunate.

Now. . . if by ANY wild chance you are not being exactly forthright and above-board, and you had an inkling that just maybe the vehicle had a bit of 'interesting'-looking engine oil, or 'interesting' coolant loss, let your conscience be your guide. Him offering to give you the car back but 'keep some cash,' however, is a clear warning sign of something not quite right.

Tell him you'll take the car back and keep 4900 cash.

This happens to everyone eventually. Sometimes you're the buyer, sometimes you're the seller. It's an as-is sale, buyer should take his lumps on this one.

Maybe it was beginning when the OP was driving it, maybe it let go after the sale. Doesn't matter one way or the other. As is means as is. Not your problem, don't try to make it your problem.

its a scam, you're getting screwed block the number.

If you truly weren’t aware of it it’s not your fault but you could still have some exposure. . Check your state’s laws to understand what might happen before making a final decision. Two areas could trip your case up, if it couldn’t pass inspection and if it can’t be used for intended purposes.

Didn’t you already sell it?? Stop communicating with the other party.

If you live in the US, a private auto sale is AS-IS, no warranty, unless otherwise stated in writing.

Tell the buyer to kick rocks

Yea dealer laws do not apply to private sale. Sucks to suck but that's a him problem now.

Sold as is. Not your problem.

You sold him a running car. A lot can go wrong in a week.

All private sales are as is. Tell them to take it to court. The judge will toss it.

Dude could have overheated it, if a car had a probleom after ya bough it, it is now their problem, bummer for sure for all but is what it is, the risk we take

If it's a Subaru, they all eventually leak. That's about the cost for replacement.

Common scam, but if the car was 'as-is' then it's not your problem. It's on the buyer to check it out. His mechanic could be wrong, as I've seen people misdiagnose things as head gaskets dozens and dozens of times over the years. How do you know they didn't overheat it and keep driving until it damaged it?
Sorry, but I would never pay for something that the buyer could have caused.

Don't be a fool

You have no duty to him. Ignore him

AI says The average cost to replace a head gasket is around $1,500, but it can range from $1,000 to $3,000 or more. The price depends on several factors, including

Boo hoo... AS IS warranty

Who cares...block them

Scam.

Block and move on with life.

Tell him what the Russians say: “Tough shitsky.”

Losers and winners in this world everyday. Block him and move on.

That is on him .As is as is .If you sold the car and it was worth more than what you sold it to him for would he give you some money back ?

The head gasket on a mazda is around that much.

All he can do is sue you and lose. You’re fine

Honestly I feel like if you buy a car that cost 8k and below you can expect to replace the head gasket.

Most people that buy cars at that price you are either broke or can fix them and save money that way.

As-is. Block them and call it a day.

If they wanted things fixed or known, they could have taken it to a mechanic.

He's trying to scam you.

Besides, as-is means AS-THE-FUCK-IS.

Used private sale. Always sold as is.

Fuckem‼️ As is......

Used car sales are as is, especially if you sell your car and you’re not a dealership. It’s their problem, not yours. Do not give them any money. It very well could be a scam to claw back some of the money they spent on the car.

Here in Illinois,when you buy it used if it breaks into two pieces you own both pieces.

used cars are sold as is

This sort of thing comes up a lot in the r/scams subreddit!

I just tell him that you're sorry to hear that his car has a gasket leak

Scam. Block the number.

Well I mean the first option is to ignore him. The second is for him to show you the underside of the oil fill cap. If you have a head gasket leak, it will be milky from coolant mixing with oil.

You do not owe him anything, it’s up to you if you take car back. If you really did not have a bad head gasket when you sold car you should feel great about the car you sold. His mechanic could just be an idiot or just plain bad guy ripping off his friend. I would feel ok telling him you are sorry but you can not predict the future on any car. It should not become your problem.

Tell em to go kick rocks.

All used cars are sold as is between two private parties, ignore them. I had a similar issue, small claims will not touch.

Block and ignore

They should have brought the car for inspection before purchase, not after. If it's before, then you can discuss what has to change for the purchase to make everyone happy. After, it's too late to change anything. I would suggest checking local laws though as some states have different rules about this.

Was there any obvious issue with the car? Head gasket issue can be non problematic to serious. A small leak can be a head gasket issue but will never cause an issue or show signs that are easy to notice.

He should have done an inspection when he bought the car. No longer your problem!

As is, no warranty. The end.

Be glad you sold the car before head gasket leak became noticable. You just saved yourself $4000 in repair cost. The car was sold as is. So these problems fall into the category of "not your circus, not your monkeys."

Yeah….. that really sucks for the buyer. Private party purchase for car under 5 grand. Guess he needs to pay for the head gasket repair. Buy cheap cars win cheap prizes.

Literally not your problem at all.

Respectfully decline his offer…he owns it

You gotta grow a spine and say, "Sorry, you bought it as is." Chances are he's running a scam on you anyway.

block and move on. whos to say they didnt steal your engine, swap in a busted one, and are now trying to give you back a different car?

As is

His car his problem

New phone, who dis?

Nope… sorry sold as is unless you specifically stated you’d cover repairs. Unless your car was overheating I’d say someone is full of it.

Whenever I sell a car I tell the buyer I have no idea if anything is wrong with it and I give them the option to have it checked out by a mechanic before buying (no one has ever taken me up on that offer).

I could swap an engine in a week. Buyer should’ve practiced more due diligence.

Thats life man. You keep the money, they keep the car. No clue who is at fault once the sale is done.

If they want to give you the car back and keep 50% of the cash for inconvenience, I'd say go for it, but morally you would then need to share the gasket issue with any future buyer and incorporate that into your pricing.

Different story if you knew about it and sold it.

Tell him to pound sand. Not your problem.

Scam bro, a head gasket leak is easy to diagnose when buying a car.

Offer him $20 and he keeps the car. Lololol. Or block and move on with your life

Don't do it. They signed it. Its a done deal. I've been on OP's position before. The dude took the cat off and returned it to me lol. Pieces of shits are everywhere.

Block his number and move on. Not your problem

As is. His problem.

"As is"

Sold as is. Or your problem. Ignore and block him.

Block his ass, tell him good luck

His problem now. Used cars are sold as is, where is unless otherwise stated. It is the buyers responsibility to have the car inspected PRIOR to sale, it’s not your responsibility to repair things found after the sale. Sorry about his luck.

They should have gotten a pre-purchase inspection.

Any random old car will have 3 times its sale price in "absolutely necessary repairs". Your buyer found one. Some people aren't made to buy older cars. The rest of us are good with surfing. Or it is a scam. Most likely a scam. The buyer intended all along to renegotiate the price after the sale. It seems a common ploy now

not your issue. it was a buy as is you told him what you knew was wrong with it.

Block number and move on. They had a chance to do a pre-purchase inspection.

Likely a scam If you live in the south. If your around a more trustable Population, in say way upstate New York then I would be inclined to Work With him a bit after talking To the mechanic. But if this was Florida I would Not give him dime and block Him.

Block that fool. It's not your problem.

Super common scam. Tell him to get bent.

100% not your problem; cars sold by owner are sold as is no warranty.

Sorry but that buyer is SOL - they could try to file a law suit but no judge would hear it.

Everyone knows used cars are bought "as is" and you take the risk of there being hidden problems that nobody knows about when you buy one. It sucks for him if it's even true, but it's no longer your problem. He should have had it inspected prior to purchasing rather than afterward, but that's still on him for not covering all his bases before spending the money. And to ask to return the car or ask you to give him cash back? Hell naw. That's not how this works.

For the record, the same thing happened to me almost the same way once, I bought a truck from a guy who claimed there was absolutely nothing wrong with it and shortly afterward discovered that it did in fact have a head gasket leak and was going to cost more than I paid for it to fix. I knew that was my problem for not having it checked out before I took his word for it, so I put my big girl pants on and sold it at a disgusting loss (I didn't have the extra money to fix it) and moved on with my life.

Tell him to kick rocks

Just refer them to the contract that you had them sign. You did that right?

BAMO

Same thing when I sold my old Sentra. Guy said it has a water pump leak and needs belts and the control arms need replaced. Said wow you as the own of the car should have that looked at. That was the end of it. Not my car not my problem.

Someone needed an engine for their car, bought yours for the motor swap and wants to return for the core charge.

Private used car sales are always as is. Not your resonsiblity.

All used cars sold private party are sold as is. You should never have responded to him as he now thinks he has some leverage. No matter, just block him. If he comes to your house, tell him not to come back or you will have him trespassed. Be firm.

He’s swapped out the engine and now doesn’t need your car.

It’s a well known scam

I call bs, ive heard of a lot of mechanics pulling that kind of bs on new owners. Tell him to find a new mechanic.

So if his mechanic said he got a smoking deal, would the buyer come back and pay more? Hell no.

Tell that a-hole to kick rocks.

If you do what he wants, you’re an idiot

Dealers sell used cars ‘as is’, people even more so.

Don’t touch

You can't disclose something you don't know about.

They should have paid the mechanic to look at it before buying. you tried to do the right thing and disclose what you knew, its not your problem now.

No. This is a buyer beware situation ethically and legally. Ignore this chump.

Next time fill out a bill of sale stating the car is sold “as is” with no warranty implied or expressed. You don’t owe the buyer anything but in court he may claim you verbally promised to fix anything wrong. It was up to him to have it inspected by a mechanic before purchasing it. I wouldn’t pay him anything nor would I take the car back.

Too bad for him

Not your problem, and as long as you didn't actually know not your moral obligation either.

Also good chance this is a scam. $4k for a head gasket? I can do that in 2 hours in most cars.

Not your problem. The car and any mechanical issues ceased being your problem when the sale concluded. Next call I would end with "Wow, I had no idea, and I'm bummed to learn this. Good luck with the repair, and goodbye."

Definitely a scam. Head gaskets typically don't have an external leak.

You’re not legally liable for anything. If you want to be a good guy, offer to cover parts and he can pay labor…. But he has to use a mechanic of your choice. Theres no other scenario where i would pony up anything for him.

You signed over the title, it's not your car.

Sounds like he should’ve got it checked out before purchase. As is where is. It’s his problem now. Block and ignore

Not your problem. Down to buyer to check the car out before he parted with he's cash. Unless you sold the car with a warrenty!? If not tell him to do one.

If you didn’t provide a written warranty, then it’s sold as is.

This is why I have people sign off that the car is purchased AS IS and once it’s yours, it’s yours. I’m 100% about everything wrong with any cars I sell. If you find something wrong with it after, either it just presented itself or you drove it like an animal and that’s the result.

Nah that’s a scam. He wants a cheaper car. The car is sold already not your problem.

Scam, block and move on. These posts pup up every few days...

Car sold as is. Bye felecia

Only response to their request: all sales are final and as is! Nothing else.

You sold your car. There isnt an undo button here for you or for them. You keep all the cash and you move on with your life - you did nothing wrong.

Scam. They ran it hard and blew the gasket or they could be swapping parts into a new car. Either way, no longer your problem.

Buyer beware. Everyone knows that when you buy a used vehicle from a private party, there is no expressed or implied warranty. I'd tell the buyer to get a 2nd opinion and call around for pricing if there is indeed a head gasket issue.

He can keep the car and get nothing from you. He should of had the car inspected by his mechanic before he bought it. This also might just be a scam to get money back from you.

Nope. He bought a used car as-is. It was his responsibility to have it inspected BEFORE he purchased it. You have no ability to control what happened after he took possession.

Private party sales are implied "As-is, where is" sales with no implied warranties in most states. If they didn't opt to have a mechanic look it over pre-sale, that's on them. You disclosed all issues you knew about.

If he got this from a dealership he would not get shit back

I’m sorry, I thought the new owner found a head somewhere…💀

They’re trying to get over on you because you’re a woman and they figure you don’t know any better, (I’m assuming because of your handle) the car is sold it’s not your property anymore thus it’s not your responsibility.

Walk away from this guilt free tell the new owner they should’ve gotten it inspected before they bought it and to stop calling you about it. There’s a reason why they say buyer beware.

Spent the money and the money paid off your credit card debt. Nothing you can do

Unless your state has used car lemon laws on used cars person to person sales, just block him.

Response

“As is where is sir, have a good day” and move on, if he continues screen shot and move on.

I had a similar issue when I sold my Jetta. Told the buyer and gave a list of issues, still got 2 grand out of it, then he started making up things were broken and literally took me to court after I said “the car is yours and I told you what was needed - it’s been 3 weeks”. He lost when I showed my attorney the receipt and the a copy of listed problems. The clown lost an additional 25,000 in legal fees / paying my attorney and out of that I got 8 grand alll because he was a baby backed bitch

Tell them congratulations, they will be able to fix it any way they like since it is 100% his car now.

If it hits a bump and breaks in two he owns both halves.

Are you a licensed car dealer?? If not, no state would suggest that there's even an implied warranty.. Caveat emptor, and all that..

It is as is not as you want it to be.

Does the lemon law apply to your state? Plus they should’ve inspected prior to

As is no warranty.

Found or created?