I bought a 99 Lexus GS300 from Lexus of Louisville on March 22, 2010 cash but I still haven't received the title and when I checked with the DMV it is still registered to the previous owner. It came with tags that are due to expire in October 2010.

I called the dealer two weeks ago and spoke to the dealer's title clerk who told me that there were problems in that they never received the title from the previous owner when he traded it in. She said she would send me a temporary tag, which I never received (I didn't mention it had tags expiring in 2 months).

I called again last week and asked for the sales manager and he said it was close to closing time, he would research and call me back first thing the next day. I got a call but it was not the sales manager instead it was the same dealer's title clerk I spoke to a week earlier, and she said they were working on it.

Today I decided to drive up to the dealer on my lunch break and asked to speak with the sales manager. I introduced myself and the problem and he said he was going to check into it he would be back. He disappeared for 30+minutes, and later showed up with another man, possibly a customer and just mentioned in passing that somebody was looking into my problem. I wasn't pleased, so I asked him how long he has been with the dealer he said 2.5 years, and I responded saying that this happened in his watch, couldn't they have at least notified me if there was a problem instead of me waiting and waiting, I gave them my home address, email address, and phone number when buying the car so there is no excuse for failure to communicate. He called me to his office and said he understood, 5 months is a long time but the car is in my name so I should not worry. I told him that the DMV says it's not in my name and that is why I am there coz if I get pulled over I could get harrased by police suspecting I stole the car. He called the dealer's title clerk and confirmed it is still registered to the previous owner. He said the finance manager knows about the issue and they will work on getting it taken care of as soon as possible.

I bought this car cash, why am i going through this??? It's a Lexus dealer, is this the kind of service one should expect after signing and paying them for a car?

What action can I take from here forward while waiting indefinitely? I was thinking of calling Lexus corporate or the Better Business Beaureau but I'm not sure what the best way to make my voice heard is.

Am I gonna have to pay to register the car now that it is almost expiring yet I never received the initial registration/title..?

 

Move to Cartalk...

Call Lexus corporate and see what they say. Also, talk with the manager and tell him "I'm not leaving until I see a temporary tag or something I want." See what they say. Good luck!

 

You paid cash for the car. Why in holy hell would you ever leave the dealer the day you bought it without the title?

Call Lexus corporate. Tell them not only did they take a trade without the title, they sold it without a title. Wow, so much wrong with this story.

 

it is a Lexus dealer. Let them handle it. I doubt they are out to scr*w you out of your money. Just document everything. In the end, they may have to 'trade' you a car. Looks like they fucked up and did not do the paper work. Now they are hoping that the previous owner will cooperate. But I would be being a Dealer, they have a way of getting a new title for you.

 

Screw the temp tags. You should immediately return the car if they cannot provide a clean title. Guess what?

Unless I'm missing something the original owner still has title to the car and legally can come and take it back.

 

dealer bought stolen car...sold it to you

 

Why didn't you ask for the title the day you bought the car cash?!?!?

...Let alone waiting almost 6 months to do anything about not having a title?!?!

 

i also wouldn't have paid until i got the title, but if i did, i would've called Lexus head office right away.

call them now!

 

I paid cash for my 330xi, and the dealer didn't get me a title until two days before the temp tag expired. I would take the car back to the dealership and just get your money back and be done with all of this.

 

I don't think it matters that he paid cash or took out a loan.

If the dealer doesn't have the title due to it being traded in, then there's a process to go through.

1) When they realized they hadn't gotten the title they should have requested a duplicate from the KY DMV

2) They should have sent you that duplicate title so you could register the car

3) If they suspected the car was stolen after they sold it to you, they should have refunded you your money and taken back the car.

If you live in the same city as the dealer, I would go to your local TV station and get their consumer advocate person to meet with you. Explain the situation and say you think the car might be stolen based upon how the dealer is acting.

I bet you get some help when that Lexus dealer shows up on the local news

 

Same thing happened with me when I bought the RX8 back in 2006. Paid cash for it, walked out with all the temp tags and paperwork, etc related to the sale. Title in my name and permanent state plates showed up about 5 days before the temp tags expired.

 

I think premium brand dealerships just screw you with class and a courtesy reach-around in comparison to regular brand dealerships.



Okay, all (horrible) jokes aside, I would be pissed and concerned if this happened to me. Five months is too long for any kind of paperwork.

I think you've given the dealership plenty of your time and patience. It is now time to escalate the situation to the BBB and the state DMV for an investigation or a claim.

If I were you, I would be on the phone with the DMV or whatever agency in your state that deals with auto issues.

http://www.fraudguides.com/report/kentucky.asp

 

And I should have clarified this in my reply above you. While the paperwork did arrive only 5 days before the temp tags expired... I had everything within 30 days of the transaction.

 

i would think legally, you can demand your money back if they haven't produced a valid title to you.

 

Wow, that should never have happened. Wrong on so many levels. If Lexus Corp. won't help, maybe get the state DMV involved.

I'm on the other end right now, waiting for my title to arrive after I moved and registered the car in a different state. Been over 2 months and I still don't have it - DMV says it will be issued Sept. 7. I'm especially impatient because I'm trying to trade in my car but can't yet as the dealer won't accept it without the title (understandably).

 

By no definition is five months for title work acceptable. I'd be pissed too.

 

I could be wrong, but what can or should the Lexus home office do about a used car sale? It's not their product that was sold. Sure it's their dealership franchise, but I don't think they dictate the used car sales. Perhaps CPO Lexus...but a '99 is certainly not a CPO.

 

I think you can return the car and get all of your money back if you make enough fuss about it. It's a invalid sale if they can't give you a title. You may want to contact a lawyer if you want to go that route.

 

I agree with Alex about it being an invalid sale, and of course everything else that was said in here..

 

There's no point in calling Lexus, it has nothing to do with them.

Contact your local DMV. Every dealer has a DMV "rep" assigned to them. You can speak with these people and they will get shit done, trust me. No dealer wants to be talked to by "this man".

I don't know about KY, but here dealers have 7 days to register the vehicle sold and send in the registration/title paperwork.

 

You're all going at it with the wrong angle. There's nothing wrong with the car that he has to call up Lexus corporate. There's something wrong with the TITLE AND REGISTRATION, which is a DMV issue. File a complaint with the DMV and if the laws there are the same as it is here in NY, they will get audited and fined out of their asses for selling a car without having a title.

 

^^^^

This.

 

 

+3 to what Shoofin said.

Go to the DMV STAT!

 

No words other than "wow."

Goodluck sorting this out, get to the DMV first thing tomorrow morning.

 

if you paid cash..the dealer still shouldnt give you the title, they are the ones that process everything and the title should be mailed directly to you..this is usually the case..but if they took a car on trade without getting the title, theres something fishy going on over there, which is alittle weird coming for a lexus dealer...i would definetely talk to BBB..or just go in and get your money back seeing how its not really your car yet.

 

Good advice Shoofin

 

Thanks for all responses; but yeah, the dealer was supposed to deal with the DMV transfer, registration, etc coz I paid my dues, and I was to get the title in my name by mail.
Nonetheless, I have faxed my complaint to the DMV, sent emails to 3 local tv news stations, and I am awaiting responses. I am still trying to find an attorney that deals with such cases and can give me free consultation to see what case we can have. It's frustrating, coz I have no idea how long they were gonna sit on it if I had not got in touch with them. A Lexus dealer for that matter, and paid in cash! So what did they do with the TTL fees they charged me???

 

^^ the person who sold u the car probably pocketed your TTL and quit.

=P

 

wow this is crazy ... what an unprofessional' dealership, something seems fishy about the situation

 

Yeah, I called again last Thursday and the sales manager told me the general manager was on vacation and would be back Saturday. He said he would talk to him and will call me before the end of the day, and today is Sunday still no phone call.
I had sent some emails to the news stations but no response, but I did fax my complaint to the DMV and I'm sure sooner or later there's gonna be some action. I called the attorney referral line to see what I can do and they told me the only person who can deal with my situation is the district attorney so it doesn't even seem like I can have a solid case. Most of the attorneys seem to be interested in Lemon cars, personal injury, etc.

I just don't know though what could be the problem...Carfax did not show any accident except for one back when the car had 30k miles in 2000.

 

Jalopnik might post about this if you send it to them.

 

Carfax has nothing to do with you not getting your title.

 

NEW DEVELOPMENTS Dealer just called me and said the car was in wife's name and wife is deceased so they said they would like to buy the car back from me. I wasn't pleased, and then he said they would try and get me a car that fits. I told him I will call them on my lunch break. What do I do..? I huggled to get that deal and I dont think i can get a comparable deal. At the same time it is really not my car, so they can legally take it from me and just cut me a refund check. I will be stuck without a car and who knows what car I can even get after that??
Help me folks, what should I do?

 

Return the car, make sure you get 100% of your money back, and find a new dealer.

It's the smart move.

 

Find another car.

 

+1 But make sure that you insist on 100% money back, including tax, tags, and all fees. It's an invalid sale and should cost you absolutely $0.

 

while having our 05 Hyundai serviced we ended up trading it for a 11 sonata without having the title. They gave a Fed-ex envelope to mail it to them when we got home. We did. Our temp. tag expired 2 days ago.Not because of the dealer but the DMV in NC

 

Figure out the interest lost + some $$ for the headache.

Milk them for as much as you can. Hell they f'ed up no you.

and whatever you do GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING (I can not stress this enough)

 

be smart about it man.

give it back and get your money back in its entirety. you cannot just roll over and let them fuck you