Misrepresentation by auto dealer

[ffpatrick]

Recently I was looking for a new van. One of the requirements for the van was that it would be able to tow my 1500 pound pop up camper. The salesman looked in the brochure and it said the towing capacity was 3500 pounds (see owner's manual). Satisfied that the van would tow the camper, I proceeded to purchase it. Subsequently, I looked at the owners manual and discovered that you can tow something over 1000 pounds but it has to be equipped with trailer brakes. My camper does not have trailer brakes. I discussed this with the dealer and he said it would be fine to tow my camper. He also said that since two other Automobile manufacturers require trailer brakes on something towed over 1000 pounds, it is something I could not get away from anyway. I talked with the dealer that sold me the camper and he told me that it would cost approximately $1,000.00 to have the van and camper equipped for trailer brakes.

I believe the dealer misrepresented the towing capacity of the vehicle that he sold and is liable for the $1,000.00 to have the equipment installed to comply with the manufacturers recomendations.

Do I have a case??? The state that I reside in is Wisconsin

 

[Zigner]

The dealer did NOT mis-represent the capacity of the vehicle. Your new car CAN tow something greater than 1,000 lbs.
Enjoy your new car!

 

[JETX]

I believe the dealer misrepresented the towing capacity of the vehicle that he sold and is liable for the $1,000.00 to have the equipment installed to comply with the manufacturers recomendations.

Do I have a case???

Simple answer..... no. And even if you did, it would be nearly impossible to PROVE.

 

[ffpatrick]

Thanks for your replies, another question.

Thanks for the replies. Does this mean that if the dealer told me the van could fly, but neglected to tell me the cost of adding wings and a jet engine, he still wasn't misrepresenting his product? It just seems kinda shady to me.

 

[racer72]

Now you're comparing apples and oranges. The van you bought met everything you asked for, your trailer does not meet the requirements. The van does not need to be modified to do what you asked.

 

[ffpatrick]

Again, thanks for taking the time to respond. I guess I just don't see the difference - the dealer said I could do something but didn't tell me that I would need to make modifications to the van and trailer. I do want to hear the answer because I want to know if I should take this further. Thanks.

 

[justalayman]

. I guess I just don't see the difference - the

You asked:

would be able to tow my 1500 pound pop up camper

owners manual;

towing capacity was 3500 pounds

the vehicle is capable of towing your trailer.

comparison:

Does this mean that if the dealer told me the van could fly, but neglected to tell me the cost of adding wings and a jet engine

owners manual doesn't say the van can fly.

See the difference?