When buying a used car, you must do your research as thoroughly as possible to make sure that everything about that car is in order. Not everyone does thatHowever, it is sometimes possible to let the allure of that shiny “new car” and the glamor of the car salesman overwhelm them. That’s what happened to a used car buyer in Southern California. CBS 8 of San Diego reports how a local used car dealer convinced a customer to buy a car they should never have in their shipment in the first place: A Toyota GR Supra without a catalytic converter and has a history of accidents.
Hector Munoz worked hard to finally buy the car he wanted. Along with saving money from working two jobs, he even managed to get a loan at his credit union, all so he could buy his dream car, a Toyota. GR Supra. After searching, he found a used one for sale at a local dealer – annoyingly unnamed – for $57,000.
Now a red flag for some might be that a used Supra would cost just as much. But that’s not unusual these days. A quick search of around area found 38 Supras for sale, 31 of which are worth more than $50,000.
But Munoz got very excited and went down to the dealer. He even mentioned CBS8 that his excitement may have clouded his judgment. Although he told CBS 8 he was getting ready to enter the dealership, he let his emotions overwhelm him.
“I think the problem with me right now is that I’m so close to buying a car that I never thought I could afford it. I was hurt, he said.
That excitement spilled over into the test drive, where the salesmen drove him around in the Supra really fast, with Munoz speak that he was “accelerating and letting the silencer make a little noise. It’s great, to be honest. The sales guy even stuck with him, talking about his own experience as a first-generation immigrant who worked hard in a new country, which Munoz knows about become the children of immigrants. That was enough to get Munoz to sign the papers:
“He was very friendly and connected with me on an emotional level,” says Munoz. “I’m related to him because I’m also first generation and my family doesn’t have much. And we are here really working for something. Honestly, he seems like a really familiar person that I can trust.” The supposed bond Munoz felt mixed with the excitement of buying his dream car was still there as he signed the papers and obtained the keys.
But when he left the dealership In his “new” car, the Supra’s check engine light came on. The salesman told Munoz that it was a glitch, not a problem. Dissatisfied, Munoz took the Supra to a local Toyota dealer for servicing a week later. That’s when they gave him bad news.
There, the service team told him the car didn’t have a catalytic converter and had been involved in an accident and had problems with the engine and bodywork. The mechanic pulled up the CarFax and showed Munoz the crash history.
The dealer’s technician told him the car would never pass the emissions test for obvious reasons and that it was unusual for the dealer to even sell him the car without the catalytic converter. legal. Munoz immediately took it to court and is now suing the dealer. Munoz’s attorney, Greg Babbitt, filed a lawsuit against the agent in June for “violations of the Consumer Legal Remedies Act, willful misrepresentation of facts, among other claims.” Babbit wants Munoz’s money back plus the value of his trade and other damages.
“The bottom line is that this car was sold illegally. Used car dealers need to act as if the transaction never happened; they took the car back, [Munoz] get his money back, and we both go our separate ways,” Babbit said.
While the dealer is certainly scum, Munoz is not without fault here either. Munoz should have done more to check and make sure everything was fine with that car. Most dealers provide Carfax history reports for vehicles. If they refuse to give you one, that’s a red flag. Just always make sure to thoroughly check the vehicle’s history before you buy it so you don’t end up in a situation like this.
