Buying a used car from a dealership is almost always stressful. You have to haggle with the salesman over price, make sure that they aren’t charging you for additional things you didn’t ask for, and take their word that the car is in good working condition. Odds are that you saw an ad for the car online or in the newspaper, and went down to the car dealer to check it out in person. When you arrive, it looks to be in great condition, and the salesman tells you “this car is in perfect condition – never even been in an accident.”
Your excitement leads to a purchase, and the purchase leads to headaches. You get on the highway driving home in your new used car, and feel it pulling to one side, or notice a funny sound coming from under the hood. If the car was never in a prior accident, why does it seem like it has been?
As any responsible car owner would, you take the vehicle to your trusted auto mechanic and are told “I’m sorry, but the dealer lied to you – this car has frame damage from a previous accident.”
Do You Have Rights?
Yes. If the advertisement where you found the used vehicle, or the salesman at the dealership indicated that the car had never been in an accident before, you may have an auto fraud case. This falls under the category of a Bait & Switch tactic by the auto dealer, for misleading you into thinking that a different vehicle was available for purchase.
Prior accidents may make the car unsafe to drive, especially if the vehicle has frame damage or an unreported salvage title. A salvage title simply means that the car damage that cannot be repaird and could negatively effect the car’s performance
Can You Sue the Dealer?
Our goal as Auto Fraud Attorneys is to make sure that you’re driving a safe vehicle that performs to your expectations. Unfortunately, the goal of the auto dealership is typically to simply make the most profit from selling you a used car. In many cases, filing a lawsuit against the dealer is the only way to get the results you need.
If you think that your recently purchased new car may have been in an unreported accident or has a salvage title that you weren’t informed about, you need to speak with an auto fraud attorney as soon as possible. Time is of the essence in auto fraud cases, so don’t hesitate and call us today for your free legal consultation.