See Also: Eliminating Dealer Service Fees
Florida Dealer Sues Competitor For Selling Vehicles With Takata Airbags
A Florida dealer who has ceased selling Takata airbag-equipped cars is now suing a competitor for failing to disclose to consumers that vehicles on his lot are equipped with the defective airbag.
LAKE PARK, Fla. — An interview with a reporter convinced Toyota dealer Earl Stewart to stop selling vehicles with defective Takata airbags this past June. Now he's suing one of his competitors for failing to properly disclose to buyers that their vehicles have open Takata recalls on them, according to CBS News.
As part of the suit, Stewart is seeking damages for loss of business.
So far, more than 23 million vehicles have been recalled due to defective Takata air bag inflators. If activated, these defective inflators can rupture and launch shrapnel toward the driver. To read the full story, click here.
This isn’t the first time Stewart has mounted a public relations fight against his competitors. In 2008, he lobbied the Florida state legislature to eliminate dealer fees, calling them unjust because dealers hide the fees among a batch of legitimate state, local and federal fees.
Originally posted on F&I and Showroom
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