A Vaudreuil woman is frustrated with problems she is having with her used car, apparently due to a faulty windshield.

Katarina Cierna says she'll likely spend thousands of dollars in repairs to correct the problem and she wants the dealership that sold her the car to reimburse her.

Cierna says she did extensive homework before she bought the 2006 Toyota Highlander, but not long after becoming the owner, the car would not start.

She brought the car to a garage, and says that experts there traced the problem to the windshield.

"There was a leakage through the windshield which was improperly installed," said Cierna.

According to them, there wasn't enough sealant so water infiltrated and corroded parts of the electrical system.

"We have to change wiring harnesses and I don't know what other things," said Cierna. "Right now we're up to $5,000 in repairs and still counting and we don't even know where we're going to end."

Frustrated with the expense, Cierna returned to the dealership, Chasse Toyota on Rachel St. in Montreal, asking them to cover the costs of the repairs.

She complained in writing, but was told that the dealer would not pay for repairs, saying it was not its responsibility.

The Automobile Protection Association disagrees.

George Iny, president of the APA, says that in Cierna's case, the defect was hidden, but the law is still on her side.

"It would appear in this case that the faulty windshield installation actually wasn't visible in a normal exam, even by a dealer preparing the vehicle for sale," said Iny.

"That's not something you could expect them to see."

Regardless, Iny says that according to the Consumer Protection Act, Quebec's Civil Code, and legal precedent, repairs to latent defects should be paid for by the vendor.

"The law is very clear, if there is a latent or hidden defect that neither party could know about it at the time of the sale, it's the dealer's responsibility," said Iny.

CTV's Tania Krywiak intervened.

Chasse Toyota confirmed the windshield was replaced by a previous owner, and that the work was contracted out to another company, but still refused to take responsibility.

"I'm very frustrated, very, very disappointed," said Cierna. "I feel like I have no rights as a consumer. My only rights are to pay for it if we want to and eventually take them to small claims court."

The APA is working with Cierna and trying to convince Chasse to agree to a settlement.

If not, Cierna says she will have her day in court.