She sued over a defective car and won $66,000 — now the dealership is refusing to pay

In late 2022, Kim Muratori thought she’d struck gold when she purchased a certified pre-owned 2018 Mercedes E-400 (the 333bhp one, with a 3.0-litre, twin turbocharged V6) from a Fort Lauderdale dealership.

However, just six months into ownership, red flags began cropping up. The bumper detached and was held on with zip-ties. Although this was fixed at no extra charge, things quickly deteriorated: the engine misfired and the suspension system showed signs of serious wear.

“I was in shock,” Muratori said. “When you buy a certified Mercedes-Benz, you expect to be in not just good mechanical shape but the body structure all those things.”

An independent Mercedes specialist discovered the odometer was fraudulent—showing 39,000 miles when the actual mileage was double that.

Feeling misled and backed into a corner, she pursued justice via arbitration under Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. The arbitrator ruled in her favour, noting the dealership failed to present the required certified-pre-owned checklist. The judgment included $66,000 in compensation, a return of her payments dating from April 25, the return of her car, and reimbursement of legal fees.

But victory swiftly turned into frustration for Muratori. The dealership appealed to the American Arbitration Association, which was denied. Months have passed, and Muratori has received not a single dollar.

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“I was grateful for the arbitration award. But right after that, their attorney, who is in Fort Lauderdale, basically just blew us off,” Muratori told CBS. “We’ve made every attempt to notify them. Reach out to their attorney. Their attorney says he’s too busy. Maybe next week. So he’s avoiding bringing this to closure... “I keep pouring money out, money out, money out.”

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