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Disabled Man Says Dealer Sold Him Deadly Car

A disabled man claims that after taking the vehicle back to Marietta Auto Mall Center to have an oil leak fixed, the car he bought started smoking and burst into flames two miles down the road.

by Staff
July 25, 2013
1 min to read


COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A disabled man alleged a car he purchased “as is” from Marietta Auto Mall Center nearly killed him when it burst into flames. He said the vehicle’s check engine light was on when he bought it, CBS Atlanta reports.

Jasen Erickson, who is paraplegic and uses a wheelchair, said he took the 2005 Mazda 3S back to the dealership when he noticed an oil leak. After several attempts by the dealer to fix the problem, Erickson and his girlfriend drove away in the vehicle, which started smoking two miles down the road. The couple pulled into a gas station and exited the vehicle, which became engulfed in flames.

Erickson was reimbursed for most of the damage by his insurance, but he was still down $2,000 from the initial $10,000 purchase price.

To read the full story, click here.

Topics:Dealer Ops

Originally posted on F&I and Showroom

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