Used car purchase going wrong

So I bought a 2011 Cadillac ESV online from a dealer in Virginia. I had looked all over the east coast at different ones and this one ticked all my boxes. Dealer has a good rating, car fax looks good. Detail review of the pictures. Multiple conversations with the dealer. Everything seems fine. We make the deal and I figure this will be a fly and drive.

All good this morning. Hop on a plane. Flight is early get to the dealer. 
 

I look the truck over, it is generally what I expected, interior maybe not quite as nice as I expected but presentable. Plug in code reader, no codes but recently reset. Flag. 
look under the truck missing spare tire. Flag. 
truck doesn't have the floor mats in it that the dealer promised. Flag. I talk to him about this and he agrees to purchase and send the floor mats. Ok. 
start the truck up suspension system malfunction. Flag. Talk to the dealer and he says we just put struts in you take it to the mechanic and see what's up. The mechanic shows me the receipt for the front struts he put in it and shows me the computer saying it's the rears. Ok. Back to the dealer and after a bunch of back and forth he knocks off money for me to put new rear struts in it. 
 

So now I am off to drive the few hundred miles back to NY. I'm not happy about all this but the truck is powerful and rides nice and looks nice so whatever. 
6.5 miles and it shudders twice and throws a low oil pressure alarm. I pull over and I'm going to call AAA but realize I'll get killed on the highway before they come. So I take the risk start it up and drive 1/4 mile to get off the exit. E36 M3 it down check the oil it looks fine and full. No knocking?? Then I realize there was no more code or low oil pressure warning when I started it back up. So I drive it back tell the dealer hey you can keep the fees give me my money and take your truck. He tells me to pound sand and says hey you are the person that didn't do a Pre Purchase Inspection. Yep you got me there and that is a lesson learned. I 100% should have done that. I'll never fall into that trap again. 
The dealer says I will call the mechanic that did the engine work. Hmm that wasn't on the car fax, the struts were but nothing about the engine. Some shady mechanic comes over looks it over says he put a cam position sensor, timing belt, tensioner, oil pump and some other parts on it and it is A1, just a sensor problem. 

That sucks. I have to question why the mechanic changed the oil pump in the first place- not exactly a normal wear item. 

I send the contract to my lawyer and ask if I have any recourse. He reads he asks me a few questions and basically tells me I am hosed. It's my truck now. 
 

Just leaving a local garage and about to drive home. Update tomorrow if all goes well. 

I would love to see where he put the "timing belt".

In reply to bobzilla :

I had that exact same thought

bobzilla said:

I would love to see where he put the "timing belt".

I wondered that myself. 

NY Nick said:

He tells me to pound sand and says hey you are the person that didn't do a Pre Purchase Inspection. Yep you got me there and that is a lesson learned. I 100% should have done that. I'll never fall into that trap again. 

I'm curious about this: what didn't you do? 

You didn't drive it before taking possession?  

flat4_5spd said:

That sucks. I have to question why the mechanic changed the oil pump in the first place- not exactly a normal wear item. 

It might have the engine with variable displacement known for having all kinds of issues. But I don't remember exactly what years were affected.

z31maniac said:

flat4_5spd said:

That sucks. I have to question why the mechanic changed the oil pump in the first place- not exactly a normal wear item. 

It might have the engine with variable displacement known for having all kinds of issues. But I don't remember exactly what years were affected.

Not if it's the 6.2L. Which, and I may be wrong here, the Escalade came standard with. 

The 5.3L is the one to avoid. (Ask me how I know)

What part of VA may I ask?

How did you pay for it? If it wasn't green cash or a wire transfer, there are options. Did you sign a form saying as/is? These are all time sensitive though. 

Placemotorsports said:

What part of VA may I ask?

Curious about that myself.  Did you fly into Richmond, and not say hello?

In reply to 1988RedT2 :

I'm a few hours north of Richmond so we may have the area covered.

Man this sucks. 

Florida has a cool down period. It lets you out of a contract in the first three days. 

Slippery said:

Man this sucks. 

Florida has a cool down period. It lets you out of a contract in the first three days. 

Not for automobiles. No State has it.

There are only a few ways to get out of a car purchase, and they need to be done quickly. It helps if it's financed, because if you call the bank the next day and tell them you don't want it and (here's the key) will not put insurance in it, they will not fund the contract. Even this way is getting harder because of digital contracting. 

crappy.  In to see how things turn out.  Hopefully in your favor.

birdmayne said:

z31maniac said:

flat4_5spd said:

That sucks. I have to question why the mechanic changed the oil pump in the first place- not exactly a normal wear item. 

It might have the engine with variable displacement known for having all kinds of issues. But I don't remember exactly what years were affected.

Not if it's the 6.2L. Which, and I may be wrong here, the Escalade came standard with. 

The 5.3L is the one to avoid. (Ask me how I know)

2010 and up had DOD and VVT. Sounds like they were covering up a DOD failure to me.
Cam, lifters and a DoD delete tune would be my course of action.  I'm actually planning on doing that on my wife's 2011 ESV soon it has 138k on it.  DOD starts rearing it's head around 150k normally.

So stopped for gas north of Gettysburg. He did say chain and I was typing in haste. 
I did mention there was another mechanic that did the shocks. This place was called J&L and the owners name was John. He was top notch. I brought it back and he did a full inspection. Gave me his thoughts. I will expand on that when I get home but for now know this guy was honest, and I'm sure he knows a. Inch of you through SCCA activities. 
 

hopefully an uneventful rest of this trip and more info tomorrow. I'll answer the questions above too. 
 

Sounds like you're moving...yeah.  

Sorry to hear of the angst.  

To take the high road...  If your northern dealership said, "for $1k, or $2k, or even $5k more we can do a special treatment to take away all the rust; want it?"  I'd be highly likely to buy that magical service.  

Instead, you might find that you "pay too much" for this car by $1k to $5k but you still got that magical service.  That is, don't loose sight that going south to get the car still leaves you with a car that once fixed can be a better car than the cheaper version from up north.  Here's to hoping that all your problems can be fixed with a wrench because "fixing rust" is never fixed (says this guy in the Cleveland, Ohio Market.)  

In reply to John Welsh :

Nick says the Carfax looks good, and I take that to mean that the car didn't come to Virginia from up north.  When I was looking, I was fairly amazed at how many cars for sale locally were sold new and spent time in the rusty north.  Especially true when you're looking for something upmarket because there's just more money up north because, you know, carpetbaggers. 

In reply to John Welsh :

So true.

Afm failure.   Ohh man. I'm sorry. 

Fueled by Caffeine said:

Afm failure.   Ohh man. I'm sorry. 

This is from a man who has had a used car purchase go wrong.