'Only Announcement Was Structural for a Little Nick:' Man Buys a Used Ram Truck. But He Forgets to Check the Radiator

Getting a new business off the ground is excruciatingly hard. It’s not enough to have a good idea and great ethics, there’s also the prediction and performance of pleasing clients. For one Burlington, North Carolina car dealer, a promising deal spiraled into something more like an ordeal.

Hadi Laymoun (@revvinmotors) has only been open for five weeks. Recently its young owner faced his biggest setback. And like most bad news, it came as an unwelcome surprise.

In a TikTok, Laymoun reveals his mistake: he purchased a 2019 Dodge Ram Big Horn 1500. He did what he thought was due diligence and brought the truck home.

Then the unhappy surprise hit. “My brother was driving it back, I was in the passenger seat and I guess he wasn’t looking at the heat gauge [...] And before we notice, the head gasket blew,” he explains in a TikTok.

The Back Story

“I bought a car, ‘green light,’ from Manheim Auction (Nashville) and the only announcement was structural for a little nick in the door panel, and then the exhaust manifolds,” which he says were cracked.

In auction terms, “green light” signals no known significant defects and gives the buyer legal recourse if things go wrong. An “announcement” means a disclosed issue.

That’s the heart of his frustration: He says he made a deal in good faith, and instead got scorched.

Caution & Care Urged

The used car market is famously fraught with pitfalls and money pits. Users pointed this out, often offering blunt advice to Laymoun.

“If you don’t touch it, drive it, and scan it…don’t buy it,” said @Carguy_b.

While several others offered a gloomier take. “That’s just an experience. it gets a lot worse the longer you do it,” grumbled @autoramaauto.

Those who are familiar with car auctions got specific, “Spit out coolant and you kept driving and blew the gasket,” wrote @markFrench2, “if it was just a leaking radiator it’s not arbitrateable if it's under $800.”

@Typhoon1993 added, “The rad isn’t over the arbitration amount…check ur fluids and gages.”

Several others criticized the auction house. 

Buyer Beware

A Reddit thread offers tips on navigating the auction scene. One suggestion: just go to an auction and see how things are done. Another is to stick to auctions where you can see, touch, and even smell the cars before bidding on them.

Finally, go slow and with caution. It is a gamble, so consider trying not to spend more money than you can sell the wheels, tires, seats, and other desirable parts. “This way, if I buy something that needs repairs that I'm unwilling to do, I won't be losing money or be forced to sell at a possible loss,” one person commented on his post.

Also pay attention to the green/yellow/red light system. You want to know as much as you can before committing.

What Happens Now?

Laymoun told Motor1 that he’s entered arbitration through Manheim but hadn't gotten an update or reimbursement. On Friday, Laymoun posted an update saying his claim was denied in arbitration.

Now he’s doing the same thing scrappy small business owners have been doing since the beginning of time: addressing the problem. “I bought all the parts to fix the blown head gasket,” he told us.

Motor1 reached out for comment to Manheim via two press contact emails that bounced back then with one telephone message. We'll update this if the auction house responds.