Lawsuit Alleges That Fresno Chrysler Jeep Sells Accident-Damaged Automobiles As "Certified" Used Cars

Southern California consumer protection lawyer sues Fresno Chrysler Jeep in lawsuit alleging that the California car dealership permits accident-damaged used automobiles to be sold as so-called "certified" used cars.

Fresno, California (I-Newswire) August 18, 2012 - Prolific Southern California consumer protection attorney Michael R. Vachon, Esq. has announced that his law firm has filed a lawsuit against Fresno Chrysler Jeep alleging that the Fresno, California new and used car dealership sells accident-damaged used cars as so-called "certified" used vehicles. The lawsuit was filed in the Fresno County Superior Court on August 15, 2012, and is titled Ford, et al. v. Fresno Chrysler Jeep, Inc., et al. (Case No. 12CECG02564).

ALLEGATIONS MADE AGAINST FRESNO CHRYSLER JEEP

The Plaintiffs in the Ford v. Fresno Chrysler Jeep lawsuit are a mother and daughter who went to Fresno Chrysler Jeep in June, 2010 looking for a used automobile. According to the complaint filed by the Plaintiffs' lemon law lawyer, Fresno Chrysler Jeep showed the Plaintiffs a used 2007 Jeep Compass, and told them that it was one of the dealership's "certified used vehicles." The complaint further alleges that Fresno Chrysler Jeep's salesperson told Plaintiffs that the Jeep Compass had been inspected and was in great condition. The Plaintiffs allege that they asked whether the Jeep Compass had ever been in a collision, and that they were specifically told that it had never been in any serious accidents.

The complaint goes on to allege that the Plaintiffs purchased the Jeep Compass, and then later discovered – to their surprise – that the Jeep Compass had previously been in a major accident that caused damage to the vehicle's frame. The Plaintiffs allege that Fresno Chrysler Jeep should have known about the frame damage, should have disclosed the accident damage to them, and should not have labeled the Jeep Compass as "certified."

The Plaintiffs also allege that they are not the only victims of Fresno Chrysler Jeep's certified used car program. They assert that the Fresno, California Chrysler dealership has an illegal business practice of selling certified used vehicles without actually conducting the thorough pre-sale inspections that the dealership promises are a part of the "certification" process.

Click here to read a copy of the complaint against Fresno Chrysler Jeep.

Please note: the court in the Ford v. Fresno Chrysler Jeep, Inc. lawsuit has not yet ruled on whether or not Plaintiffs' allegations are true, or whether the defendant violated the law. Fresno Chrylser Jeep is expected to deny that it committed any wrongdoing when it answers the complaint.

LEMON LAW LAWYER SAYS THAT CERTIFIED USED CAR SCAMS ARE COMMON

According to lemon law lawyer Vachon, certified used vehicle scams are more prevalent than many people think. He states that, based on his experience, a surprisingly large number of unscrupulous car dealerships label their used cars as "certified" so that they can charge more for the vehicles, without ever doing the inspections that they claim are part of the certification process. Vachon says that these dealers are essentially betting that most of the vehicles are not going to have any serious mechanical problems, or that they will be able to deal with any problems by offering free or reduced cost repairs to customers who come back to complain.

According to Vachon, who is a prominent California lemon law attorney, "certified" used car scams violate California's consumer protection statutes. He cites Section 11713.18 of California’s Vehicle Code, which prohibits used car dealers from representing that a used automobile is “certified” if the dealer knows or should know that the vehicle had previously sustained frame damage. He also cites to California's Consumers Legal Remedies Act and the Unfair Competition Law statute, both of which generally prohibit businesses from making false or misleading claims about the products that they sell.

PLAINTIFFS' LAWYER WANTS TO TALK TO OTHER FRESNO CHRYLSER JEEP CERTIFIED USED CAR CUSTOMERS

Vachon has announced that, as a part of his investigation for the Ford v. Fresno Chrysler Jeep lawsuit, he is currently trying to locate other consumers who purchased certified used cars from Fresno Chrysler Jeep. He is asking anyone who bought an improperly-certified automobile from Fresno Chrysler Jeep, or who purchased an accident-damaged or frame-damaged vehicle from Fresno Chrysler Jeep to call him at 1-855-4-LEMON-LAW (1-855-453-6665).