Consumer complaint received 2023-04-20
Product: Debt collection — Auto debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action — Threatened to sue you for very old debt
Company: CREDIT ACCEPTANCE CORPORATION (NY)

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX I and an associate purchased a car from the XXXX XXXX ( aka XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX for a sales price of {$27000.00}. With the understanding that the vehicle in question only had one recall on it. I signed using my initials. I was a little concerned about the price but since it was a gift for my fiance, I decided that I would fit the bill since she had specifically chosen this same vehicle a day earlier. The following day I noticed that several notifications on the dash kept flashing and I grew inquisitive because that car was supposed to be in top condition according to the salesman ( XXXX ). I called and asked if I could bring the car back so that the lights could be extinguished and I was given a date for that following Wednesday morning. The auto mechanic told me that the light was most likely a sensor and that it should turn off by itself after a few minutes. This never happened and then other notifications such as passenger side airbag was lighting up, the brake light as well. 
I took the car back again and he told me that it was a sensor and he replaced a fuse on my driver arm rest because my front side driver window had stopped working. I began to noticed that things were going wrong on a consistent basis and I took the car back about a month later for another problem and the mechanic told me that he couldnt touch the car after thirty days ( this also wasnt written in the contract ). He referred me to use the warranty that I had been given and take it to the XXXX dealership. I was going to see a client and went to park when I noticed that the car was slightly in the lane of traffic. I attempted to park it correctly and the car wouldnt start. I called a mechanic who came out to my location and informed me that most likely there was something wrong with the cable wire and that it had burned to the ground. 
The next day when I was able to acquire a tow truck and get it to the XXXX facility located at XXXX XXXX & XXXX XXXX in XXXX, they informed me that this was the case. I was told that they could fix this problem but that there were three recalls on this model and there was one of them that they had no idea how to fix as of yet. I kept making my payments on time and the car kept clanging and making strange noises. I then took the car to a mechanic that I knew and discovered that a pink rag had been stuck in the engine in place of a secured cap. When I questioned the dealership, they told me that this was something that I should discuss with the dealership where I bought the vehicle. The car then began cutting off in the middle of traffic. Because of my XXXX XXXX I was forced to try and maintain the vehicle the best that I could. 
On the advice of another dealer who is familiar with the retail value of several automobiles, I checked the XXXX XXXX XXXX value for the car and found out that it was under XXXX, yet they had it listed for & XXXX. So, when I gave them {$2100.00} up front, I figured that it would be go towards the down payment and bring the payments down. Instead they charged me a total of {$27000.00} for a car that was only worth {$9000.00}. The fact that they didnt inform me about the three recalls before I signed the contract constitutes fraud with malicious intent. This is so because a few times I have had my grandchildren in the car, and I had to preform evasive maneuvers in order to avoid accidents. 
I reached out to the dealership and the finance company that agreed to the loan, and told them to come their piece of junk. It was only because I mentioned that I was contacting the Attorney Generals Office of New York, that they agreed to come and pick up the car. As I looked over the contract, I saw that my down payment was written off as cost of an Optional Warranty, this a procedure that all auto resellers provide for free so why was I being charged for it, obviously because they put that money in their own pockets. 
Also, after having had two accidents due to the car cutting off and rolling back down on an incline, that I became frustrated to the point where I was scared for my life and those of my family members. The level of harassment by this company is unprecedented because two weeks, ago I hear a knock at my door at XXXX, and being that I am caring for an elderly parent with XXXX, I have to scrutinized every and all visitors, for her safety as well as mine. When I asked who it is?, an individual states that he has a delivery, when i opened the door there is no package and he's asking for my name. but then I ask where " is the package? '' and when he couldn't explain why he is lying in my face, I directed him to leave. He then tries to slip a paper in my hand, which I throw right back in his chest. He leaves and calls the police stating that I punched him in the face, and I am arrested, when I return from parking my wife 's car even though, I had XXXX witnesses present when this incident occurred. I later learn from my neighbor that he even had the police go to my neighbor 's apartments, trying to get them to state that i was a violent individual. 

Obviously, this is a direct example of retailiation by XXXX XXXX, because the process server was hired by them, and they are now finacially liable to me and all other residents of the XXXX of New York. I then discovered that in XXXX, of this year, the Attorney General of the State of New York, filed a lawsuit asking that this company be required to pay {$1.00} XXXX dollars a day, because of falsely misleading low economic families in New York State. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX for XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX New York XXXX number XXXX Initial filing date XX/XX/XXXX Status Pending Litigation ) I am asking for your intervention in this matter because too many hardworking individuals are being duped by crooked dealers like these who prey on the unsuspecting victims and ruin their credit and jeopardize their lives and now they are trying to falsely incarcerated people and someone has to stand up against them. I am looking for a good attorney any help will be greatly appreciated.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation