My question involves a consumer law issue in the State of: NY
I purchased a used car on Saturday evening from a large dealership. They were running a sale in which cars were available for what was left on the banknote. They were able to finance me for a low interest rate when no other dealership has been able to. I was accompanied by two friends. One of them helped to interpret (ASL) for me as I am hearing impaired.
I feel like I was taken advantage of because of my disability and personal situation. The salesmen appeared very concerned about my medical situation and acted like they really wanted to help. I was told I needed to drive the car off the lot that night after signing the paperwork. The car was not registered to me, nor had it even been inspected (it had just been traded in the night before). I questioned why I needed to take it that night multiple times. They said I must take it, or the financing deal would be void.
After arriving home, I began to become concerned that I had been taken advantage of and the victim of a "drop delivery scam". I called a personal friend, Debbie, whose father owns a major dealership in the area and she said the situation was sketchy and it did sound like they were taking advantage of my situation.
She accompanied me to the dealership on Sunday afternoon and spoke with the sale manager and the salesman. I told them I wanted to return the car because it was not yet legally mine and I was "not in the right state of mind due to anxiety" when I signed the paperwork. They said the car could not be returned.
Debbie called her father from her cell phone in the dealership and relayed the information. They determined that because I had been told at the time of signing the contract that the finance rate was "pre-approved" and wouldn't be finalized until Monday, the deal was not yet final. The sale manager told Debbie that they had done a special "express approval" for me and because I had driven the car off the lot, the deal was, in fact, sealed.
I was incredibly distressed during this discussion on Sunday afternoon and literally sat in the waiting room of the dealership sobbing hysterically.
Since they said I was stuck in the deal, I returned on Monday to sign the temporary registration papers and transfer my plates.
Yesterday morning I discovered the stale smell of cigarette smoke in the vehicle that was masked very well on Saturday night, Sunday, and Monday from the interior detailing. I have a chronic health condition that cannot be managed by medication. I have been violently ill the last day and a half now as cigarette smoke is a trigger. I have been told by professional detail shops that there really is no way to completely eradicate the smell. Due to my condition, this car is not safe for me to drive right now and there is a possibility it may never be.
I don't want this car. I feel like I bought it under false pretenses and was taken advantage of to get a sale.
Debbie informed me today that she spoke with the financing department at her father's dealership and they said that the deal had NOT yet been sealed on Sunday since the car was not in my name. They have no idea what "express" paperwork would force a consumer to take possession of a car just by driving it off the lot.
Do I have any legal recourse in this situation or should I try to make the best of it? I am currently still physically ill from being in the car. I do not want this dealership to take advantage of another person in my situation.
I have no paperwork about "express approval", only the purchase agreement with the finance rate on it. I also have not signed any "final" paperwork regarding the financing either.

