We anticipated some defects when we bought our use...

We anticipated some defects when we bought our used RAV4. Some of the issues we noticed before purchasing, such as cosmetic damage. Other issues we didn t catch at the time. Some were merely annoying. The broken CD player. The noise one of the windows makes when it rolls up, a hint at a potentially larger problem. The missing cover on one side of the roof rack, leaving an exposed sharp edge. Other defects are more worrisome, like a bent bracket that suggests maybe the accident that caused the cosmetic damage was worse than originally thought. Or the broken bracket holding the bumper cover. The dealer also charged us for an optional security feature that we weren t allowed to decline, despite my requests to do so. Doesn t sound optional to me.

Still, I would normally write this all off as the price paid for buying a used car.

Then we learned, while my daughter drove home at night for the first time, that the headlights didn t work. Per California safety code: All factory installed lighting must be in good working condition. We also had problems with the brakes. Our mechanic said the brakes in the back were totally shot and that it had been dangerous to drive it in that condition.

It s one thing to sell a car with minor defects. But it s inexcusable to sell a car that lacks basic safety features and puts the buyer s life at risk.

Oh, and not surprising... an email to the dealer went unanswered. I don t usually write reviews, but I m writing this one as a public service: Do NOT buy a used car from Honda of Serramonte.