Kim Muratori is a Florida woman who bought a 2018 Mercedes-Benz E-400, a luxury car that costs more than $50,000 when new. Instead of using and enjoying it, she ended up in a long legal fight with the dealership that lasted over two years after she found serious problems with the car, according to CBS News Miami.
What was wrong with the car?
According to CBS News Miami, the car had major issues from the start. Muratori said the bumper was “zip-tied to the frame” instead of being properly repaired or replaced. An independent Mercedes-Benz technician also found that the mileage shown on the odometer did not match the mileage stored in the car’s internal computer system. A separate mechanic then said the car was completely unsafe to drive.
Because of this, Muratori was stuck paying monthly instalments and insurance for a car she could not safely use.
“I had to insure it. I was making payments on it until about a month ago,” Muratori told CBS News Miami.
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How did the legal battle unfold and what did it cost her?
Muratori said the dealership, Mercedes-Benz of Fort Lauderdale could have fixed the issue much earlier but did not take action.
“If they had worked with me in the very beginning, before arbitration occurred, I would still be driving a Mercedes. But they ignored me,” she said.
Since she had no other option, Muratori took the case to arbitration and won. According to CBS News Miami, the arbitrator found that Mercedes-Benz of Fort Lauderdale broke Florida law and ordered the dealership to take the car back, pay damages and cover some of her legal costs.
However, the dealership did not follow the order. Instead, they challenged the arbitration decision in court, saying the arbitrator was biased. A judge looked at the case, found no proof of bias and supported the original ruling.
“They really thought that I was going to walk away and not fight them,” Muratori told the network.
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The dealership’s parent company, AutoNation, later said through a spokesperson: “We can confirm we have fulfilled our obligations following the court’s decision,” CBS News Miami reported. No explanation was given for the delay in following the order. Mercedes-Benz USA was also contacted but declined to comment.
Even though Muratori won the case, it came at a high cost. She spent about $17,000 on attorney fees that she cannot recover. She also had to buy another car during the dispute just to get around.
Additionally, Muratori has said she plans to write a letter directly to the CEO of AutoNation.
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