On April 23, 2024, the Minnesota Attorney General announced his office had sued a used-car dealer and its owner for violation of multiple state consumer protection statutes.
The suit’s allegations include that the dealer “(1) misrepresent[ed] that its used cars are certified when they are not; (2) illegally add[ed] expensive vehicle service contracts to consumers’ purchases without their consent; (3) refuse[d] to provide warranties that it is required to provide by law; (4) fail[ed] to make accurate ‘Buyer’s Guide’ disclosures and provide such disclosures in Spanish, as required by law; and (5) conduct[ed] business under an unregistered trade name that heavily targets and exploits Spanish speakers. Midwest Car Search fraudulently sold more than 3,000 vehicles to Minnesotans from 2017 to 2022.”
The suit follows an investigation conducted by the AG’s office spurred by its receipt of consumer complaints.