Related To Story CRASHED CARS |
CBS Atlanta Investigates: Crashed Cars
POSTED: 2:23 pm EDT May 5,
2009
UPDATED: 12:58 pm EDT May 6,
2009
ATLANTA -- A questionable car dealership has shut its doors following a CBS Atlanta investigation which exposed a used car dealer hiding major accident damage on the cars they sell to you.Not only has Ultra Cars of Roswell shut down, CBS Atlanta found many of their used cars are now being sold by a dealer just down the road.Several victims have called us with complaints that they were sold a crashed car by Ultra Cars. Now the Secretary of State’s office has launched its own investigation. When Keith Newton bought a used Honda last year, safety was on the top of his mind."My son was 24-years-old and he was killed 2 years ago in a terrible car accident,” said Newton.Newton wanted to make certain the rest of his family was safe.He was lured into Atlanta Ultra Cars by their low prices and a promise that none of the used cars on their lot had been in a wreck, but our investigation discovered those low prices came at another cost.The dealership was buying cars that were announced at auction as having frame damage, but the accidents did not show up on the Carfax history report and the dealer was using that clean report as their proof the cars were accident-free."We just bought into the whole thing. Every car on the lot looked great,” said Newton.Newton bought the car and a few months later he got in an accident.“Mr. Newton could have very well been killed in this collision,” said mechanic Jeffery Synoweic.Synoweic said the crash could have killed Newton because Ultra Cars sold him a car that had already been in a major wreck. The damage was only cosmetically covered-up before the car was placed back on the road."It was nothing less than a glue bonding that was holding it together,” said Synoweic.Teresa Adams was also a customer of Atlanta Ultra Cars.“That makes me think they are just a bunch of crooks and criminals out to take money from people,” said Adams.She bought a $30,000 Lexus sports coupe after Ultra Cars handed her a clean Carfax report.“My sales person swore up and down it has never been in an accident,” said Adams.Adams only learned about the damage on her car when she took it to Carmax a few months later."Carmax valued the car at $17,000 because it had been hit,” said Adams.So CBS Atlanta went back to ultra cars to get their response.Less than 2 weeks after our investigation aired, Ultra Cars shut their doors and was now replaced by Capital Automotive."Do you all have any responsibility for those cars," asked Investigator Wendy Saltzman."No, but we have given the number for whoever used to be here,” said Maira Montya.The number Montoya gave us was for Atlanta Auto Lease, another use car dealer down the road.Our investigation revealed the CEO for Ultra Cars is also listed on the state corporate records for Atlanta Auto Lease.We also found the cars from the Ultra Cars lot on the Atlanta Auto Lease lot."We want to talk to someone about you guys selling crashed cars,” said Saltzman."I don't sell crashed cars. So please don't film me," said a salesman."But you guys are selling the same cars that were on the lot at Ultra Cars and you have the same owners,” said Saltzman."Ma'am I will call the cops if you keep getting in my face, seriously,” said the salesman.Ultra Cars’ old vehicles were now being advertised on the Atlanta Auto Lease Web site. The pictures even showed Ultra Cars in the background."I'm just sorry I got taken for,” said Adams.And while Adams lost about $12,000 on the car she bought from Ultra Cars, Newton says he's lost his piece of mind."I think it's criminal,” said Newton. "I just keep thinking what if my children were with me?"The owner of Atlanta Auto Lease wasn't on the lot when we visited, but by telephone he confirmed he had bought several of Ultra Cars used cars because he got them for half price.Even though Ultra Cars' CEO is on his corporate papers, he claims no relationship.Atlanta Auto Lease has hired an attorney and refused to speak with CBS Atlanta about their responsibility for those crashed cars.
Previous Stories:
- April 16, 2009: Eye On Atlanta: Crashed Cars For Sale
Copyright 2009 by cbsatlanta.com. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.









