“Dear Steve,
Upside loan – undiagnosable issue with car – remaining 4 years to pay off 17k
I purchased my 2005 Jetta in 2007. As of now, I had no major issues. Recently it began making a large grumbling noise. I first took it to a specialist, and then was recommended to take it to a dealership service shop. The issue is still undiagnosable. Now, the dealer is making repairs they “think” is the problem, while the balance continues to increase. I cannot afford to pay the car note and the increasingly high repair costs to diagnose an issue they do not know or never saw. I am considering letting the creditor take the vehicle back but I want to know can they garnish my wages to collect payment? I live in GA.
Thank you,
Ketra”
The Answer:
Dear Ketra,
If you hand the car back it will be sold at auction and you should expect to be left with a bill owing on that care of as much as $14,000. The lender could sue you for the balance due and that could lead to a wage garnishment.
If this grumbling is due to an issue with the powertrain then VW has a 5 year / 60,000 mile warranty which should still cover you. If you feel you are not being properly taken care of by the VW dealer then call 1-800-822-8987 or click here and ask for corporate help and guidance to remedy this situation.
If you have a credit or debt question you’d like to ask just use the online form. I’m happy to help you totally for free.