Some of you have asked me what happened to Jurgen, a - Jeffrey Hosick, PhD
Some of you have asked me what happened to Jurgen, a little hybrid car I purchased from Harvard Auto back in December 2021. Well, the car is on the parking lot of Harvard Auto waiting to be fixed. Let me tell you what happened….

I picked up the car on December 2nd but I didn’t make it home with the car before it broke down. I called Brandon Meyer at Harvard Auto who told me to return the car while they investigate the problem. They did. BMW Halifax wants 13,000 dollars to fix the car.
When Brandon called me on December 18th, he told me they were seeking a second opinion from All EV, a dealer recently purchased by the Steele group. He told me that the dealership would cancel the deal if I wanted. I asked if the idea would wait until the second opinion since most places were shut down for the holiday break. It took about 2 minutes and after checking with Mike McMillan the general manager who agreed to extend the offer. 

When I heard from Brandon again he told me the car was ready. Apparently, Harvard Auto didn't like the second opinion and sought a third from a local mechanic who simply reset the codes, took it for a test drive and it was ok.
Sound suspicious? You bet. I told Brandon face to face I was suspicious, but ultimately trusted him. I didn't get home with the car before it broke down again. Drive train malfunction.
I called Brandon again. Harvard Auto decided to purchase an O2 sensor. I have no idea what is wrong with the car, where to fix it, or how much it will cost. Harvard Auto cancelled their offer to cancel the deal. 

I know I represent a demographic of early senior citizens who will be entering the used car hybrid market. The question is what happens if I bought a lemon? I believe Harvard didnt know it was a lemon. However they received 3 opinions on the car that indicated the problem would be bigger than an O2 sensor. It is from the moment they heard from the first dealer to the time they handed me the keys and told me it was fixed, that is the problem. 

Brandon claims the general manager Mike McMillan and owner Gary Rubenstein made the decision to pass the problem to me. I tried calling the owner several times but did not receive a call. I wanted to tell Mr. Rubenstein I am going public with this story. I have contacted CBC Go Public. But until they decide to pick up the story, I am telling everyone what happened to me. 
 I called BMW Halifax, All EV in Hfx and European Auto in Lower Sackville who all were very helpful in helping figure out what is wrong with the car. European auto who cleared the codes does not fix electric hybrids, but they found 13 code violations when they reset the car. They knew the car may or may not be fixed. It seems all this information was available to Harvard Auto when Brandon Meyers looked me in the eye and told me the problem was solved.
I looked up sections 32 and 60 of the motor vehicle act, it says…..

Motor Vehicle Act
R.S.N.S. 1989, c. 293
O.I.C. 95-41 (January 17, 1995), N.S. Reg. 11/95
4 The Registrar after due inquiry may refuse to renew or may suspend or revoke a license where the Registrar is of the opinion that
(a) the dealer has violated any provision of the Motor Vehicle Act or any regulation thereunder or the terms or conditions of the license;
(b) the dealer has made a false statement in the application for the license or in any of the information or material submitted by the dealer to the Registrar;
(c) the dealer's vehicle sales transactions have been marked by a practice of failure to perform contracts or by fraud or bad faith;
(d) the dealer has demonstrated incompetency or untrustworthiness to carry on the business of a dealer;
(e) the dealer has demonstrated that the financial responsibility or record of the past conduct of the dealer is such that it would be in the public interest that terms and conditions be attached to the license, that the license not be renewed or that the license be suspended or revoked;
I cannot change the mind of Gary Rubenstein and Mike McMillan and I have appealed to Brandon Meyers to do the right thing, but it was Brandon who looked me in the eye and lied to me.
I will be filing a complaint against the dealer's license of Harvard Auto. I have contacted the chronicle herald and CBC.
If you have any suggestions, helpful hints please private message me.
If you wish to protect your friends and family from a dealer who sells lemons but refuses to take responsibility and will stick it to the unsuspected new owner, please share this story.
Jeff
Read More