Dream Car Turns into a Nightmare
On October 12, 2018, Mary Lou Enriquez purchased her dream car, a 2017 Chrysler 300 from Jeep Chrysler of Ontario, Inc. Prior to its sale Jeep Chrysler certified the Vehicle under FCA US, LLC’s Chrysler Certified Vehicle Program. As a FCA certified vehicle, the Vehicle was required to comply with Vehicle Code section 11713.18(a), which includes the prohibition against selling certified vehicles that have sustained frame damage. Chrysler’s certified standards also prohibit the sale of a vehicle which has sustained frame damage as certified. During the negotiations for the sale of the Vehicle between Plaintiff and Jeep Chrysler, Jeep Chrysler represented that the Vehicle was a CPO, went through a 125-point inspection and had to be in excellent condition to be certified, and had never been in an accident.
Ms. Enriquez was involved in a small accident in a parking lot involving the bumper. She took the Vehicle to a body shop to have the Vehicle repaired through her insurance. The body shop told her it discovered significant damage to the Vehicle from a prior accident. The body shop refused to work on the Vehicle. The body shop also told her the Vehicle should not be driven. Ms. Enriquez towed the Vehicle to her home and stopped using it.
After finding out about the accident, Ms. Enriquez contacted Jeep Chrysler and asked it for assistance in resolving the fact it sold her a vehicle with significant accident damage and repairs. Jeep Chrysler refused to help Ms. Enriquez. As a result, she hired our law firm to bring an action against Jeep Chrysler and FCA for selling a certified vehicle with structural and accident damage. This lawsuit was filed in June 2019. During the lawsuit, our law firm uncovered the fact the vehicle had been involved in multiple accidents while being used as a rental vehicle and had sustained structural damage.
Tragically, during the lawsuit, Ms. Enriquez succumbed to breast cancer. Her husband Daniel Enriquez was substituted in as her successor in interest. Through the efforts of our law firm we were able to secure a settlement for Mr. Enriquez in which he kept the vehicle, the financing owed on vehicle was paid off, and he was paid $40,000.00.