Buyer, who lived in Menifee, visited Riverside Car Store to purchase a vehicle. Upon arrival, Buyer was approached by salesman Matt Kettring and shown around the lot. Buyer eventually decided to purchase a 2004 Chevrolet Suburban.
About a month after sale, Buyer was contacted by Riverside Car Store and was asked to bring the Suburban back for a smog test because it had failed that test on the day of the purchase. When Buyer arrived at the dealership, the vehicle was driven out of the lot and returned about an hour later. Buyer was told that the Suburban had passed the smog test but Buyer never received documentation. LemonLawAutoFraud’s attorneys later discovered that the smog inspection was fraudulent because the Suburban did not have an EPA unit (smog control device) installed. Without the EPA unit, it was not possible for the Suburban to lawfully pass a smog test. However, the Fraudulent Smog Test was only the beginning of Buyer’s problems.
A few weeks later, the car began to shake violently and uncontrollably while Buyer was driving at about 40-45 miles per hour. Buyer was only able to stop the vehicle after having to apply severe pressure on the brakes. Once the Suburban stopped, another vehicle pulled alongside Buyer and informed him it looked like the Suburban’s front wheels were about to fall off.
Shortly thereafter, Buyer took the vehicle to a Pep Boy's in Temecula to have the shaking issue inspected. After the inspection, a technician explained to Buyer that the vehicle had Undisclosed Frame Damage. Specifically, the pivot bracket mount on the frame of the Suburban was extremely worn out and the frame seam was coming apart above the bracket. Left without an operating vehicle, Buyer agreed to have welding work done to fix the problem.
A few months later, the Suburban’s electronic display on the dashboard stated the vehicle's transmission was overheating. Buyer immediately took the Suburban to J&D Auto in Menifee. After paying out of pocket for a transmission flush, Buyer was informed that the vehicle needed a new transmission costing over $3,000.
Frustrated with the Suburban having so many serious and expensive problems so soon after purchase, Buyer called Riverside Car Store and spoke to the salesman that sold Buyer the Suburban, Matt Kettering. When Buyer explained all of the Suburban’s issues, Kettering merely replied, "That’s ridiculous” and refused to be of any help to Buyer.
Shortly thereafter, Buyer retained LemonLawAutoFraud’s attorneys for assistance. Having over 20 years of experience and specializing in Dealer Fraud, our office discovered that Riverside Car Store knew the Suburban had frame damage when they bought it through an auction from Manheim Southern California, but failed to disclose that frame damage to Buyer at purchase, as required by law.
With the help of our attorneys, Buyer took Riverside Car Store to court, where the dealer was forced to cancel the contract and pay over $36,000 for Buyer’s damages, attorney’s fees, and costs.