KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Last year, Bryan Chambers bought a used truck from Ole Ben Franklin Motors. He said, after a month, the truck stopped working.
Several people have submitted similar complaints to the Tennessee Attorney General's office, highlighting the risks of buying used cars in Tennessee.
Chambers said he bought a Ford F-150 from Ole Ben Franklin Motors last May. It had more than 190,000 miles on it. After about a month, he said the car needed thousands of dollars of repairs.
It sat in the shop until late last year, Chambers said. The third-party extended protection plan Chambers said he bought through Ole Ben Franklin Motors covered the first $18,675 in repairs. But now, he said it'll cost another $6,000 to make all of the needed repairs.
"The vehicle in the story was purchased as-is with more than 193,000 miles," dealer Josh Loop said in an email to 10News.
Chambers said, per the warranty agreement, the company won't pay the extra $6,000, because it'll add up to more than the value of the truck.
While the car was sitting at the repair shop, Chambers said he still had to pay the $867 monthly payment on the vehicle.
"The stress is very real," Chambers said.
He said he and his wife both work and they needed the second vehicle.
"Ole Ben Franklin has done me very wrong," Chamber said.
10News reviewed several complaints submitted to the Tennessee Attorney General's office about Ole Ben Franklin Motors. Three people allege they bought cars with salvage titles and weren't told the cars have them. Two people said they bought cars with serious problems and Ole Ben Franklin refused to fix them.
"To our knowledge, the complaints referenced have been closed, as we are compliant with Tennessee rules and regulations," Loop said.
The files show those complaints have been settled.
Tennessee's "Lemon Law" doesn't apply to used cars, it only applies to new cars or cars that are still under the manufacturer's warranty.
For people buying used cars, the Tennessee Attorney General's website suggests:
- choose a dealership with a good reputation
- get a mechanic from outside the dealership to look at the car before you buy it
- if the dealer promises to make any repairs, make sure you get that in writing
After multiple conversations with Ole Ben Franklin Dealer Josh Loop about an on-camera interview, he declined the opportunity to share his perspective in both an interview and a written statement.
WBIR previously reported on state fines to Ole Ben Franklin for selling new cars from used car lots.
Ole Ben Franklin's full statement is below:
The vehicle in the story was purchased as-is with more than 193,000 miles. We offered extended service protection at the time of the sale, and the customer purchased the protection. The result was that our extended service protection paid for the $18k repair bill to an outside service company, chosen by the customer.
To our knowledge, the complaints referenced have been closed, as we are compliant with Tennessee rules and regulations.
We love East Tennessee, and we love serving this community. For thirty-seven years, Ole Ben Franklin has sold affordable vehicles and offered service solutions that make sense for our customers. We look forward to doing the same for many years to come.