Laurelton, NJ asked in Consumer Law and Civil Litigation for New Jersey

Q: I purchased a certified pre-owned vehicle Feb 2024, Its already sitting at the dealership as an expensive paper weight.

I purchased my 2019 Chrysler Pacifica from a big name dealership. It came with a certified pre-owned warranty. I also purchased a extended warranty from the dealership. Fast forward to October, I sent the vehicle to the dealership for concerns of over heating and what felt like a misfire. I stopped driving the moment I felt these conditions. So its not like I drove around while the vehicle was struggling. The dealership informed me that the thermostat got stuck shut, causing the engine to overheat and resulting in the cylinder heads to warp, rendering the motor a loss. The dealership advised they were going to put in a warranty claim for a new motor. That got denied due to the main reason of failure being the thermostat and its not a "covered part". They then tried to put a claim in with my ext. warranty, which got denied because the cert. pre-owned warranty is still active. So now the car just sits at the dealer and they arent helping. and im just stuck. 2 months its been sitting now.

1 Lawyer Answer

A: You need to retain an experience civil litigation attorney. There are numerous grounds that can be put into a legal complaint against them. The most important cause of action will be the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act violation. That would entitle you to triple damages plus attorneys fees. However you are going to have to pay your own legal fees through out this case. Pick the best attorney you can find and remember one rule: a good attorney is generally never cheap, and a cheap attorney is generally never good so don't choose based on price. With modern technology, you can be represented by any high-quality attorney in New Jersey irrespective of geography.

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