Two central Ohio car dealerships are facing separate civil lawsuits filed by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. The lawsuits were filed against Delaware County dealership Starfleet Cars and Franklin County dealership Way 2 Go Auto Sales. The civil lawsuits were filed in each dealership’s respective county.

Yost accuses the dealerships of violating the state’s Consumer Sales Practices Act and the Certificate of Motor Vehicles Act. Way 2 Go is also facing accusations of violating the state’s Odometer Rollback and Disclosure Act.

Under Ohio law, these acts are designed to protect consumers from deceptive, unfair, or unconscionable sales practices. This is something Yost argues was a common occurrence in the operations of both dealerships.

These laws protect consumers across all industries but are often violated in the auto industry when auto resellers tamper with vehicles to bolster their perceived value beyond their actual value.

The accusations against the dealerships range from failing to properly transfer titles to purchasers to misleading customers about returns.

Yost details over 32 complaints made by customers regarding title-related issues and over 20 complaints related to odometer discrepancies and other misrepresentations about a vehicle’s value. Some of the complaints allege that customers were also misled into purchasing vehicles that had been misrepresented in their salvage rebuild.

Way 2 Go is also accused of rolling back odometers on the vehicles they sold, misinforming customers about the inflated value of their vehicles.

Johnathan Paul Kirkham, operator of Starfleet Cars, has not responded to the lawsuit, and his dealership is now listed as “Permanently Closed” on Google’s business pages. Kofi Bimpeh, operator of Way 2 Go, has yet to comment on the lawsuit as well.

“Ohioans work hard and deserve to get what they pay for,” Yost shared in a press statement after filing the lawsuits. “Whether it’s a deliberate title delay or outright fraud, my office will pump the brakes on dealership scams.”

Yost’s office is working to reimburse eligible customers who reported issues with their title after Purchasing a vehicle from the dealerships. The AG's office paid out $138,135 from the state’s Title Defect Recision (TDR) Fund to customers. This fund was created by the state to add a layer of protection to consumers who fall victim to violations of the state’s consumer auto laws.

Individuals in the state who feel they were a victim of deceptive practices can file a claim with the state's Consumer Protection Section online or by phone at 1-800-282-0515.