AG Shapiro files lawsuit against Pittsburgh area car dealership

SHARPSBURG, Pa. — In a new lawsuit, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro has charged Sharpsburg used car dealer, JK Motor Cars, with deceptive business practices.

The suit filed in Allegheny County court claims the company and managing member Jaison Kelly violated consumer protection laws by selling “unroadworthy cars and fail[ing] to disclose, prior to sale, serious problems.”

The attorney general claims at least 14 people bought faulty vehicles from JK Motor Cars, dating back to February 2019.

The suit states that several customers were misled to believe the cars came with a three-month or 3,000-mile warranty, but when issues arose, the attorney general says the customers were forced to pay to fix them on their own.

According to the lawsuit, customers discovered major problems with the cars including damaged frames, faulty transmissions, and engines in need of repair.

When confronted, the lawsuit states that JK Motor Cars told customers the cars they purchased were in “as is” condition.

The attorney general’s office provided these tips if you’re buying a used car:

• Assess your needs and determine a budget for the purchase, operation, and maintenance costs.
• Know your seller and check on their reputation and reliability first.
• Check the car for any easily-identifiable issues.
• Test-drive the vehicle. If you can’t, don’t buy it.
• Thoroughly read and understand all documents you are signing during the purchase process.

If you’ve had a similar experience with JK Motor Cars, you can contact the attorney general’s office on this website, via email at scams@attorneygeneral.gov or through the phone at 1-800-441-2555.

President of JK Motor Cars, Jaison Kelly, said to Channel 11 in part:

“We have been working and complying with his office for several months while trying to find resolutions for our customers. Every car we sell has the properly signed state required documents. These complaints amount to less then [sic] 1% of our sales over the specified time period.”

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