Air Conditioning Problems

[Andy Hight <ahight@osf1.gmu.edu>]

Need some advice/suggestions:

I bought my '97 GLX Vr6 last june used.  It worked and ran with no
problems.  As soon as spring and summer started this year, I tried
cranking on the airconditioning....nothing came out.

I took the car to a local dealer to see if the repairs were covered under
the warranty.  They had the car taken apart, and had to order the
airconditioning unit because it wasn't instock.  A few hours later I got a
call from the dealer saying that the repair wouldn't be covered under
warranty because it appears the car had been in an accident.  

Not trusting this dealer, I took it back to the dealer where I bought the
car.  Before purchasing the car, they did their used car check as well as
running the VIN number thru Carfacts and the car was clean.  If this
dealer tells me that the airconditioning unit was burnt out because the
car had previously been in an accident like the other dealer did, don't I
have any rights as a consumer for being sold a car that was in an
accident.

The first dealer had claimed that the airconditioning had touched the
radiator which caused it to burn out.  I opened the hood and to me
everything looked fine.  Nothing looked bent, no wrinkled paint anywhere.
But they would have to send the car to the body shop to have them look the
car over.  My thoughts were that they were trying to run up my bill and
make some money off of me since I hadn't bought it from them.

But then if the original dealer says the same thing, I'm screwed. As hot
as it is here in Washington DC, I've gotta get it fixed, even if I pay for
it out of my pocket.  But don't I have some kind of case?

Thanks for any suggestions you all have.

Anybody know what kind of prices I might be looking at?


Thanks!

Andy