Chicago Business Litigation Lawyer BlogWhey they buy a used car, many consumers rely on Carfax or AutoCheck to reports to see if car of their dreams has been in an accident, suffered flood damage, been stolen, or had some other issue that would lower its value substantially. As a result, many car dealerships will offer to provide the Carfax report to prospective buyers. However, consumers cannot rely on these reports and should get the car inspected by a knowledgeable mechanic and body shop before purchasing any used car. We have found in our cases that Carfax reports can be incomplete for a number a reasons; many of our clients have been deceived by the Carfax report provided by the dealer and have purchased rebuilt wrecks and flood cars. Reports like Carfax have come under fire in the past for often providing inaccurate or incomplete information when information has been hidden from them such as past owners failing to report accidents and fixing the car without notifying later purchasers of the damage. Further, when the report is provided by the dealer, you cannot be 100% positive that the report is current and accurate and that the vehicle has not been in an accident flood or damaged. Continue reading ›
Articles Posted in Auto Fraud
Certified Used Cars Do Not Always Meet Certification Specifications — Our Chicago Autofraud Lawyers Bring Suit To For Damages Arising From False Certifications
Buying a used car is always a risky business. You can never really know what the car went through in the hands of previous owners. In order to put customers’ minds at ease, car dealerships started offering “certified pre-owned” vehicles. The “certified” label is supposed to ward off consumers’ suspicion by providing a guarantee that the vehicle had to pass an inspection before going up for sale again. In exchange for this peace of mind, certified pre-owned vehicles are usually sold for a much higher price than a standard used car. But what exactly does this inspection consist of?
It turns out there are currently no legal requirements for selling a certified pre-owned vehicle. Instead, each manufacturer and car dealer has its own requirements, which can range from a 32-point inspection to a 300-point inspection. Continue reading ›
20/20 Expose on Alleged Used Car Fraud at CarMax
Consumers are complaining about alleged car fraud according to 20/20.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPfR0IicN-0#action=share
Toyota Sued Over Alleged Defective Dashboard That Allegedly Melt in Hot Weather
No sooner does Toyota recover from the fallout of its defective brake lawsuits, then the company is faced with more consumer class action lawsuits. This time consumers allege the company installed defective dashboards in its automobiles that melt when exposed to the sun over long periods of time. The lawsuits allege that the melting dashboards took on a glossy surface that limited driver visibility. The lawsuits also allege that, because the damage took place over time, the drivers were not made aware of the defect until after the warranty on their vehicles had already expired, leaving them to pay for Toyota’s mistake.
The most recent lawsuit against the car company was filed by Melissa Graham in South Carolina and includes model years 2007 through 2009 Camrys, as well as 2006 through 2008 Lexus IS and ES vehicles. Another lawsuit dealing with the same defect had already been filed in Florida, but that lawsuit deals only with the Lexus models. Continue reading ›