Chrysler Bankruptcy: Consumer Groups Object

Source: ABC News

Chrysler car owners will be left in the lurch after the automaker's bankruptcy, consumer groups are charging.

On Tuesday evening, a host of consumer groups, along with liability attorneys, filed an objection in bankruptcy court to the Chrysler deal.

They say the way the deal is structured, the "new" Chrysler would be absolved of liability for any Chrysler car sold prior to the bankruptcy. So if you own a Chrysler vehicle and have an accident that you believe was caused by a manufacturing defect, you would be out of luck. You could not sue Chrysler for damages, they say.

"Chrysler has asked for the sale to be free and clear," attorney Scott Nealey of San Francisco's Lieff Cabraser law firm told ABC News. "They take all the assets and they have no obligations to people who have Chrysler vehicles right now. So if you have a design defect with Chrysler and it is something the company would normally fix, or you have a personal injury, you would be left with no remedy whatsoever.



Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=7633926&page=1

Cleveland is Ford and GM territory. No Chrysler plants.

Chrysler is closing almost every dealership in the Cleveland area.

The only car we ever bought without researching it first was our PT Cruiser. I rue the day we ever bought it. It is the most undependable car we have ever had and is overpriced. It sucks gas like there is no tomorrow. I was hoping to unload it and get something better but with both of us unemployed, we are stuck with it for now. Meanwhile, our 15 year old Ford Van and 17 year old Toyota Tercel are still going strong.

184,000 miles and still going strong.

Purchasing a product from a company that makes it a policy to shirk its obligations to its consumers is a pretty risky thing to do. Smart car shoppers are going to buy from companies that have a better track record of honoring their commitments.