Auto Dealer Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Rollback Of Odometer – WOWO 1190 AM

Shipshewana, Indiana (Inside Indiana Business) – Indiana Attorney General Todd Lokita announced Friday a lawsuit against Lagrange County auto dealers. The lawsuit alleges that Flexible Auto Sales LLC and its owner, John Allen, rolled back the odometers of vehicles sold to at least 43 of his customers.

Flexible Auto Sales is located in Shipshewana. A total of 3 million miles were rolled back on known vehicle odometers, according to the lawsuit.

The company and its owners have been accused of violating the Indiana Deceptive Consumer Sales Act, the Indiana Odometer Act, the Federal Odometer Act, and the Indiana Automobile Unfair Practices Act.

According to the lawsuit, the vehicles were acquired by dealers from multiple sources, including the Greater Mishawaka Auto Auction, the Indiana Auto Auction and the Greater Kalamazoo Auto Auction.

Each auction house visually inspected the odometer readings of each vehicle and reported them in a disclosure statement provided to Flexible Auto Sales.

The lawsuit alleges that the company “altered, or caused to be altered, the odometer on each vehicle … before selling each vehicle to its respective purchasing consumer.” is said to have been described in the document such as the title.

Rokita’s office launched an investigation and documents related to the vehicle were provided by Allen.

In addition, Allen provided a copy of the odometer disclosure statement his company received from the auction house. However, Rokita’s office obtained the same statement directly from the auction house and found discrepancies in the mileage listed on each vehicle.

The Attorney General has injunctive relief, compensation to the customer who purchased the vehicle, as well as damages, civil penalties, costs and other remedies.

“Here in Indiana, companies should know that they face serious consequences for breaking the law and betraying Hoosier’s trust,” Rokita said in a statement. “We will hold them accountable and make them pay.”

The full text of the lawsuit is click here.